On the night of Saturday, December 8, 2012, New Bethany Ministries will be sponsoring the 15th annual Luminaria Night in many neighborhoods in and around Bethlehem. Luminaria Night is a beautiful and enchanting evening when all the homes in a neighborhood line their streets with luminary bags – white bags with votive candles burning inside.
The proceeds from the sale of the luminarias go to New Bethany Ministries on the south side of Bethlehem. Among the many services that New Bethany provides to the homeless poor and mentally ill in the Lehigh Valley are breakfast and lunch at the Mollard Hospitality Center Monday through Friday. It is also the only organization in Northampton County to provide Transitional and Permanent Housing to not just singles or single parents but to intact families as well.
We urge you to walk through your neighborhood on Luminaria Night to enjoy the warm glow created by the luminarias and to mingle with your neighbors. Thank you for your participation this year and for your generosity and giving spirit.
Luminaria Kits: Each kit contains 10 white bags, 10 votive candles and sand for the bags. The cost of the first kit is $10.00. Each additional kit costs $5.00 per kit. We recommend that the bags be placed about 3 feet apart along the curb, sidewalk or driveway, depending on the topography of the neighborhood. In the city where there is parking on the street, the luminarias should be placed on the edge of the sidewalk away from the curb. Directions for assembly will be included with the kits. Go green and save your sand for next year!