The sixth annual Nativity Festival Sunday was a celebration of a successful year for the Heart of Iowa Habitat for Humanity and also a fundraiser that added $8,869 to Habitat’s coffers.
The event was held on the main level of First United Methodist Church in Jefferson. Dozens of nativity sets of all sizes, material and style were displayed in the narthex. A concert was held in the sanctuary and a soup supper and pie auction were held in Fellowship Hall.
Kyle Roeder, a 2013 Jefferson-Scranton graduate who will graduate from Drake University this month as a trained opera singer was “headliner” at the concert. He sang traditional carols accompanied by Keri Brooker. The Town & Country Band provided gathering music. Other performers were the Joyful Noise singers from First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson, a saxophone ensemble and carolers from Greene County High School, the 3:16 brass ensemble from Central Christian Church in Jefferson, and the Greene County Singers. Tori Riley read an original poem written for the Nativity Festival.
Harry Ahrenholtz was emcee. Jeff Lamoureux, associate director the Heart of Iowa Habitat provided highlights of the year and presented Gary Von Ahsen and Angie Jewett with plaques. Both are original board members who are leaving the board at the end of the year. Jewett will remain involved, but Von Ahsen is leaving the area.
Lamoureux also thanked all the volunteers as well as Home State Bank, Community State Bank of Paton, Rolling Hills Bank of Rippey, and Peoples Trust & Savings Bank for providing financial support. The banks provided a combined total of $3,250.
The soup supper was prepared by volunteers from churches that support Habitat, with Shirley Haupert in charge of the kitchen. Members of the high school Interact Club and National Honor Society helped serve and did other tasks as asked.
The pie auction featured 19 pies from some of the best bakers in the county. Kaleb Lentz coaxed a total of $2,080 in bids, with three items bringing in more than $200 each. Marianne Carlson’s raspberry cheesecake, Gina Harrington’s apple pie, and a cherry pie baked by Sue Rieder (a first time baker for the auction) garnered those bids.
Heart of Iowa Habitat for Humanity serves Boone, Greene and Guthrie Counties. The goal of Habitat is to provide opportunities for low-income families to live in dignity with safe, healthy and affordable homes. In Greene County, repairs were done to six homes in Helping Hands projects. Four homes were repaired in Guthrie County and a house was built in Boone County.
