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A common goal
Cornerstone Baptist Church has been on a quest to help the community. They found their cause and will offer a Feed Fauquier Benefit Concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 at Brumfield Elementary School in Warrenton.Featuring the music of Marie Miller, all proceeds from the concert will benefit Community Touch, a nonprofit organization offering food, clothing, and shelter to those in need.
"We were looking for a way to be a blessing to the community, " said Mike Poff, senior pastor at Cornerstone, which meets weekly at the school. Noting that the church's youth group had been volunteering with Community Touch in Bealeton, Poff said that an April story in the Fauquier Times-Democrat alerted the congregation to the need for additional resources at the center.
"Around the time of the newspaper article, some of the leadership of the church were made aware of a young musician from nearby Front Royal named Marie Miller, " said Poff. "Amidst a myriad of conversations, this local artist, this local church, and this local nonprofit came together to birth the Feed Fauquier Benefit Concert."
The benefactors of the event are thrilled with the way it 's all come together. "We are ecstatic," said Tyronne Champion, executive director of Community Touch. "It's going to provide us with the ability to help more people in Fauquier County - to reach more homes with food."
Located on Jericho Road in Bealeton, Community Touch's operation is centralized in three main areas - food, clothing, and shelter.
Victory Transitional Housing offers transitional housing to homeless men, women, and children, helping individuals achieve and sustain a higher quality of life. Clara's Faith House Food Pantry provides food for residents of rural areas in Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock, and surrounding areas, Poff said. Noah's Ark accepts and distributes clothing, furniture, baby items, toys, books, and other household goods to qualified low-income individuals who need assistance. All donated items are, in turn, donated to a person in need.
Champion said that VTH shelters are currently full, providing homes for 40 people. On a recent Saturday, the organization served approximately 45 people at the food pantry and Noah 's Ark. "What we do is all because of God," Champion said.
Poff said that his church is excited to sponsor the event. "Our goal is to really help people become more fully devoted to Christ," said Poff. "The Bible is important to us. We find that when people start applying it, they receive a lot of freedom and fruitfulness." Church members are preparing baked goods that will be offered for sale during intermission, he said, adding that all proceeds from the event will go directly to Community Touch.
Miller 's participation in the event, he said, is sure to draw a crowd. Having performed at countless churches, festivals, and private events, the 18-year-old signed a recording deal with Curb Records in 2006. Prior to that, ChristianityToday.com called her one of the "top ten independent artists to watch." For her part, Miller was eager to lend her musical talents to the concert.
"Most young people are looking for happiness in all the wrong places; they think that romance or status or pleasure will satisfy their cravings for peace and happiness, " said Miller. "I hope that my songs will reach some of these souls and communicate to them that true happiness can be found only by doing what God created them for; their particular calling in life, their specific way of loving Him and loving other people."
The third of 10 children, Miller sings, plays guitar, piano, and mandolin and will perform for an hour and a half, with a 30-minute intermission.
Tickets are available at Tana's Kitchen on Sullivan Street in Warrenton or by calling (540) 347-9872. Tickets are $10 each and children 12 and under are free.
Community Touch is planning two additional fundraisers for the coming months. Volunteers will be on hand at the Virginia Gold Cup at Great Meadow on Oct. 20, collecting donations. And, the group will hold its second annual auction at 6 p.m. on Nov. 10 at the Warrenton Armory, Champion said. Community Touch is currently accepting donations for the auction. Call (540) 439-9300 for more information.
E-mail the reporter: lruby@timespapers.com
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