PORT ANGELES — Mended, a non-denominational Christian ministry in Port Angeles, will host an art viewing and silent auction to benefit Feiro Marine Life Center on Friday.
The center, located on the Port Angeles City Pier, is a nonprofit organization that provides local marine and watershed learning experiences to the public.
“We want to bring as much support to the organizations in our town that are doing great things” as possible, said Joe DeScala, pastor and director of Mended, on Friday.
“Feiro has been such a shining jewel in our town that we want to make sure it stays,” he added.
“A lot of times nonprofits have to run circles raising funds constantly to stay open, so we wanted to provide an opportunity for them where they didn’t have to do all the work.
“It’s a way to bless a place that’s blessed so many.”
The fundraiser will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mended Giving Gallery, 123 E. First St., Suite 1A. Entry is free to the public, with 70 percent of sales from the silent auction benefiting Feiro.
“There is no cost to attend and all are welcome,” DeScala said.
“This is a family-friendly event with Feiro bringing some marine life on site to view.”
About 15 art pieces will be offered in the silent auction.
“We will be featuring marine-themed art that will be up for silent auction, live music from Jeremy and Anna, food and more on Friday evening,” DeScala said.
A direct donation center for Feiro also will be available, he added.
Mended started in 2009 as Engage Ministries, a nonprofit faith organization designed to help married couples in the community, DeScala said.
“Mended is the result of many years of prayer and development,” he said.
“We officially opened our doors in downtown Port Angeles on Nov. 1, 2015.”
DeScala described Mended as “church done a little different.
“We have traditional church elements but they are not built into a Sunday-morning experience,” he said.
“All of our Bible teaching is available online at our website or sent directly to people who sign up to receive them.
“We also have a few small groups that meet at various times throughout the week that follow along with the teachings, as well as study the Bible more in depth themselves.”
One of the core values of Mended, DeScala continued, is to be a community asset.
“Many within our group are extremely talented artists, and considering art is such a universal language, we wanted to start a gallery to add to our incredible town,” he said.
“Just like our church having a little twist, our gallery does as well. We call it the Giving Gallery. Our vision is to showcase organizations in our town that are doing incredible things,” DeScala said.
”The Giving Gallery pairs local artists up with organizations to create displays that represent the heartbeat of that organization.
“When someone walks in our gallery we want them to get a glimpse of all the amazing things happening in our community.”
The gallery, DeScala said, “is something anyone can enjoy and be involved with in some capacity.
“It’s important to note that we view our ministry as simply loving our community to the best of our ability and being generous as we do it. You can walk in our doors and enjoy the art with no additional expectations.”
For more about Mended, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Mended.
For more about Feiro, visit http://feiromarinelife center.org/
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Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at cmcdaniel@ peninsuladailynews.com.
