Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 30, 1995                   TAG: 9510020023
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: STEVE HUPPERT SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHURCHES' HARVEST WILL HELP THE HUNGRY

The potatoes are harvested in early fall and used in a project to support local families and Hunger Ministries in the New River Valley.

This year, with the support of parishioners from Holy Family Catholic Church, the Christiansburg congregation grew 5,000 pounds of potatoes.

"Two churches working together for one cause, you can't beat that," said Carl Schmidt, a charter member of Our Saviour.

Early this month, members of both churches harvested the crop and distributed the potatoes to food banks and needy individuals and families.

"I never thought we could have produced that many potatoes," said Jim Billingsley, a member of the Our Saviour. "This is our third year and we have never come close to that amount. But the thing that made me feel the best was how many young people helped out. I think that was real important."

There are many hungry people who could be helped through the project, Schmidt said.

To help celebrate the record harvest, Our Saviour held its first Potato Harvest Festival last week.

The festival was designed to celebrate the successful harvest, and to generate additional revenue that could be distributed to local Hunger Ministries.

The festival featured an auction, musical entertainment, refreshments and a bake sale.

It netted more than $1,000.

The Rev. Mark Briehl, pastor of Our Saviour, said that according to a recent university survey, one out of every five children in America is hungry.

"That is a terrible figure," he said. "Planting potatoes each spring is a program that we started hoping to reduce that figure in our community."

He said the harvest also helps call attention to the hunger problem.

Briehl said he was pleased with the support he received from individuals and families this year. An insurance firm even offered a one to one match of the first $700 raised at the Potato Festival.

Anyone interested in helping the area's hungry may bring canned goods or other items to the church.