The Joplin Interfaith Coalition hosted its eighth annual bake sale and luncheon Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Islamic Community Center. This year’s event featured baked goods and meals like cookies, cakes, Turkish delight, konafa, baklava, halal chicken, samosa chaat, pakora and cabbage rolls.
Paul Teverow, a member of the United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin and of the coalition, thought the cold weather and lingering snow caused a slight dip in attendance, but the parking lot and hall of the Islamic Community Center were still full.
“It’s gotten bigger in terms of the traffic we get and also in terms of the organizations involved,” Teverow said.
Each year the coalition picks an organization to donate the proceeds to. This year is the Joplin Medical Loan Closet, a donation-based medical supply organization. The loan closet’s manager, Terri Heeter said the donations will go to operating costs for their new building.
According to Teverow, the coalition looks for groups that do good work but may not have a dependable source of funding.
“A couple of people, based on their experiences, recommended the medical loan closet,” he said. “We talked to Nicole (Watson) from the medical loan closet, got a better idea of what they do and decided it would be a good cause.”
The bake sale has proven to be a successful fundraiser. Last year the coalition raised $15,000 for Bright Futures. This year’s total won’t be known for a few days, as the coalition receives more donations after the event.
While the event attendees help support an organization every year, they also get something out of it.
“It's a great opportunity for people in our community to sample foods from the different cultures represented here,” Teverow said.
Participants in the Interfaith Coalition include the Islamic Society of Joplin, Sojourners Christian Church, the United Hebrew Congregation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Peace Lutheran Church, Baha’i of Newton County, Grace Baptists Church and Bright Futures Joplin.
The bake sale was also sponsored by area businesses including the Academy Animal Hospital, The Brace Place, Julian’s Diner, MacCheesy, Pineda Market, Legget and Platt, The Human Bean and Fox Farm Food. A number of bakeries and individual bakers participated as well.
The Joplin Interfaith Coalition started in 2012, a year after a major tornado devastated the city. One of the clergy members recommended organizations do an interfaith service to commemorate the tornado that would represent all walks of faith.
“We want to learn about each other's religions. We have common interests, but we respect each other's different beliefs. So there wasn't any single prayer that we all said,” Teverow said.
The coalition has supported each other and the community in trying times since its founding. About a year after the 2011 tornado, the Islamic community’s mosque was burnt down due to arson. It was during Ramadan, the Islamic religion’s holiest time of the year. The church leaders found a way to have the congregates observe Ramadan at one of their churches.
Along with the bake sale, the coalition recently hosted a panel on Death and the Afterlife. It was very well attended and welcomed spirited conversations and opinions. In an interview before the bake sale, one of the faith leaders said it helped them understand other people’s opinions.
Colleen Carroll, senior minister of Joplin’s Sojourner's Christian Church, said she’s a part of a theological movement where questions are welcome and encouraged.
“In times of doubt, we try to embrace curiosity. Because it opens up to learning and takes away some of the threat and shame of being a doubter of a backslider,” Carroll said.
Despite having different beliefs and religions, the coalition has found a way to support and uplift the community during all times of life.
