Fall festivals bring communities together for good causes. On Saturday, October 14, 2017, Norwich’s Park Congregational Church hosted their 6th Annual Fall Festival to benefit the city’s St. Vincent De Paul Soup Kitchen.

The Minister of Park Congregational Church, Gale Grayson said, “We chose the [soup kitchen] for multiple reasons.  It is a vital, well respected ministry [which] provides food, healing, and comfort. Our church thinks it is vitally important to sustain in Norwich. It’s very important to reach out with other organizations in Norwich for such a good cause.”

People donated items and purchased handcrafted candles, jewelry, and embroidery.  The soup kitchen cooks prepared and sold food.  

Matt Rollins, a festival attendee, commented, “ The sausage and meatball grinders are my favorite.”

The festival has raised a large amount of money in the past.

“We got $2,000 in, just in clothes last year, and roughly $5,000 in total,” explained Rollins.

In addition to the financial benefitsl, Grayson views the festival as “a way to partner with other brothers and sisters in Christ to minister to human need.”

Jillian Corbin, the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen Director, agrees. “It’s great to see people come together [to] raise money for a good cause.”