St. James residents are raising funds to support the R-1 school district’s community account for unpaid lunch debt. The fundraiser is being managed by the St. James United Methodist Church. In order to raise money, the St. James United Methodist Church is holding a raffle and silent auction for a decorative handmade wishing well lawn ornament, and cedar doghouse. The drawings for the raffle and silent auction will be held at the St. James Grape and Fall Festival. Both items were crafted and donated by a local resident who wished to remain anonymous.

According to resident Faye Branstetter, the idea for the fundraiser all started during a severe weather event last spring when a tornado tore the roof off of her home on Highway V, also felling one of the many cedar trees that she and her husband David have on their property.

“It was the second time the roof came off. It didn’t bother nothing else but the roof,” Branstetter said. “But God gave us a tree so we could make something out of it for the kids.”

After the storm passed, the Branstetter’s neighbor, who wished to go unnamed, came to help them survey the damage to their property.

When Branstetter’s neighbor asked her what she planned to do with the massive felled cedar tree, Branstetter told her neighbor she didn’t know, “What are you going to do with it?’”

According to Branstetter, her neighbor is a gifted woodworker who loves to work with cedar. He cut, removed, and processed the cedar tree, and even used portions of it to construct a wishing well and fence for the Branstetters.

“It’s really extraordinary what he can do with wood,” Branstetter said.

She and her neighbor were unsure as to what they should do with the leftover cedar material from the downed tree. That is, until Branstetter attended a ladies’ luncheon meeting at St. James United Methodist Church.

According to the church’s Pastor Gaye Lynn Blankenship, St. James Food Service Director Linda Webster happened to be at the meeting, and raised the issue of some kids at the schools being unable to pay their lunch bills at the end of the semester.

“There’s quite a few students that have difficulty paying that lunch bill, and some students, I’m sad to say, that their parents no longer support them, so they are responsible at 16 or 17-years-old to pay for their own lunch bill, and food is not cheap anymore,” Blankenship said. “If you have a hungry child, they’re not going to learn. You have to take care of their physical needs, and then they will learn.”

The raffle for the cedar wishing well is donation-based, meaning that individuals interested in entering the raffle can donate as much or as little as they want for their tickets. All proceeds from the raffle and silent auction will go directly towards St. James R-1 School District’s free and reduced lunch program.

Blankenship said that individuals can purchase raffle tickets from United Methodist Church members, or directly from her at the church on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Raffle tickets will also be available at the church’s festival booth starting Thursday. Those purchasing raffle tickets will need to provide their name and telephone number so they can be contacted after a winner is drawn. Raffle tickets will be placed in the wishing well and the drawing will be held at 2:30 p.m., Sept. 12 at the St. James United Methodist Church’s booth at the Grape and Fall Festival.

The silent auction for the cedar doghouse will also start on Thursday at the church’s festival booth, and will remain open until Saturday afternoon, when the highest bidder will be awarded.

“It’s amazing that from one person’s calamity, that young adults and children are going to have their lunches paid,” Blankenship said.