Joliet MorningStar Mission hosts progressive dinner to raise funds for programs

Tickets are now available for MorningStar Mission’s Culinary Caravan Progressive Dinner on Aug. 7, a fundraiser that benefits the Joliet mission’s work in the area.

Attendees will leave by bus at 5:30 p.m. from the Jacob Henry Mansion, Victorian Ballroom, 15 Richards St. in Joliet.

The buses will take attendees to dine at three Joliet restaurants: The Curator’s Café, The Renaissance Center and Cemeno’s Pizza. After dinner, the buses will return to the Victorian Ballroom for dessert.

“Each location will offer something different, and it’s a fun night,” said Peggy Sue Munday, director of development at MorningStar Mission. “It’s a unique experience because you get to go to four locations in one night and not worry about parking and transportation. We just want everyone to enjoy the event and enjoy the food.”

Munday said the Culinary Caravan Progressive Dinner is a fundraiser for MorningStar Mission, which is a great way for people to help the mission, even if they can’t volunteer in a hands-on way. Although many people know MorningStar Mission serves people in Will County who are experiencing homelessness, the mission does so much more, Munday said.

For instance, MorningStar Mission has a six-month program rehabilitation program for men who struggle with substance abuse “that has been very well-received,” Munday said.

“It has helped many men return back to their community and their careers and their families,” Munday said.

MorningStar Mission also has a daytime lunch program for people to “stop in and grab lunch at no charge,” Munday said. MorningStar Mission also serves as a cooling and warming center when needed, and the mission has thrift stores in Joliet and New Lenox.

People without an immediate residence or experiencing homelessness who come to the mission find they have “very specific rules that have to be followed,” Munday said. MorningStar Mission is not intended to be a place where people “sleep for a couple of days and then leave,” she added.

“People have to want to help themselves in order to be a part of us,” Munday said. “We see women and children and men who really need some help getting back on their feet again.”

Tickets are $75 and available at MorningStar Mission at 350 E. Washington St. in Joliet, or by calling the mission at 815-722-5780. An air-conditioned bus is available with a VIP ticket of $125 for the evening.

“It’s a unique experience because you get to go to four locations in one night and not worry about parking and transportation,”

—  Peggy Sue Munday, director of development at MorningStar Mission in Joliet

The Culinary Caravan Progressive Dinner also features raffle baskets and refreshments on the bus, Munday said.

For more information, call Munday at 815-922-2079 or visit morningstarmission.org.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: MorningStar Mission Culinary Caravan Progressive Dinner

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7

WHERE: Buses leave from and return to the Jacob Henry Mansion, Victorian Ballroom, 15 Richards St., Joliet

ETC: Dining at The Curator’s Café, The Renaissance Center, Cemeno’s Pizza and dessert at the Victorian Ballroom. Benefits MorningStar Mission.

TICKETS: $75 or $125 for VIP ticket. Purchase at MorningStar Mission at 350 E. Washington St., Joliet or by calling 815-722-5780.

INFORMATION: Call Peggy Sue Munday at 815-922-2079 or visit morningstarmission.org.