The New London United Methodist Church, as part of its mission to build a connected church community through partnership and neighborhood outreach, was invited to be one of the food vendors for May Festival, a local festival put on by the family of Abagail Hoier.
Abagail Hoier was a thirteen-year-old member of the New London community when she died by suicide. Her family, choosing to take this tragedy and turn it into an opportunity to spread positivity and create a lasting impact, started May Festival. May Festival provides charitable donations in Abagail’s memory to organizations in New London and surrounding communities.
Our church council and food trailer team decided that we wanted to pay it forward in a meaningful way using some of the financial gifts received from our service as a food vendor. We chose to donate to the Waupaca County Suicide Prevention Coalition in Abagail’s memory to recognize the care Tracey Everts-Hoier (Abagail’s mother) and her family extends to the community with May Festival and the resulting charitable works.
We sent word to the family, and Tracy Everts-Hoier posted the following thank you on Facebook:
"I've known about this for a few days and pondered a thank you as I'm not sure if the methodist church wanted it to be public but I like to thank everybody the new london methodist church was one of our food vendors at the may festival at the end of the weekend they apparently did great in sales and made several attempts to donate to the festival and our cause I told them it wasn't necessary they need there profits to continue with there needs also and I dont wanna take money from a church group. And I thought that that was the end. Till a few days ago one of the members notified me that the church made a generous donation to the waupaca County suicide prevention coalition in abigails name I would like to thank them for that it means alot these organizations could sure use the help suicide is real people we need more hotlines counseling etc. Thanks again united methodist church for helping with the cost it takes for these needed services."