After a worship service on March 10, 2024, with Nicaraguan music and a children’s message by Ms. Chloe-Rose Crouch, manager at the Community Day Center of Waltham, congregants gathered in the Newton Highlands Congregational Church (NHCC) Great Hall for a fundraising lunch featuring Nicaraguan-style dishes.
Guest speaker Mr. David Gullette gave a presentation about the Free High School of San Juan del Sur, which gives non-traditional-aged students an opportunity for secondary education, and asked for support. The lunch raised more than $800 for the school.
The lunch was hosted by the Mission Committee and organized by member Lynn Scheller and co-chair Kitty Rieske. Both mentioned that their sons had traveled to Nicaragua with the NHCC youth group to dig drainage ditches when the school was being built.
In her thank you email to volunteers, Ms. Rieske stated, “I loved that our young people and new members learned about our mission in Nicaragua!”
Volunteer chefs included Ken Baily, Sally Brickell, Holly Grieb, Anita Fisher, Nina Harper, Ann Hulsing, Carol Jensen, Marianne Louderback, Kitty Rieske, Lynn Scheller, and Lynn Shields.
The lunch had been held in March in past years but was on hiatus for several years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
During church school, Ms. Crouch met with children and youth to talk about the work of the Community Day Center, for which church school participants make sandwiches on the first Sunday of each month.
“The children were very interested, had lots of questions, and were involved in the conversation,” stated Director of Christian Education Wendy Donnell.
Fundraising lunch for Free High School of San Juan del Sur
