State Assemblywoman Attends Pancake Supper To Benefit Local Charity

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With an overflowing donation jar to prove their success, volunteers at the Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church (SOLLC) in Lake Elsinore beamed as they said goodbye to their last guests and began the clean up of an evening Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday to benefit the local non-profit organization Helping Our People in Elsinore (H.O.P.E.).

“We had a roomful of people, probably more than 75 guests,” said Monique Poldberg, a church volunteer.  “Our goal is to raise as much money as we can and take full advantage of the matching grant we received and hopefully donate a total of $10,000 to H.O.P.E.”

With griddles sizzling, volunteers probably served up a few hundred pancakes, and the kids who had a breakfast for dinner enjoyed syrup, strawberries, blueberries and whip cream to top off their stacks.

“The Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church is a blessing to our community,” said Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore), who attended the dinner with her family. “With so many of our residents in need, I’m honored to support them and help H.O.P.E. continue to feed the hungry of our community."

The SOLLC recently received a $5,000 “Lutheran Community Economic Outreach Bridge Grant” from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. SOLLC subsequently elected to participate in a complementary two-to-one challenge grant program sponsored by the Foundation. For every dollar raised by SOLLC from donors by Mar. 31, 2013, the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation will provide an additional 50 cents—up to $5,000—in support of H.O.P.E.’s food & backpack ministry.

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Tuesday and Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Shrove Tuesday is determined by Easter; its date changes annually.