Jonah Foundation's 1st Annual Fundraising Banquet

bout us: Jonah Foundation has created a 1-2-year Christ-centered residential reentry and recovery program for men in our area. As a peer group accountable to each other and under the supervision of our house manager, residents must commit daily to put their old lives to death and choose a new thriving life of redemption and productive citizenship. This ministry will provide five pillars of services, which include: Providing a supportive, sober living environment, personal biblical counseling for the duration of residency, connection to education fulfillment and second chance employers, mentorship and community with compassionate men of integrity, and probation navigation for those who are justice-involved. Here's a recent video providing details about the call of Jonah Foundation.

This is a night for Jonah Foundation and some of our friends to serve you and share the vision, mission and design of this holistic ministry. Thanks to many, there has been great progress since June of last year and we look forward to sharing those details.

As we come around the bend for the final half of 2024 with much of the foundational work completed, we see the critical need of obtaining the first Jonah House quickly approaching. So, we are committing all financial contributions made at our first annual banquet toward funding the first Jonah House. We have set the fundraising goal for this event at $75,000. If you have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to support this ministry financially or in service, perhaps this is it! Can we raise the money to meet this initial goal? With God, all things are possible. We only know this is His ministry, it's all about His timing, and we look forward to praising Him for accomplishing big things.

Word has spread about this ministry; we've even made the front page of the Big Rapids Pioneer! Jonah Foundation has been the talk of the town and the community is getting really excited about it; we are excited that the Lord is at the center of it all.

With all that said - there is a definite reason for us to get together, meet each other in one space and unite for this cause.

Our evening begins with a full gourmet spaghetti dinner prepared for you by our Vice Chairperson and Spiritual Advisor Pastor Brett Werner and Jail Advisor Randy Hahn.

Do NOT miss out on our Joys of Michigan silent auction!

Ask any Michigander about their favorite joys of summer and you are sure to hear them say smoking meat, grilling meat, flame-broiling meat, barbecued anything, char-grilled veggies, roasting . . . well you get it. We love to cook and eat outdoors! So our grand prize drawing is the (fully assembled - you're welcome) Pit Boss Austin XL 1000 wood pellet grill, Onyx Edition. With more than 1,000 square inches of cooking space you can easily host a crowd or serve dinner for two. Boasting an advanced PID control board with 5-degree increment settings, you can smoke, bake, sear, grill, barbeque, braise, char-grill and roast with this 8-in-1 outdoor beauty with confidence and consistency.

Whether you love to love them, or hate that you love them so much, no one can withstand the nostalgic excitement of watching their home team at the old ball game! We have been given a very special item to commemorate one of the greatest pastimes in Michigan: An autographed 32x24 photograph of Comerica Park certified as signed by the famous voice of the Detroit Tigers, Ernie Harwell on September 16, 2009 - his very last broadcast!

And what summer outdoor retreat is complete without ice-cold Vernors or Faygo?! With style and durability, you'll be ready with your Yeti for summer fun and restoration at the lake, in the yard, or pool-side.

Nothing beats a bird's eye view and you can have it too with this Vivitar Aero View Video Drone! The Vivitar AeroView quadcopter video drone is the only drone you need. With a full HD camera with live video feed over wifi, you can see real time what you are flying over. With follow me technology and GPS tracking you can always get the perfect shot! The drone has a range of 1000 feet and a 12 minute flight time. The Sky is the limit with the AeroView drone!

Are you in need of a personal restoration? We have received an incredible donated gift of a luxury vacation rental: Long Lake Escape in Traverse City. Enjoy final fall colors up north with a 2-day stay October 26th and 27th - two nights with in this 3.5 bedroom "Parade of Homes" award winning waterfront lake house, just 15 minutes from Traverse City.

Finally, we have another very special item, a 32 x 18.5 Portrait signed and numbered by artist Terry Redlin entitled: "A Helping Hand"; professionally framed and matted.

After dinner, we will head into the sanctuary of the church to hear from speakers and our key note speaker, Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson, Director of Faith-based Ministries from Fletcher Group.

Matt works to help faith-based organizations grow their impact within the recovery ecosystems in their communities. Previously he worked as a pastor who empowered his congregation to engage in recovery work in their West Virginia community. Matt founded the Abundant Life Recovery Housing Network, a non-profit recovery residence organization in West Virginia. As an experienced founder and operator of recovery housing, Matt is a sought after public speaker. He has been an absolute gift to Jonah Foundation, providing all of our technical support as we build this ministry for our communities.

After hearing from our speakers, the winners of the silent auction will be announced.

At the end of the evening, there will be an opportunity for you to give financially to help Jonah Foundation secure the first Jonah House.

So take a break from cooking dinner, come be inspired and part of something that will surely transform lives and maybe even our communities.

If you or your organization would like to sponsor this event, if you would like to match donations, or add an item for raffle or silent auction, please email Amanda Hahn at ed@jonahfoundation.com.

If you have multiple friends and wish to RSVP a table for 8-10, instructions will be provided in the RSVP response email. We would love to seat you together!

We'll see you there!

Amanda Hahn, Executive Director

This event is sponsored by gracious donors of beef, Jonah Foundation Board members and Erin Carrier Law PLLC