Reclamation Church in Welch to host spaghetti dinner fundraiser for Zera House

Reclamation Church in Welch is hosting a spaghetti-dinner fundraiser Thursday evening, March 5, with doors opening at 4:30 PM EST and proceeds designated for Zera House, an organization that provides services to women affected by human trafficking and exploitation. The event listing shows the church as the venue and identifies Michael Epling as the host.

Zera House’s executive director is named in publicity for the fundraiser as Michael Epling, and organizers say proceeds from the dinner will support the nonprofit’s work. The public event listing uses the title “Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Zera House” and specifies Reclamation Church Welch as the location, though no street address or ticket price was published in event materials.

Local business My Daily Thread of Beckley is tied to the fundraiser through owner Diane Epling, who is credited with initiating support after meeting Zera House leadership. Organizers reported that Diane donated shoes to the event, and that 50% of sales from those donated shoes will go back to Zera House. The reporting did not specify whether those shoe sales will occur at the dinner, in the Beckley shop, or online.

Promotional posts for the dinner asked community members to share event materials. An Instagram post accompanying an updated flyer used the language “Please join us for an evening of awareness and celebration” and included a tag for @highlight. The event listing shows the host as Michael Epling and lists the start time as 4:30 PM EST; the listings do not include a stated fundraising goal or an expected attendance figure.

The reporting preserved a first-person observation attributed simply as “Epling said”: “It’s easy for us to sit back and look and say oh that’s a great cause. When you actually sit down and talk with people and connect with them while building relationships, that’s the key,” Epling said. Public materials name both Diane and Michael Epling in connection with the fundraiser; the event copy does not clarify which Epling delivered that remark.

Organizers have not published a menu beyond “spaghetti dinner,” nor have they released ticket costs, serving times, or a street address for Reclamation Church in their event notices. For now, the most concrete details available to neighbors are the host name Michael Epling, the beneficiary Zera House, doors at 4:30 PM EST on Thursday, March 5, and the reported donation plan that 50% of sales from donated shoes will support the nonprofit.