Supporters of the Shining Light Garden Foundation gathered for a Spring Dinner fundraiser at the Bent Pine Country Club to raise funds for the nonprofit, which was started as a backyard venture by Joel Bray in 2008 to raise vegetables to feed the hungry.
Since then, tens of thousands of bushels of fresh vegetables and fruit have been grown by Shining Light volunteers at the now 20-acre farm and donated to local food pantries and soup kitchens, veteran and senior organizations. The all-volunteer organization is funded solely by donations and grants.
Some of the beautiful flowers they grow to brighten the lives of patients at the VNA Hospice House were used by event chair Connie Derman and her committee to make lovely spring centerpieces to complement the brightly colored table napkins.
Bray said a few years ago Shining Light began raising miracle fruit, a berry that causes sour foods to taste sweet. It has been found to improve chemotherapy-related taste changes and Bray said they have also helped people who experienced a loss of taste from COVID.
“We’ve got some great crops now; it’s really nice,” said Bray. “And we’re still getting a lot of charter and college kids helping, which has been good.”
During a cocktail hour, guests perused a wide array of auction items before enjoying Shining Light’s first fundraising dinner since the pandemic.
However, their work never ceased, said Greg Vafiades, Shining Light community liaison.
“As the need for our nutritional veggies continues to grow, Shining Light Garden has been there to meet the need,” said Vafiades.
Acknowledging the vital importance of their volunteers, he gave special thanks to Derman, who he said keeps them all in line and does a wonderful job at the farm.
Vafiades introduced May Brandt, who in 2001 made a plein air painting at the farm of the barn and part of the flower garden.
“May decided that her painting should belong to our garden and tonight she is here to present it to Joel,” said Vafiades.
“All of us, at sometime in our lives, say to ourselves, ‘How can I make a difference in this world?’ Most of us, like myself, give up. But this man has made a fabulous difference.
Feeding the hungry is just so elemental and wonderful. So I’m very proud to give you the painting, and I hope you enjoy it,” said Brandt, offering it to Bray.
“We’ve come a long way, the garden has. It’s been a really incredible journey,” said Bray.
Commenting that youth from all over the country come to help, he said a young woman recently returned from her missionary work in Utah and brought her parents to see the farm.
“And she said, ‘Of all the places I’ve been, this made the most impression on me because of your faith and how God supplies the needs there,’” said Bray.
“I would like to thank you all for coming and your continuous support of the garden,” said Bray. “Without you all, I don’t know where we’d be. Because of your generosity and what you do, I continue to be humbled by it and by God’s faithfulness every day.”
For more information, visit ShiningLightGarden.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
