Dream Center hosts banquet to raise funds for new building

JACKSON, Tenn — More than 100 people gathered for a banquet Thursday evening, to enjoy some great food while benefiting an organization with their main goal to help women and their children in need.

A night of dinner and entertainment, as the Dream Center hosted an Italian style banquet for the second year in a row, with the goal of raising funds to providing a new, temporary shelter for women and children who have no where else to turn.

It was a packed room full of love. “And it is about love, ‘That’s Amore’, just loving on people that maybe never got the love that they needed in their life,” Dream Center’s Executive Director, Gail Gustafson said.

Board President, Carroll Griffin said seeing so many people come out and support was a feeling like no other. “I knew that we were almost sold out but then when I walked in and they told me that we needed to find another table I almost started crying,” Griffin said. “Because it just made me feel so good.”

The Dream Center’s “That’s Amore” banquet featured live entertainment, Italian style food, and art work created by residents of the Dream Center.

“The ladies and the children have worked hard on these pieces and what we do is auction them off towards our capital campaign,” Gustafson said.

Organizers said they plan on using the funds to build a new home that will house more than a hundred women.

“It’s going to be a beautiful building,” Gustafson said. “It’s going to be something that Jackson can be proud, of that the ladies that come to live there the ladies and children will be proud to call it a temporary home.”

With the estimated cost of the building projected at $2 million residents of the center said they are grateful for any contributions.

“It means a lot to me and to the other ladies of the Dream Center,” Dream Center Resident, Lauren Turner said. “We’re very thankful for the community coming together and supporting us with so much love and compassion.”

Organizers said the event brought in $4,200 last year and they have already exceeded that amount, but the ultimate goal is to raise $10,000.

The Dream Center said the event would not have been possible without Olive Garden donating the food, L & T Cakery providing dessert, and First United Methodist Church of Jackson for allowing them to use their facility.