The Franklin: Feb. 24, 2017

Page 1

arts

+ entertainment

administration

feature

Local artist hosts events: Art of Kira’s Kira Brant holds campus, Franklin sessions

College searches for new dean: Search committee looks to fill Brailow’s former position

Cycling through the country: Security officer finds release in riding motorcycles

PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 | TheFranklinNews.com

Megan Powell | The Franklin

Franklin woman ‘leaves a blessing’ for community

Senior Robbie Prather emcees the FCDM date auction, while sophomores Holyn Eldridge and Blaine Fuhs are auctioned off as dates.

SHELBY MULLIS

FCDM raises $1,000+ at new date auction event

shelby.mullis@franklincollege.edu

If you search for Michelle Dahl on Facebook, you’ll discover a woman with a passion for serving her community. The single mother of five has called Franklin her home for more than 40 years. After she learned about the food insecurities of several families in Johnson County, Dahl knew she had to step up. Just outside Dahl’s Franklin home, you can find Michelle’s Little Free Pantry. Located a 20-minute walk or 5-minute drive from campus, the large wooden cabinet is stocked from top to bottom with boxes of pasta, cans of vegetables and tubes of toothpaste. “I say, ‘Take a blessing or leave a blessing if you can,’” Dahl said about her pantry’s motto. “I really want to help remove the stigma of needing help because if you’re not helping

people, there’s really no reason to be here.” While scrolling through her Facebook news feed in 2015, Dahl came across a post advertising a “mini-food pantry” in a nearby state. She instantly knew she could do something similar. Dahl reached out to her own friends, and the responses were overwhelming. “A friend of mine named Joe McCauley said, ‘I would love to help you,’” she said. “He actually found the cabinet and he salvaged it for me and made it what it is today.” But for Dahl, this is nothing new. In years past, Dahl and her family baked goods for local shelters, assembled care packages for homeless people and cooked freezer meals for those in need. “Food is a center theme here,” Dahl said. “It’s important. If our families are full, then we’re more likely to be able to do all the other things we need to do.” Through a Facebook page, Dahl shares her experiences since making the pantry available to the public. While she said no one has used the pantry as a resource, Dahl is still receiving blessings. “Totally awesome when you are in the Matt Thomas | The Franklin Kroger parking lot Michelle Dahl, founder of Michelle’s Little Free Pantry, stands in front of her pantry stocked with food for people who need it. The organization’s motto is, in your car about to “Take a blessing or leave a blessing if you can.” leave and someone

knocks on your window to give you food for the pantry,” Dahl said in her latest Facebook post. And that’s not all. Earlier this week, Dahl received a check in the mail from a neighbor as a donation to the pantry. “My mailbox had a surprise,” Dahl posted. “I do not encourage monetary donations, but I will use the funds to paint a bright welcoming path up to the pantry and get the curbside version up a lot more quickly if I have the supplies!!!” Dahl said it comes as no surprise when people ask what would happen if someone takes advantage of the pantry or steals it. But she said in that case, she would immediately set another one out. Dahl dreams of seeing more mini-pantries pop up around the city, as well as the state. Her next goal is to create a curbside pantry for people to easily access without walking up the driveway. In Dahl’s most recent post to her Facebook page, she shared a quote with her followers: “Just because you need help doesn’t mean you are needy. No one can live their life without needing help sometimes. Let go of those who make you feel guilty for needing help.” Interested in “leaving a blessing” at Michelle’s Little Free Pantry? The pantry, located at 102 Weber Court, is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/takeblessingleaveblessing.

MEGAN POWELL

megan.powell@franklincollege.edu

Franklin College Dance Marathon members took love at first sight to a new level when they hosted the organization’s first date auction Wednesday. Throughout the night, attendees bid on 17 contestants who were each paired with either a restaurant or attraction gift card. At least $1,000 was raised through door admission, betting and donations during the event. “We were a little nervous honestly on how it would go just because we are all broke college students,” said sophomore Meghan Yencer, the dance marathon’s special events director. “But people went above and beyond my expectations, and individuals paid a lot of money; groups paid a lot of money. And overall, I think we made a lot more than what we were expecting.” Although this is a new event on campus, the FCDM committee has been throwing the idea around for the past two years. The idea for the event came from Delta Gamma’s philanthropy event when the sorority was on campus years ago.  Jen Whitson, the dance marathon’s adviser, met the love of her life life at the Delta Gamma event when she was a Franklin College student. See “FCDM” page 2


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.