Twelve Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty Five Reasons to Say “Thank You”

In an earlier blog I wrote “No halfway house can survive without the support of the community in which it sits.”  Nothing demonstrates this principle in  the case of Christian Fellowship Home better than the success of our annual Telethon fundraiser, held yesterday.

First our regional television station WHIG, is to be thanked for providing the production facility and air-time without which there would be no Telethon. Sandra Smith, owner and manager, and technical experts Edward Greene and Lee Pritchitt, went many times the extra mile.

Then our corporate sponsors: local businesses who make investments in the Telethon before it's any where near ready to go on the air. We gratefully thank Rocky Mount Engine Plant, Ivan Price Graphic Design, Turn-key Storage, Steve Felton at Ameriprise Financial, COECO Business Systems, John Hackney Agency, Stallings Oil Company, Eagle Transport, Don’s Body Shop, and E. Norman Davis.

The public face of our Telethon is the on-air host team, expertly led by Jean Almand Kitchin, who was joined by Ginny Mohrbutter, Amanda Bell, Lennette Britt, and Gus Tulloss. Some of our best faith-based community leadership served as guest hosts: including Bishop Shelton Daniel, and Pastors Jodie Wright, and Larry Curtis. Also donating time before the cameras were Tom Betts, Kim Hickerson, Joe Goarck, and Marva Scott.

You can't have a Telethon without a phone bank. Ours was manned by Denise Simon, Christy Skojec Taylor, and Gerald Warner -- all of Express Personnel -- who excitedly waved purple pom-poms and cheered every time a pledge call came in.  Back end financial work was capably manned by CFH Board members Vanessa Whitaker, and Rick and Sandra Thomason. 

Entertainment and talent interludes were provided by the Word Tabernacle Men’s Choir, Tiffany Hill, Terrapin’s Group, and the Sapony Creek band while current house resident Tony Williams performed Gospel selections as well as gave his testimony about being at the Men’s Home.

Thanks are also due to Men’s Home Manager Alton Lynn, and the current and former residents who shared their experiences both publicly and anonymously.

The result of all this effort by all of these people was astounding: pledges of support this year in the amount of $12,225.00, and a six year cumulative total raised from our Telethon of $81,990.00 And that’s a whole lot of reasons to be thankful about the generosity of our twin county community, twelve thousand two hundred and twenty five of ‘em, to be exact!