The Fairfax Methodist Men held a fish and chicken fry Saturday, March 21, to raise funds for the Growing Hope Program. (Submitted photo)

The Fairfax Methodist Men prepared a fish dinner Saturday, March 21, that was served to all for donations to the Growing Hope Program.

When Bob Sefrit envisioned this program, he remembered the adage that if you give someone a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, he can always feed himself.

Like many in our area, Bob is a proud farmer, so he envisioned how to grow hope by teaching and helping others the ability and methods to farm.

The current project provides seed money for a five-year plan with a partner in Honduras to help grow a crop that will feed people and teach new agricultural techniques.

The Fairfax Methodist Church has had an almost 20-year partnership with Growing Hope that began with Bob pledging to use a portion of his land, and others chipped in to provide what was needed to grow a crop. The profits, along with other projects, are used to fund the program. Of those who initially benefited from these efforts, 99% were successful and continue to harvest.

Since its inception, several families have offered acreage and other agricultural projects to support Growing Hope, with others pledging help. The church invites others to join so that more can find hope to sustain themselves.