Following the success of its popular Fall Fair last year, St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Palmetto Bay will have a similar event, a Spring Fair, on Apr. 27.
Besides being a fun family event, the Spring Fair is intended to raise money for community projects, according to Diana Orme, the fair coordinator and treasurer of WELCA of St. Thomas. She said last year’s fair was a hit with everyone.
“We had more than 35 vendors with lots of room for more, plus our café to benefit Habitat, our own bake sale and a rummage sale,” Orme said. “Proceeds from the cafe, raffle and silent auction enabled us to participate in a Faith House at the South Miami Heights Community, Habitat Landings. Many of our members actually participated in the building of the home.”
She explained that many of the people participating in the festival, with its arts and crafts items for sale and various foods, had told them that there were not many events in the spring for them to attend. In response to their concerns the ladies at St Thomas decided to try a Spring Fair.
Although the Spring fair will not have the raffle and silent auction for Habitat as last year’s event did, the proceeds will benefit all the same organizations, including Habitat, Camillus House, Lutheran Services of South Florida and the Miami Bridge in Homestead.
“Hopefully a Spring Fair will prove to be a fun day of fellowship, food and shopping that provides outreach to the community and meets the needs of everyone,” Orme said.
Besides the organizations they help, last year the church provided a Christmas Party for 33 children and their families from Lutheran Services of South Florida. They collect canned goods monthly for the needy, and 34 health kits were made and sent to Lutheran World Relief which sends such items all over the world to help in times of need.
“Our members donated the supplies for the health kits and proceeds from the fair were used to fill in as needed,” Orme said. “We continue to make casseroles monthly for Camillus house. Our casseroles are taken to St. Louis Catholic Church along with other participating churches in the area. St. Louis collects and takes the casseroles to Camillus house.” Orme said that the members of the church make about 200 sandwiches the fourth Sunday of each month to take to the Old Cutler Presbyterian church where a group of people meet and take the sandwiches plus “other goodies” downtown to distribute to the homeless.
“The Publix at the Old Cutler Town Center has graciously been donating the bread for the sandwiches and our members donate meat, cheese, hard boiled eggs or fruit,” Orme said. “There are other churches that also participate and make the sandwiches the other weeks of the month.”
They additionally made 40 Easter baskets for area children.
St. Thomas Lutheran Church is located at 17700 Old Cutler Rd. For information call 305-232-1227 or send an email to stthomaschr@aol.com
