The Minden Adult Teen Challenge program will be hosting a sold out Christmas Celebration, which will include performances from residents within the program as well as a silent and live auction. The purpose behind hosting this event is to raise money for the program while at the same time bringing some Christmas Cheer to Minden.
“We’re having a fundraising banquet to raise funds for the Minden Adult and Teen Challenge Program. We’re a program that takes in women, women with their children, and pregnant women, who are struggling with life-controlling addictions,” said Andy Jenkins, Director of the Minden MATC.
“We’re a residential program, they’re with us for 18 months and we help them get on their feet.”
Due to their status as a faith-based non-profit program, MATC doesn’t have as many opportunities to apply for funding through the state or federal governments. “We’re a faith-based non-profit program, so there isn’t really a lot of funds available through the government for a program like ours, so we have to raise money independently. The purpose of the banquet, and the Broken Bean as well, is to raise money for the program so that we can continue helping women in need.”
Residents of the program have formed a choir and will be performing some Christmas classics, as well as sharing personal stories about what God and the MATC program has done to help them turn their lives around.
As far as the auctions are concerned, a little something for everybody will be on display. This includes various artworks from landscapes, to holiday themes, to religious-based pieces. Tools, knives, hunter cameras, and a meat smoker will also be some of the available items to bid on. On top of all that, multiple gift certificates to various businesses around the City of Minden and in Bossier are up for grabs as well.
“We’re going to have something for everybody. Small budgets, big budgets, men, women, everyone is being catered for,” said Jenkins.
