Church to Honor Six at 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' Dinner.

Christus Victor Lutheran Church will honor six community leaders at its 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' fundraiser and awards dinner on Feb. 27 at Belvedere Banquets.

Christus Victor Lutheran Church will honor six community leaders at its annual "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" fundraiser and awards dinner next month. The event is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at Belvedere Banquets, 1170 W. Devon Ave. The church runs multiple outreach programs and holds community events that involve many volunteers. In 2024, more than 100 volunteers served over 800 meals at the church's Thanksgiving dinner. Honorees and programs: - The six honorees are Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson; Elk Grove Township Supervisor John Scaletta; Don Kauffold, Christus Victor PADS site director; Diane Tiggmeier, Christus Victor PADS food coordinator; Sandy Mueller, founder and director of the Christus Victor Thanksgiving dinner; and Chris Kowal, owner of Ideal Bakers. - Mayor Johnson said he felt "honored and humbled" and described the award as recognition of partnership with the church; village officials recently coordinated a $10,000 donation to the church's PADS program from the Aligned Data Center campus. - Supervisor Scaletta said he was pleased to see the township's broader service efforts recognized and noted the township's partnership with A Caring Place, a respite program for caregivers. - The Rev. Stefan Potuznik described several church services, including the PADS program for people without housing, a food pantry serving more than 60 households each month, and A Caring Place for people with health or mobility issues. - The church also hosts large community events; its 2024 Thanksgiving dinner involved over 100 volunteers and served more than 800 meals. Summary: The awards dinner recognizes local partners who work with Christus Victor's outreach programs and serves as a reported fundraising event to support those services. The dinner will take place on Feb. 27 at Belvedere Banquets, and church leaders have said proceeds will support ongoing programs.