ALPENA — This menu includes a hot homestyle meal, auctions, prizes, raffles, and raising money to help feed kids and protect women.

The ELCA Lutherans of St. Paul Lutheran and Grace Lutheran of Alpena invite the public to join them at the Community Celebrating and Sharing Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 13. Doors open at 11 a.m. and dinner will be served at noon at the APlex.

“We’re hoping for 500 to 600 people,” said Kathy Burton of St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Tickets need to be purchased in advance, for $15 per person ages 13 and up, and free for those 12 and younger. Purchase tickets at The Alpena News, Neiman’s Family Market, St. Paul or Grace offices.

Proceeds benefit Feeding Kids Ministries, Hope Shores Alliance to purchase much-needed new flooring, and Grace and St. Paul churches.

“Their floor is really bad and needs to be done,” Burton said of the shelter for women and children.

Burton explained that some children in our community go hungry in the summer and on the weekends, and that’s where Feeding Kids Ministries comes in.

“They get free breakfast and free lunch at school, so they’re all set there, but on the weekends, there’s nothing,” she said. “So they send food home with them on Fridays.”

Dinner, donated by JJ’s Catering owner Jon Benson, will include baked chicken, sausage and sauerkraut, red skin garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, green beans, cole slaw, rolls and butter, and dessert. There will be a silent auction, multi-item raffle, door prizes, 50/50 raffle, big ticket drawing, and pick-a-dessert auction.

“This year we’re doing desserts,” Burton said. “Ivan Sumerix is going to live auction them off at the dinner. We thought that would be a lot of fun. Also new this year, we’re having a six big item raffle.”

Raffle tickets are $10 each, with 500 available. First place is a Chevy Kid’s Motorized Car donated by Cliff Anschuetz Chevrolet, second is a plane ride by Dr. Currier, third is a chair from Alpena Furniture, fourth is a handcrafted wooden bench by Eric Steinke, fifth is luggage donated by Eric and Tracie Granata, and sixth is a kayak also from the Granatas.

For information, call St. Paul at 989-356-1658 or Grace at 989-354-2640.