For the Tribune

By GWEN BRISTOLBy GWEN BRISTOL

Tudy Fennern knows what a labor of love is.

She saw it during the 34 years that she worked in the medical field.

She heard it when she joined the Air Force and her brother told her to just be herself.

Now she lives it, every day. A year after the first Banquet at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck, she's still going strong.

The Banquet began informally in March 2005, when Pastor Steve Sathre told the congregation about a church's efforts to provide weekly meals for the underprivileged people of Yankton, S.D. Fennern was one of the people who volunteered to cook a similar meal here in Bismarck.

The volunteers also watched a video describing the Yankton church's experience. Fennern was so inspired by the video that when she was asked to head the program, she said yes.

Fennern sent about 400 letters to churches and businesses in the community inviting them to help. The first meal was served on July 7, 2005.

"We have a low income population that certainly is in need of help. For many of them, it's the only hot, well-balanced meal they have that week," she said. "We wouldn't be able to do this without help."

Fennern donated around 3,000 hours last year. She's still up at the church most days by 8:30 a.m. Her hard work has paid off. The Banquet calendar is scheduled into 2007.

Fennern said it's been a great place for people to build friendships as well as eat a good meal.

"They all come for a reason," she said. "You don't know what's in their heart, and neither do I."

But Fennern, who came to Bismarck for the openness and beauty, suspects that openness and beauty is what's inside everyone there.

"It's been a wonderful journey for me," she said.