HERO Event: Hit The Mark (2/18/23)

On Saturday, February 18, men ages 12 and up from our community piled into The Ladder for our second major HERO event, “Hit the Mark.”  It featured a dart tournament, a number of other target-hitting competitions, and a lunch that definitely hit the spot.  Fathers brought sons, men brought friends, and some men came by themselves, but every man left honored, celebrated, and challenged to be HERO men.  Throughout the three-hour event, we scheduled “Pit Stops,” times when men would discuss questions like, “What are important marks you want to hit as a man?” and “What keeps you going in really difficult times?”  The conversations were honest, meaningful and rich, which led to mutual respect, admiration and tremendous camaraderie.  Powerful!

Celebrate CHRISTmas Luncheon (12/22/22)

The Celebrate CHRISTmas Luncheon was a memorable event.  We were blessed to have Judie McGovern (pianist) and Beth Pranger (vocalist) kick off the luncheon by leading the Christmas Carols.  The Shelby Public Schools Kitchen provided a delicious meal with many choices and lots of leftovers, serving approximately 115 people.  The food, fun, and fellowship were a beautiful thing to behold as we celebrated Christ. 

Shelby Harvest Festival (10/1/22)

We kicked off the Shelby Harvest Festival with a .5k & 5k fun run/walk fundraiser for The Ladder. We wanted to connect the generations in a fun way, so we offered a discount to participants who had more than one generation on their team. During the races, we witnessed: 
  • a grandpa and grandson to run together,
  • people over age 80 complete it with energy to spare,
  • five ladies do a chorus line at the end of the race,
  • players on the football team cheer for people in our community (and especially their coach), 
  • a Ladder young lady participated in the race with ladies from two different generations, 
  • a Ladder young man participate in the race with his dad,
  • entire families participate together,
  • a young man from Shelby win, with his dad and brother cheering him on.

After the races, from 12 to 7pm, staff and volunteers from The Ladder had a blast in downtown Shelby at the festival. We had:
  • 9 Square in the Air, a fun game for kids and adults alike,
  • balloon animals for children,
  • time to talk with past Ladder youth who have graduated and moved away,
  • time to listen to these youth tell us how much they loved Shelby'
  • time to tell two young Hispanic gentlemen how much we need Hispanic leaders in Shelby,
  • extended an invitation for two young men to come back to Shelby and serve on the school board and village council,
  • an opportunity to promote Hero, an event that will change men's lives,
  • an opportunity to invite people to come check out The Ladder.

What a wonderful opportunity to love our community! 

*For more photos not pictured here, please visit our Facebook page!

Grillin' for God (August 2022)

God showers many blessings on The Ladder, so for the month of August, we wanted to bless our community with a yummy lunch. We handed out freshly grilled hot dogs, chips and cookies every Friday at lunchtime.  We had such a great time getting to know new families and chatting with old friends. 

Chris Prowant's 73rd Birthday 9/4/22

We celebrated Christ Prowant's birthday with ice cream and other yummy snacks! Chris is always lending a hand here at The Ladder. He also transports food for the New Hope Food Pantry. Happy birthday, Chris! We truly appreciate your dedication to our community!

Rich Eitniear's 72nd Birthday 8/31/22

Rich has been a volunteer at The Ladder for 6 years. He is here at least a few days a week playing cards, and he calls bingo every Thursday. He is always here to help with whatever we need. He serves at his church and also at a retirement home. Happy birthday, Rich! You are a blessing to our community!

Celebrating Esther Van Nett's 100th Birthday 7/15/22

Happy 100th Birthday (7/19) to our dear friend, Esther Van Nett! We celebrated Esther's birthday Friday, 7/15 at The Ladder with cake and a musical rendition of "Happy Birthday" by the Jammers. Esther has been coming to The Ladder since we opened, and she has also been a Ladder prayer warrior and role model for others on the powerful love and grace God has given her throughout her life. 

Retirement Open House 7/8/22

​We held a retirement open house on July 8 to congratulate and thank the owners of four Shelby businesses who have served our community well for many years: Bill and Helga Harris (38 years at Harris Funeral Home), Winston and Diane Adema (46 years at Van’s Body Shop), Dave and Lisa Payne (13 years at Shelby Floral) and Mike Lukonic (55 years at Universal Electronics).  Approximately 150 people joined us for appetizers and refreshments, celebrating the beginning of a new chapter in the lives these wonderful folks. The event was sponsored by The Shelby Rotary Club, The Shelby Chamber of Commerce, and The Ladder.

Father's Day Luncheon 6/17/22

We celebrated Father's Day at The Ladder with grilled burgers and brats, baked beans, macaroni salad, and chips. The Shelby Public Schools provided the food, and we grilled the meat here at The Ladder. We chased it all with a delicious caramel-filled brownie from Mac's Meats. William Baxter (Sr.) presented a special devotional to the 47 guests about God's amazing grace. We also held a drawing for the folks who participate in our meal program and distributed seven gift cards at the event. Each man who attended also received a special multi-tool as a gift from The Ladder.

Mother's Day Luncheon 5/6/22

We celebrated Mother's Day at The Ladder with homemade chicken salad on croissants, fresh fruit, chips, and cheesecake.  All 48 people who attended were invited to provide a childhood picture of themselves prior to the event, which we then turned into a fun guessing game, with prizes for the 3 top winners. We also presented a special devotional for the ladies, and each one went home with a colorful carnation from The Ladder.