By Kendall Patterson
The Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse of Chester County and the Carl Perkins Center of Hardeman County are partnering for a sunset, open-air dinner and dessert evening beginning at 6 p.m. September 29 to support both centers all while giving attendees an evening to remember.
The event called “The Gathering: A Feast in the Fields” is an evening of food catered by Bessos and live entertainment including the Southern Rose band.
Center directors Kirbi Fahs of Chester County and Monica Goodman of Hardeman County explained how the idea of this event came to be.
“By two counties coming together we’re helping twice as many children in our communities. All dollars raised for each county stays in each county, so everyone has the opportunity to support the county that they wish to support,” Fahs said.
“When we help children, sometimes the abuse may happen in Hardeman county but the child ends up with a family in Chester County so our services are widespread,” Goodman said.
This event will take place at White oaks Weddings and Events Venue at 1185 Deanburg Road which falls on the edge of both counties.
“Where this is at is almost on the county line, and that’s what we thought was so neat about that ‘One Table One Cause.’ Child abuse doesn’t stop at the county line, and services don’t stop at the county line, and together we can make an even bigger difference,” Fahs said.
This year also marks the 40th Anniversary of the Carl Perkins Center and Fahs expressed why that makes this event even more special.
“This year is the 40th anniversary of the Carl Perkins Center, and it’s just that concept that everyone has a seat at our table, and that it takes a lot of people with a lot of different talents and a lot of different resources: their time, commitment, love and support pulling up a seat at our table. A lot of the decisions that were made here at the center started at a table whether it be the board meeting table or the child protective team table. Staff meeting table. Families coming together to think about how do we help our child heal? How do we help our child prepare for court? … For 40 years people have chosen to take a seat at our table just kind of led into this one long table coming together—one table one cause.”
To support the Chester Co. Center order tickets from https://www.carlperkinscenter.org/events/chester-county-the-gathering.
To support the Hardeman Co. Center visit https://www.carlperkinscenter.org/index.php/events/hardeman-county-the-gathering.
You can also call the county’s center to purchase tickets. The deadline to reserve tickets is September 20.
For more information follow the event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/585118919688864/.
