Sales of cards aid the needy

Every year, Rowan Helping Ministries helps hundreds of people. One of the ways that they get the money to do that is with its Christmas card.

Rowan Helping Ministries has been selling Christmas cards since 1993 to support its many aid programs. All of the cards have been illustrated by local artists.

This year, for a minimum donation of $5, donors can send “Winter Lights,”a card illustrated by Mark Brincefield, to family and friends.

“There are a lot of very talented people in Salisbury and around,” said Tina Coble, executive assistant at the shelter.

Dianne Scott, executive director of Rowan Helping Ministries, said she chose Brincefield because she had seen his work at local art shows and on the cover of the phone book.

“We thought he would be the perfect one for this year,”she said. “We like to feature local artists.”

Each year, the artist donates their talent for a good cause.

“It goes to the Crisis Assistance Network for help with financial assistance,” Tina Coble said. The network has people pay for utilities, rent, prescriptions and medical appointments.

“This also helps feed the hungry and helps with the homeless guests in the shelter.”

Last year, the Christmas card project raised about $1,200. Coble said the cards collected about the same amount the year before.

Brincefield’s scene shows buildings in a downtown area and a man walking on the street. There is a street light shining above him.

“Everybody has their own idea of where it is and whether the light is coming down to the man or up from the man,” Coble said.

“I love it,” she added. “We’ve really had a lot of complements on it. We like to think that it is depicting some place downtown in Salisbury.”

Brincefield said the scene is the Square in Downtown Salisbury.

Painted from a picture, he added the snow because he just wanted to paint a snow scene in downtown.

“It seemed like a good cause,”Brincefield. Scott “asked me if I would do one this year, and I was flattered that she asked me.

“I was kind of going for an ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ effect. It’s got a Charles Dickens kind of feel to it.”

Rowan Helping Ministries has been saving 100 autographed cards every year and after they get 10 artists, they are going to auction 100 sets with ten different autographed cards in them.

Scott said the auction will probably come next year when the 10th artist finishes his or her work.

The card is sponsored by Central Carolina Neurology and Sleep, Central Carolina Bank, Christy and Wink Cline, Ellen and Tim Messinger and Heather St. Aubin-Stout and Gray Stout. Diversified Graphics printed the cards.

They can be bought at Underwoods, all F&M Bank branches, Escape the Daily Grind, Corner Crafts and Gift Shop, Bookmasters and Pleasant Papers, the Bible Book Store, the Stitching Post, the Salisbury Emporium, Fine Frame Gallery and the main branch of CCB.

Contact reporter Joanie Morris at 704-797-4264 or jmorris@salisburypost.com .