Successful Gala Supports ECM
by Angela Breeher, Development Assistant
Episcopal City Mission
Episcopal City Mission (ECM) hosted our annual Moment in Time Gala and Auction on Thursday, Oct. 20. Moment in Time is our biggest annual fundraiser to provide chaplains and programs for children in St. Louis’ Juvenile Justice System. This was our first in-person gala since October 2019, and guests were excited to come together for a fun evening to support ECM’s mission. More than 120 people attended, and our diocese was well represented by Bishop Deon Johnson, lay members and clergy from many congregations. Our gala theme was “Lighting the Way to Hope & Healing,” but it could easily have been “So Happy Together!” Old friends were warmly greeted, and new introductions were made.
Our 2022 Moment in Time Gala was held at The Forest Park Golf Clubhouse which provided a beautiful setting for an opening reception, followed by dinner and a program filled with presentations, a mission video, and a live auction. All four ECM Chaplains (Deborah Burris, Kevin Aldridge, Clive Samson, and Norman Malloyd) teamed up to emcee the event, giving them the opportunity to share insights from their experience working with the children in the juvenile detention centers. Guests were offered a wide variety of silent auction items and packages (available for online bidding), and we ramped up the auction fun with a live auction that included a Cardinal’s Baseball package, tickets to Frozen at the Fox Theater, a live-edge entryway table, a luxury weekend at Chaumette Winery & Vineyards and a Lake of the Ozarks Getaway.
The featured speakers for the evening were Bishop Deon Johnson and Beth Goad, our Executive Director, who has announced her retirement at the end of this year. Bishop Deon helped us thank Beth for her nine years of dedicated service to ECM and presented her with flowers from our Board. Beth thanked the Episcopal community for their warm welcome when she started working for ECM in 2013 and their ongoing support of ECM.
Another program presentation was a mission moment video composed of interviews with Detention Center and Family Court staff, ECM volunteers and chaplains – each with a personal story of how important the work we do is for the children we serve in their time of crisis. You can view this video and others on our YouTube channel (Episcopal City Mission – St. Louis, MO). Gala guests came away with a deeper understanding of the impact ECM has on the children we serve by helping them gain a new perspective and outlook about themselves, others, and their future.
This year’s Moment in Time was a success in every way, thanks to the generosity of our supporters and everyone who attended. Our guests enjoyed a lovely evening, and we were able to raise over $74,000 (gross) to fund our mission of bringing hope and healing to the children in St. Louis’ juvenile justice system. If you couldn’t attend the gala or donate – it’s not too late to donate online at www.ecitymission.org or by mailing a check, payable to Episcopal City Mission, at 1210 Locust Street, Suite 306, St. Louis, MO 63103.
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