The Hessel Valley Lutheran Church in Chandlers Valley will hold a drive-through spaghetti benefit dinner on Saturday, May 16, for Alisa Clever and family. Located at 166 Hessel Valley Road, this is a drive-thru, pick up only event that will be served from the bottom of the church driveway. All proceeds go to the family and the cost is by donation.

After already caring for her husband after his stroke and going back to school for a health care management degree, Clever found herself in the emergency room where doctors discovered pancreatitis, a growing mass on her pancreas and a suspicious lesion on her, diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. Since the March 2025 diagnosis, she has endured multiple chemotherapy treatments, with many more ahead. Organizers of the benefit say exhausting trips to the Erie Cancer Institute have cost her and her family in many ways; fighting for not only her life, but to also keep the family afloat.

“Therefore, I am reaching out to seek your help. Any donation you can provide, no matter how small, would be appreciated. Your support, prayers and positive thoughts would mean the world to us during this challenging time,” Clever said in a letter the church posted recently. We are immensely grateful for the love and kindness that surrounds us. Thank you sincerely for your generosity and compassion.”

Dinners to help area residents raise money are nothing new for the Hessel Valley Lutheran Church. The church holds three benefits a year by reaching out to the community to find a need, especially for individuals that are going through medical struggles and hardships. Most of the benefits that are done, the recipients do not have an affiliation with the church but through word of mouth.

A spaghetti dinner for the benefit of Alisa Clever as she undergoes cancer treatments will be held at the Hessel Valley Lutheran Church on May 16.

It was several years ago when the congregation numbers were extremely low, that dinners helped raise funds to help with church expenses, said Sally Fiscus, president of the church council. The pastor suggested giving the money away to the area people in need, saying that God would bless them for it. Fiscus said the church’s main mission is to help people in the community, therefore all proceeds go to the cause for which fundraisers are held.

Clever, a 37-year-old wife and mother of two, ages 11 and 15 has been fighting a battle against stage 3 pancreatic cancer, causing challenges that are calling a community together to assist them during this difficult time. The mass is progressing, and multiple trips to Pittsburgh’s Cancer Institute for specialized care and treatment are necessary. As Clever focuses on her health and recovery, the associated medical expenses and travel costs have created a considerable financial burden on the family. Managing daily expenses while unforeseen medical bills accrue has been difficult.

Contributions can be sent to the Hessel Valley Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 7, 166 Hessel Valley Road, Sugar Grove, PA, 16350. Make checks payable to HVLC and write “Alisa” in the memo. For more information on Hessel Valley Church, visit hvlc.org