Tickets are now on sale for the annual Feast of Joy, a special Christmas dinner which helps raise money to support victims of domestic violence.
This marks the 17th year for the annual event to benefit The Shepherd’s Inn, Elizabethton’s only emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and women and their children who are temporarily homeless.
The event will be held on Monday, Dec. 7, at First Baptist Church, located at 212 E. F St. The evening’s festivities will begin at 6 p.m. with a variety of hors d’oeuvres provided by local restaurants, followed by the butler, Lucas Hitchew, calling the guests to dinner.
The meal will be prepared by Executive Chef Eric Hoglund, former Executive Chef of the Johnson City Country Club and a past president of the Mountain Empire Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. Presented in a festive formal motif, guests will be treated to a full meal with assorted desserts and wassail. Students from the Carter County 4-H program will once again assist by serving the meal.
Locally renowned keyboardist David Arney and the Connely Children Flute Ensemble will perform during the meal.
“The evening’s program is a special treat this year,” said Michael Hawkins, chairman of board of directors for The Shepherd’s Inn. “We are pleased that the evening’s entertainment is ‘Holiday Sparkle with Paul and Loretta.’ Loretta Bowers and our own Paul Gabinet, the Executive Director of The Shepherd’s Inn, have agreed to provide this year’s after dinner musical entertainment.’
Both Bowers and Gabinet are well known vocalists throughout the community and their performance at the Feast of Joy is a first ever performance together, Hawkins said.
“When a special event is planned, Ms. Loretta is often the first to be asked,” Hawkins said. “She brings a professional and enriched performance… everyone loves Loretta Bowers and loves to hear her sing. It’s incredible.”
Gabinet’s tenor voice was trained by Rachael Barrett and Sherwin Bachman, who were both students of Martha Lipton of the Metropolitan Opera Company, and by Robert Shaw famed Conductor of Atlanta’s Robert Shaw Chorale, Hawkins said. Gabinet has performed programs with members of the Atlanta Orchestra and churches throughout the Southeast including The First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX and other countless events.
The solos and duets performed by Bowers and Gabinet for the Feast of Joy will include traditional, art songs, spirituals and classical Christmas renditions. Arney will serve as the accompanist for Bowers and Gabinet.
The annual event is organized by the board and advisory members of The Shepherd’s Inn and is coordinated by Gabinet.
“This program has become a part of our community’s Christmas tradition and promises to be an evening of great food, fun, and inspiration, all for the cause of supporting the work to assist the women and children who are victims of domestic violence and those who are temporarily homeless in our community,” Gabinet said. “This has been an incredibly challenging year with our finances and we hope folks will reserve Dec. 7th and come to Elizabethton’s First Baptist Church for our Feast of Joy ”
Earlier this year, The Shepherd’s Inn went into foreclosure after falling behind on mortgage payments but the community rallied around the shelter and helped raise the funds to save the program.
“The Board is aggressively seeking 65 donors who will pay $100 per month,” Hawkins said. “That will secure the shelter’s annual budget 100 percent.”
Additional gifts of food, cleaning agents, laundry detergents, and other household items will be gratefully accepted from guests upon arrival for the Christmas Dinner. The Shepherd’s Inn–Safe House/Emergency Shelter is totally reliant on the community for operational funding.
Tickets are now available and can be purchased at $20 each by contacting Linda at 543-1931 between the hours of 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by calling 542-0180. Tickets are limited. Additional contributions can be sent to The Shepherd’s Inn, P.O. Box 2214 Elizabethton, TN 37644.