Union Presbyterian Church is promising attendees a berry good time.

Union's annual Strawberry Social will be held Saturday, May 31, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the church fellowship hall, 5637 Street Road, Kirkwood.

There is no fee to attend or for the food. A freewill offering will be accepted, with any proceeds going to two local organizations the church supports - New Hope Counseling Center and Solanco Neighborhood Ministries.

Union volunteers will arrive at the kitchen at 9 a.m. to begin preparing beef barbecue sandwiches; hot dogs; and sides such as potato salad, macaroni salad, and baked beans. Potato chips and pretzels will also be available.

The star of the show will be strawberries purchased from a local Amish farm, and ice cream will also be supplied.

Weather permitting, outdoor games like cornhole will be held. The strawberry social will be held rain or shine.

Union pastor Jeremy Peterson stated the event is designed to bring the community together. "It's about enjoying spring and enjoying local produce," he said. "That's really the main purpose of it. To have good fellowship with one another and open the doors of the church and invite people in."

Volunteer Judy Greenleaf added, "I think the strawberries really bring them in."

Peterson noted it is a church's responsibility to provide activities for everyone to enjoy. "That's why we're here," he said. "We're here to serve the community that God has put around us and to open our doors so (members of the community) know this is a place that's for them, too. We want to use opportunities like this to welcome folks in and to let them know we're here for them and here to serve them."

Peterson is in his third year as pastor at Union, and he is looking forward to connecting with people from the community. "I don't have the benefit of growing up here," he said. "It's a good opportunity to get to meet people and to learn a little bit about them. It's good to sit down and share meals together."

Event organizer Colleen Sheaffer emphasized, "The whole thing is (about) community. You hope to bring in other people besides the usual people that always come to church. Hopefully, they will find a place that they would like to go, besides just for the Strawberry Social."

She said people anxiously await the event. "I think they'd be very disappointed if we didn't have it," Sheaffer said.

Church members are also excited to host the Strawberry Social. "I really like that there's people who come every year," Greenleaf said. "If you see them during the year, they want to know the date (of the Strawberry Social). They make sure they can come. And there are new people, too. I think it's just a good community outreach (event)."

Anyone with questions about the Strawberry Social can contact Union Presbyterian Church at 717-529-2000 or upc@epix.net.

The church is already looking ahead to its big fundraiser, a yard sale that will be held Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12.