The annual Samaritan Center dinner and auction had a personal touch Thursday night in Jefferson City as video testimonials featuring children played on a projection screen inside Capital Plaza's ballroom.
First, 700 guests watched as Ariya, a young girl helped by the Samaritan Center, talked on camera about her love of milk, which is essential for her cereal. Jeni DeFeo, coordinator of the event, said milk is the girl's "pot of gold," playing off the night's theme: Luck in the Garden.
When the clip ended, DeFeo asked guests to raise their bidding paddles and purchase milk - 10 cases for $100 (feeds 40 families), five cases for $50 (feeds 20 families) and one case for $10 (feeds 4 families).
Paddles punctuated the air.
The same continued throughout the night with other "pots of gold" like mac and cheese, peanut butter and other food essentials for the 1,500 families the center feeds monthly. Marilyn DeFeo, the center's founder and Jeni DeFeo's mother-in-law, said food items started selling at the dinner and auction last year, and people requested it return for 2015. She added the center's milk bills are "tremendous," regularly adding up to $2,000 per week.
"When I ask for anything for the children, there's always a response. ... They do worry about the kids," Marilyn DeFeo said.
Jeni DeFeo kicked off the night with a request - that each stripe of a displayed rainbow light up by the end of the night. Each stripe signified a $25,000 marker was met, and by the end of the night, all five stripes illuminated. The final fundraising total will still need to be determined after expenses are subtracted, but Jeni DeFeo said she's hopeful the full rainbow will still shine bright.
Overall, she called the dinner and auction a successful event thanks to long-term and new donors. The mix of familiar faces and those in the Millennial generation mean a promising future for the center, Jeni DeFeo said.
"I think that's really speaking to the longevity of the center," Jeni DeFeo said.
During the social hour, guests browsed and bid on more than 130 silent auction items. After dinner, they bid on 33 live auction items including a wine basket, University of Missouri football tickets, and a sterling and gold jewelry set. Volunteers, 60 high school students and 30 adults, made the night possible, Jeni DeFeo said.
Next year's dinner and auction is already on her mind, she said, adding she hopes it "continues to be known as one of the best fundraisers." The donations benefit those in poverty and the marginally poor, who are sometimes in need after they face unexpected expenses like medical emergencies or a flat tire, Jeni DeFeo said. All the proceeds from Thursday night and throughout the year, she added, stay within the Jefferson City area.
"Literally every can of food helps ... and it helps right here in your community," she said.
With a special focus on children, Marilyn DeFeo said the Samaritan Center is a place where they can find comfort in many ways - receiving food, reading a book and hugging a donated stuffed animal.
"I want them to realize somebody cared for them, somebody loved them and had their best interests and health at heart," Marilyn DeFeo said.
The Samaritan Center also provides legal assistance in civil matters, a dental clinic in the fall, a Thursday medical clinic, clothing, household items, adoption services, emergency needs and more.