‘We’ve had an amazing year’

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Hats and gloves abounded on Saturday, Feb. 17, at First Source for Women’s Me and My Gal Luncheon and Tea Party. (Cheyenne Sharp)

First Source for Women hosts Me and My Gal Luncheon and Tea Party

CULLMAN, Ala. – The interior of the beautiful Brickhaven Venue was transformed into something more closely resembling Buckingham Palace or a royal sitting room near the time of high tea, courtesy of the women, volunteers and staff behind First Source for Women’s Me and My Gal Luncheon and Tea Party, held on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Guests were able to choose a seat at any of the decorated tables, complete with teacups and saucers, sugar, cream, assorted tea bags and dainty teapots.

Performing for the assembly was Cullman Ballet Theatre, operated by Owner and Artistic Director Elaine Willingham, with two group choreographed pieces and a total of four solo ballet performances by the talented company dancers.  

After the exquisite performances, Paige Clabo jumped on stage to share her history as a performing artist at Dollywood, reprising a handful of Dolly Parton’s greatest hits, beginning with “Butterflies” and ending with “Together,” Parton’s tribute to Nashville and Clabo’s tribute to her own mother, who was seated among the crowd, beaming at the sound of her girl.

Little girls dressed in their Sunday best turned and linked hands with strangers turned dance partners and swirled and twirled around the stage while Clabo provided the upbeat rhythm.

Throughout the scattered performances and speeches, guests were served traditional tea-party fare of finger sandwiches of chicken salad, pimento cheese and cucumber; pasta salad resting in a cutting of crisp romaine lettuce; and sugar cookies and fudge brownie bites.

The event was a fundraiser for First Source – “a pregnancy center in Cullman and Hanceville, Alabama that stands with women through unplanned pregnancies so they can experience hope and envision a future with their child.”

Executive Director Janet Davis ambled to the stage to take the mic, all the while holding a bundle of joy – her great-granddaughter, whose mother, a young, unmarried teen, was a client at First Source during her pregnancy, bringing Davis’ mission for the center full circle.

“We have had over 200 babies be born to our center in 2023. I can tell you we’ve had an amazing year. Satan tried to hinder the ministry that we’re doing; we got our mobile unit on the road March of last year – we had it on the road maybe two months and it started to run hot. We finally found someone that could work on it in Decatur. When Kendra, who is our mobile unit manager, goes out there to start (it), our ultrasound machine had gone out,” Davis explained to the crowd. “Some of you may have attended our Gala, and that was one of the things we were raising money for, was to get an ultrasound machine. Well, God blessed us with an anonymous donor and they donated the money 100% for our ultrasound machine, so if you made a donation and specified it for the ultrasound machine, we will be contacting you about possibly shifting that donation for other needs.”

Find out more about First Source for Women at www.firstsourceforwomen.org.

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