On Thursday morning I boarded a plane to Fresno, Ca. to meet up with Lovella, Anneliese and Judy to attend the MCC West Coast Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction.
Mennonite Central Committee was established in 1920 to provide relief for hungry families in southern Russia. Since then it has sent food, clothing, medical supplies and more to suffering people around the world. MCC works in partnership with local churches, community associations, government agencies and international organizations. All is done in the name of Christ.
Local farmers donated some of their crops of raisins and almonds to sell. Pies were baked from scratch with fresh ingredients from the area to raise money. Apricot, Rhubarb, Boysenberry, Peach, Cherry and Apple pies were tempting us all day long. Handcrafted cheese and jams were also available for sale. Frozen Vareniki and German Sausage was sold frozen by the dozen.
Hundreds of people gathered on the main campus of Fresno Pacific University to bid on handmade quilts and other hand made items.
A variety of ethnic foods were available for purchase including many Mennonite favorites like Zwieback, Borscht, Vareniki and Portzelky.
Vareniki with a meat sauce and German sausage. Pluma Moos is in the bowl (a cold fruit soup).
So what were the Mennonite Girls doing while they were in Fresno at the sale?
First off we were being amazed at the downpour of rain on Friday. The out of the ordinary deluge put a damper on the beginning of the sale with many events being cancelled and others brought indoors. We presented our story on Friday night and signed books for anyone who was willing to brave the flooding streets and soggy grounds.
On Saturday morning things looked brighter and we had a very good turnout for our cooking demonstration.
We demonstrated another Mennonite favorite called Rollkuchen and served it with watermelon which is a classic summer treat.
We met many wonderful people and were treated so kindly by the couple who coordinates the event and makes it run smoothly. Kevin and his wife Rose were amazing. In the midst of everything they were in charge of they made us feel like we were their top priority. How they pulled that off put us in awe of their work ethic and dedication to this volunteer job. This is Kevin’s wife Rose with us along with their extended family. Rose made the aprons for all the girls in her family. Here’s Kevin introducing us to the crowd in the auction hall.
We were blown away when some of our books were auctioned off for a direct donation to the Good Shepherd Shelter in the Ukraine (a MCC project). One participant bid $1000 for a book. At least $2000 was raised for our Green House Project at the Good Shepherd Shelter.
We also had so much fun talking to people who came to our table to get their books signed.
My friend and cousin by marriage lives in the area and I got to spend some time with her. She and I were Home Economics Majors at Cal State L.A. and became good friends and then she married my cousin. One of my good friends from our former Seattle church texted her cousin’s family who live in Fresno and told them to make sure to look me up at the sale. It was so much fun to meet them.
When we weren’t busy at the sale we had some good brain storming times for some future obligations. We also had time to enjoy some good meals out. We all were on the same plane from Fresno to Seattle and sat together and debriefed. I left the girls when we touched down in Seattle and they rushed off to catch their connecting flight to Vancouver.
It was a rewarding 4 days and we are thankful to God for our safe travels in the air and on the ground in Fresno, especially during the rain storms that flooded many streets in the Fresno area. Here’s a photo Lovella took from the car on Friday on the flooded streets! Judy from My Front Porch has a wonderful recap with a great flood shot, too. One more recap to share with you. Here’s Anneliese’s story…
I’m adding some of the other girls photos to my post so I have them all here together for my memory of this event.
It’s good to be back home again. After Dear picked me up from the airport we headed north to La Conner for lunch and some time at the tulip festival. I’ll show those photos later.
I’m linking up with Mary for Mosaic Monday. I hope to be around soon to see what everyone has been up to.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Oh what fun…and those quilts! My goodness they are all gorgeous. What a treat. Glad you survived the rain AND the flooded streets. Yikes!
What a wonderful and meaningful event! We had that rainfall where I live too (in Southern CA) and it was cold and quite heavy. CA always needs rain though, so it was a blessing! ::Jill
Wow, that event sounds phenomenal! I’m sorry the downpour limited your visitors, but hopefully a good amount was raised for the relief projects.
I hope the West Coast Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction raised a lot of money for their work around the world. Is this event always held at Fresno Pacific, or does it change from year to year? Do tell 😀
Nadz, It is at Fresno Pacific every year…
It looks like a wonderful time!
What a wonderful display. I bet you had a fantastic time. Thanks for sharing the photos.
What a great choice for your first MGGCC event. The vreniki photos had my mouth watering! And how sweet everyone looks in their aprons. I’m looking forward to reading the other girls’ recap of events, too. Have a great week, Ellen.
My, you girls are really on the move! You have such a great story to tell, and a good cause.
I’m looking forward to your tulip pics…I’ve always wanted to go there
What a great summary of your trip. Thanks for sharing it so quickly Ellen. We’re all so proud of you girls and the great job you did.
We used to be part of a Mennonite church here and I always loved our small MCC sale. The city I grew up in held the Kansas MCC sale. It was much larger and had more of the tradtional foods. SO FUN to go to both!
Pam we were talking about you this weekend with all the tornado activity in your neck of the woods. I’m happy to see your name this morning. We had the option to go to the Kansas Sale or the Fresno Sale this past weekend. We were glad to deal with rain instead of tornadoes.
Thank you so much for joining us! The pictures of your time with us in Fresno are beautiful. And, what a treat to have you stop by my family’s Borscht booth for lunch!
Looks like a great event and fund raiser. Looks like a fun time too. Great photos.
What a wonderful event! It all looks like such fun … the quilts, jams, food. And, to be with friends. Perfect!!!
Such a great event, and so worthwhile for you ladies to be part of! Those quilts are beautiful!
This is the first of the three reports I will read about your wonderful weekend. I’m sure that rain storm was a bit discouraging and I’m so glad that things picked up. All that wonderful food and the amazing quilts. Yay for the monies raised for a great cause. You gals did a great job!
Ellen – you’ve captured to sale so nicely with your wonderful pictures – those quilts are gorgeous! Our M.C.C. Relief Sale is coming up at the end of May. I’ll have to get my camera out and capture some of the very similar goings on there too. Our church sells “Rhubarb for Rhulief” at the sale – it’s a lot of fun and so easy. We just gather fresh cut local Rhubarb, bundle it and sell it! Great job on the fund raising and I wish I could have tasted your rollkuchen!
Ha! I think I’m in but my name may have changed ‘-O.
Ellen B, this looks like a fun event and lucky you, you got to do a demo. you ladies must be having the time of your lives!!!
xoxo Cori aka berrycrumbs “-)
Oh yes! There I am…a crumbling berry ‘-)
Those quilts are AMAZING! So beautiful. And $1000 for your book. Whoo Hoo! That is so cool.
I love your review…and what a wonderful weekend regardless of the downpour. Just think about blessing those underpriviliged people in UKRAINE. Thank-you for representing us with such class.
Fun to read about the weekend in my neck of the woods. Great pictures Ellen, as always! Hey, $1000. for your cookbook? Isn’t that what they cost?
Ellen, I so enjoyed gettng to know you even better this weekend! You are such a great scout and caregiver. Loved reading this here too! I like the extra pictures you got of the cooking class. That really was fun!
I’m so happy that the event was not a total rain out and that it was so successful, Ellen! It looked like a wonderful weekend all in all. I enjoyed seeing all your photos. Did any of you ladies bid on one of the gorgeous quilts?
Pat, the quilts we really liked went for a couple thousand. I bid on one at the very beginning when it was only $100 for the fun of putting up my bidding card!
Fabulous day on the road… the rain certainly tried to put a damper but you persevered it looks like..
We thoroughly enjoyed you ladies joining us at the sale. My granddaughters think it’s fun that you posted pictures of them in their aprons. I truly made four new friends this weekend. Continued blessings and hope to meet the rest of the group someday!!!
Wonderful! The food, the food, the food!! Are you ladies wearing the Church Ladies Aprons? I have made a couple that look very similar to yours.
Jody, I don’t know if they are the Church Ladies Aprons. Lovella made them for all of us from a pattern she found…
Love those quilts! And the food! Great mosaics.
Wow, Ellen – what a weekend! You and the others made quite an impression down there – imagine the money you raised with your books – people are so kind.
Oh Ellen….that was just the best recap. I took the time to enjoy each photo. So many fun times and interesting things you saw and did. I heard you were an amazing tour guide and driver:)
WOW, Ellen – that Bethlehem Star quilt is spectacular! So glad you had a productive time at the event!
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