Mooncrest Community Center Hosts Dinner Fundraiser

Sister Rene Procopio said the scene is enough to warm her heart.

Procopio, director of the , gathered alongside parishioners from Moon's and residents of the Mooncrest neighborhood Monday night for the center's regular dinner fundraiser at . 

"It's just overwhelming to see all these people here," said Procopio of the event. "And St. Margaret Mary has just been great." 

Every other month the center hosts the dinner at the Beaver Grade Road eatery, raising between $400 and $600 for the center's arts programs per dinner. For the community center, which funds its programming through grants and philanthropy, every dollar counts, Procopio said. 

Hoss's donates a portion of participants' dinner bills to the community center as a part of the event. 

Nearly 40  elementary students who reside near the Mooncrest neighborhood attend the center's after school programs each weeknight, where they receive hands-on tutoring from volunteers and members of the Felician Sisters. 

"Sitting over there are children who attended the center and graduated from the programs," said Procopio pointing to one table in the filled dining room. "And now they're coming back to support it." 

In addition to music and art education, donations from the dinners fund field trips for students. 

"It's so important," Procopio said of the regular fundraiser. "Our operating budget for a year is between $60,000 and $80,000 so this fundraiser that we do makes a big difference." 

The community center is in the midst of its Hemlock Drive building. Procopio said she expects the community center to open the 35-by-22 foot addition in the fall, when it will be used to expand the center's programming for the neighborhood's adults.