Raven’s Hands to host spring theater dinner

The event will take place Saturday in Charleroi.

Raven’s Hands, a Mon Valley nonprofit, will host its second theater dinner Saturday to fundraise for all the services it provides for surrounding communities.

Founder Jessica Anderson created Raven’s Hands in memory of her late husband, Raven. Anderson said her husband loved to help his community, and she wanted to continue that after his passing.

“We get lots and lots of requests every week from families who are facing economic hardship and need a little bit of extra support,” Anderson said. “So that’s why we do what we do in honor of my late husband, who had a huge heart and was a community helper.”

Raven’s Hands supports families in the Mon Valley with items such as bassinets, blankets and strollers, and provides other services, including paint-and-learn sessions to discuss positive stress management strategies. Anderson started Raven’s Hands last spring, and the nonprofit reached its first anniversary this month.

“Lots of families are struggling financially at this point, and they find it difficult to supply some of the most basic items for their families, and so that’s where we step in,” she said. “We launched last year on April 26. We’ve been able to provide bassinets and pack and plays, strollers, nursing pillows, baby carriers, even twin-size beds for older children, walkers, you name it.”

Raven’s Hands has already helped 120 families since the day the nonprofit was launched.

To raise money for its programs, Raven’s Hands is hosting a spring theater dinner with performers from Westmoreland Performing Arts on Saturday at Riverside Place, 303 Chamber Plaza, Charleroi. Doors will open at 5 p.m., with the dinner and show starting at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased online at https://www. zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ spring-dinner-theater. Anderson recommends buying tickets online, adding that they will have a limited number available at the door.

Raven’s Hands held a theater dinner in October, and it was so successful, they decided to do a second one.

“We decided to do it again because of the positive feedback that we got from those that were in attendance and some folks who were unable to come last year that really wanted to try to make it out, because they were wanting to support and also thought that it was a good idea,” Anderson said. “We also added in this time at least one soloist, and potentially a second.

“Lots and lots of raffle baskets and raffle items. Those seem to be a big hit at the events that we do. So we kind of pumped that up a little bit this time so that people can enjoy that.”

More information about the organization’s upcoming events can be found on its “Raven’s Hands” Facebook page.