"This is our biggest fundraiser of the year," said Janelle Heying, executive director of Teen Central, describing the organization's annual banquet. "One hundred percent of everything we raise goes right back into our ministry."

Teen Central will hold its banquet on Tuesday, March 21, at The Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the event will run until 8:30 p.m.

"We'll have a free catered meal, and we'll do a time of giving," Heying stated. "The meal will be catered by Country Home Catering, and we'll also have a silent auction." Auction items will include gift cards to local businesses and organizations, themed baskets and more. "We get a pretty good mix of experiences or tickets to local events as well as handmade items," Heying shared. "We have volunteers who do handmade woodworking, and we'll auction off some of that." Each year, students at Teen Central offer a cornhole board set, made locally and then decorated by the students, Heying said.

The banquet will also feature a guest speaker, Arthur C. Woods, who is a teen life coach for middle school and high school students. "He does seminars and speaking engagements, and he's coming into Teen Central to do a Bible study and get to know the kids before he speaks at our banquet," Heying remarked. "He's done a lot of really good work that relates directly to teens and what they're going through."

Located at 15 S. Wolf St. in Manheim, Teen Central provides after-school programming for students in middle school and high school. "We are a Christian nonprofit, and our main goal is to provide a safe and welcoming space for students to be able to come in and hang out with friends or work with mentors," Heying explained. "We try to be a hub for teens in our community so their needs are met, whatever those needs may be." The organization also offers meals for students and organizes field trips, all with no cost to the students.

"We are 100% volunteer-driven other than a few paid staff members," Heying said. "Our volunteer teams are what keep us going."

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the banquet, including table sponsorships and business promotion through on-site advertising. For more information on sponsorships or to register for the banquet, call 717-664-2990 or email info@teencentralmanheim.org. The reservation deadline is Friday, March 10.