Feb 23, 2024 By Mark Hofmann 6 min read

The Heart To Hope telethon will highlight 50 years of Connellsville Area Community Ministries and those who helped to shape it.

The sixth-annual fundraiser, which benefits CACM, is on March 9 and will bring back a variety of entertainers to raise money for the ministries and the work they do in and around Connellsville.

This telethon will be particularly special as it marks five decades of service provided by CACM.

Mary Sampey, the development coordinator for the ministries, said they will highlight what the organization has done and continues to do, and what it has meant for the community.

“We’ll have some people involved in the ministries in the past and what they’ve done,” said Sampey, who’s also a co-emcee for the telethon.

She said one special person featured will be Barry Craig, the ministries board president who she said basically grew up with it over the past 50 years as his father in-law was one of the founders of CACM.

“I was around at that time, and I was asked to be on the board 30 years ago and, over the last 11 years, I’ve been blessed to be the board president,” Craig said.

Craig said CACM operated out of the Greater Connellsville Community Center from 1974 to 2011, when operations were moved to the former Burns Drug Store on Crawford Avenue.

“The ministries is an extension of the church to help people in need, and we know how many people are hurting,” Craig said.

“It will be pretty special to talk to him because he has such a heart for it,” Sampey said.

The telethon will also honor those who were big supporters of the telethon and the ministries that have passed away in 2023 including Connellsville Area School District teacher and coach Jamie McPoyle, Mount Pleasant Borough Manager Jeff Landy and local journalist Joe Ambramowitz.

“He was always right there at every meeting and always supportive of us,” Sampey said of Abramowitz. “It will be a very emotional day not having him there.”

Last year, the telethon raised a little over $53,000, with its goal set at $50,000. This year’s goal amount will remain the same.

“We’ve been very fortunate throughout the years, and we’re stepping out in faith it’s going to happen again,” Sampey said.

The money raised through the telethon helps fund CACM and its mission to be the place for people to go when they’re in need.

“Because of the telethon, we can say yes, so we always encourage people-even if they’re not living in the Connellsville Area School District-if they’re in need, come to the store, and we can help you,” Sampey said. “When someone has a crisis, we can say yes, and we can help you.”

One event the telethon helps fund is the annual Christmas meal where they served 800 meals at the Connellsville Senior Center in 2023 as a thank-you for those in the community and their supporters.

Dana Krofcheck, the executive director of CACM, said almost every day there’s a crisis to which the ministries has responded.

“We’ve helped someone pay their electric bill during the winter, we’ve supplied a crib for a couple’s baby daughter, we’ve clothed people and have helped keep people in a home and apartment for another month longer,” Krofcheck said, adding that it’s fantastic to see those that CACM has helped walk through their doors, changed for the better. “We’re real excited about the telethon and 50 years of serving. We’re trying hard to celebrate all those years and grow to 50 more.”

In December, on the same day as the Christmas meal, CACM had a water main break in the basement of their Crawford Avenue location, which houses the thrift store, food pantry, crisis ministry and medical equipment.

Seven inches of water in the basement caused considerable damage and resulted in boxes of food and other items stored there to be thrown away.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” Krofcheck said.

The blessing came from the restoration team making the basement better than it originally was, and Krofcheck said they should be back to 100% in about two weeks.

Craig agreed about the water damage being a blessing as well as a sign to expand further. Some of the funds generated through the telethon will help in the creation of a soup kitchen in the Crawford Avenue location.

“The churches in town do a great job, but there are a lot of hungry people,” Craig said, adding that he would hope to see the soup kitchen project come to fruition by the end of 2024, depending on the funding.

“We’re ready to grow taller and stronger and have the floor clean under our feet,” Krofcheck said.

For the telethon’s entertainment, Sampey said they’ll have returning bands like Still Standing, which is a Christian band to open the telethon, Fire Escape, Shane Turner, Dave Gasbarro and more.

She added that the watch parties will return as local establishments will air the telethon while holding specials and raising money for the telethon. Participating establishments include both Lynn Dairy Queen locations in Connellsville and Mount Pleasant, Bud Murphy’s, Fox’s Tavern and Yough River Brewing Company.

And, like before, Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln, will visit each watch party for live feeds from each location.

Sampey said volunteers answering the phones will be politicians and other notable figures from the community. Somerset Trust Co. will help with the financial side of the telethon so people will know their money is in safe hands, and the telethon will be open for anyone who wants to stop in between 1 to 9 p.m. March 9 at the Greater Connellsville Community Center at 201 E. Fairview Ave. to make their donation in person.

The telethon can be watched on Fayette County TV (Breezeline Channel 77, QCOL Channel 77) and the Armstrong Neighborhood Channel (Armstrong Channel 20 and 100), online on Facebook @heartohope and YouTube Live @hearttohope or at fayettetv.org.

To donate other than in person, call 724-626-1120 to pledge a donation or visit www.connmin.org.