Latest news with #InternationalCuisineFest
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Protest held following closure announcement of Blessed Sacrament School
A Friday evening announcement of a local Catholic school closing has left many community members devastated. Faculty and staff received news on Friday via email that Blessed Sacrament School will be closing its doors at the end of the current school year. The Erie Catholic School System said this decision was based on a drop in enrollment numbers since the school joined the system around 2017 — The decline was over 50%. One parent said she was shocked by the news. Church of Nativity hosts International Cuisine Fest as way to celebrate diversity 'It was first a shock, obviously. You start to run through those feelings of shock and sadness. We are a very tight school community but I think too once we really start thinking about the reasons and what was told to us, we started to look a little harder,' said Colleen Hanson, a parent of students at Blessed Sacrament School. Hanson said one of the things that was noted was that the school is not pulling enough children within the 16502 zip code, which is also the zip code of the school. 'All schools have access to different things. We have talked recently about some schools have a busing [system], they can use that for various events. Our school does not have access to that. So we pay the same amount, but we don't have the same access to the same things,' said Hanson. Another parent said the school teaches valuable aspects that should be accessible to all children. 'We give them a sense of structure and stability and some of our kids don't have that. This should be offered to everyone in Erie. This should be something that the city kids have as their safety net, and it should be available to everybody,' said Christina Erven, a parent of students at Blessed Sacrament School. The pastor of the Blessed Sacrament Parish said the decades-old school closing is a huge loss not only for Erie but for the Catholic community. 'What we're doing is, we're looking at, is putting out people that can't afford or won't be able to go to another Catholic school,' said Father Philip Pinczewski, pastor at the Blessed Sacrament Parish. He said this decision is not what the parish is about as gospel people. Tickets available for annual Erie's Best Coffee fundraising event 'The board of directors looks at numbers, corporate talk, but not about the heart, the relationships or the gospel,' said Pinczewski. 'The relationships that are forged in school come over to the parish too, so it supplies and gives life to the parish. So the board didn't look at that and of course, I had no input into it.' Hanson said the school closing will impact families in this area of the city and will have a lasting effect in keeping those families together. 'One of the biggest concerns is that I have heard through the meeting that they had with the faculty and staff is that there is no guarantee that families will be able to stay together. So for me as a working mom it's going to be virtually impossible with the limited school transportation,' said Hanson. 'I think that this is the ideal Catholic school. This is what we truly are and I wish that we would just have a chance, even one more year, to be able to get our enrollment up, to be able to even make other plans to break off and may go back to our church,' said Erven. A meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 18 at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria with the Erie Catholic School System. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tickets available for annual Erie's Best Coffee fundraising event
(WJET/WFXP) – Calling all coffee connoisseurs and caffeine consumers — One local non-profit needs help determining the best coffee in Erie. The St. Martin Center will host their Erie's Best Coffee fundraiser on Sunday, February 23, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Zem Zem Shrine Club, located at 2525 West 38th Street. Church of Nativity hosts International Cuisine Fest as way to celebrate diversity The event will, of course, feature coffee and samples from several local vendors as well as bakery treats, live music, raffles and a photo booth. Those in attendance will be able to vote on their favorite coffee alongside special 'celebrity guests.' Proceeds from Erie's Best Coffee will go towards the St. Martin Center to help further its mission to 'feed the hungry, educate children, and empower families toward self-sufficiency.' The CEO of the St. Martin Center David González emphasized the importance of Sunday's event. Orphan Angels Cat Sanctuary hosts grand re-opening after months of renovations 'This event is more than just great coffee—it's about coming together as a community to make a real difference,' said David González, CEO of St. Martin Center. 'Every sip supports families in need, helping them build a brighter future.' Tickets to Erie's Best Coffee fundraiser cost $10, with children under 12 receiving free entry. Those interested in attending Sunday's event can buy tickets online, at Erie Federal Credit Union or at the door on Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Church of Nativity hosts International Cuisine Fest as way to celebrate diversity
Food brings people together — On Sunday, food connected people from different countries and cultures around the world. The Church of Nativity on German Street hosted its International Cuisine Fest on Sunday afternoon. RV & Outdoor Adventure Expo makes return to Bayfront Convention Center The event was a way to celebrate the diversity of cultures through unique cooking traditions. Attendees took part in cooking demonstrations, cultural education and of course, a homemade meal. Orphan Angels Cat Sanctuary hosts grand re-opening after months of renovations An event organizer said they had 15 to 20 different countries represented at this year's festival. 'There's food from Russia to Poland to America to Mexican. People come and they bring their favorite dish and we all try it and we… You know, like I said, it's just an interaction with parishioners in a get-together that we do every year,' said Christina Fefelov, an event organizer. Fefelov said she helped cook the Russian food for this year's festival. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
