FAIRMONT – The way Emily Brown sees it, rigatoni is the right thing to do – when you’re doing right by the people in your community.
Saturday’s inaugural “Taste of Italy” fundraiser, the executive director of The Connecting Link means.
“We think we can get people out for it,” Brown said of the event at MonValley Vineyards for the nonprofit she oversees.
“It’s great food and a worthy cause, and we need all the help we can get,” she continued. “And this being Fairmont, you can’t go wrong with Italian food.”
For decades, people in the greater Fairmont area in need of emergency assistance haven’t gone wrong – when they’ve walked through the doors of the agency’s main office at 205 Fairmont Ave.
If you’ve needed help clearing a shut-off notice for the electric bill or making rent, Brown said, The Connecting Link has always been there.
The latter is especially critical to the daily mission, Brown said.
“We don’t want you evicted and out on the street,” she said.
An already tough mission has gotten more tough, however, the executive director said, with the sweeping cuts in federal grant awards last December and into January for agencies such as hers.
“We took a big hit,” she said. “In rental assistance, especially. And that’s what we do.”
Meanwhile, The Taste of Italy fundraiser starts 5 p.m. Saturday at MonValley Vineyards in Fairmont with dinner, wine, dancing and more. Visit connectinglinkwv.com for ticket information and other details.
That’s just for starters this season, Brown said. Bingo and other fundraisers geared to the holidays are coming up soon, she said.
And look for a visit in coming weeks by the Mountaineer Food Bank, which does food distribution appearances from its home base Gassaway. The statewide organization partners with The Connecting Link.
“Fundraising is more important than ever to us now,” Brown said.
“We need to be able to keep doing what we’re doing,” she said. “We might not always have an answer, but we’ll always have a referral.”
