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Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
April 2006 |
Volunteer center work project continues to be on schedule
By Gary Walla
D'IBERVILLE, Miss. - By the end of March, volunteers completed inside painting, basic heating and air conditioning, installed phones, wi-fi and TV, and painted all the bunk beds. The installation of the cabinets is partially complete along with electrical and plumbing. With its new coat of paint, the facility is taking on a new personality.
The last week of March, Heritage United Methodist Church was home to 130 volunteers, including 31 from Indiana, most of them were working on damaged homes needing major repairs and renovation. Construction was ahead enough on the center project that several of the people spent time helping hurricane survivors in the surrounding area of the church repair their homes.
The stories are heartbreaking and volunteer help highly appreciated. One woman, "Miss Nellie," kept calling the volunteers her "Angels from the Lord." Her home had been severely damaged, and she had no way to repair it until the volunteers from the UMC came to help her. The stories of thankfulness and renewed hope are endless.
Members and staff of the Heritage UMC have given much to the community by opening their church to volunteers and arranging to help those in need. The church's sanctuary and Sunday school rooms are filled with volunteers needing a place to sleep. The Volunteer Center, being built by Hoosier United Methodists, will take off the pressure by providing a place to live for the volunteers that will be needed to help people in this community return to normal lives. The center is a gift that will be appreciated for many years.
Al Dalton, project manager, recently reviewed current costs and future estimates, and has confidence that the project will be able to be finished within the original cost estimate of $200,000.
Dalton said, "We are thankful for all the people and churches that have given money to the Indiana UMC Foundation for this project to date and are prayerful that gifts collected during the Lenten period are forwarded quickly so we can pay our suppliers in a timely manner. Dalton said it would be appropriate to say, "We are paying from hand to mouth."
The project continues to be on schedule for an end of April finish. The project has had wonderful participation by volunteers from all parts of Indiana and some beyond Indiana. The volunteers have been a wonderful group of people working together. The facility is beautiful thanks to our experienced and talented painters and will be quite functional.
It has been a joy to work with all these very giving people and to visit with the volunteers from other states that are helping rebuild this community.
Gary Walla, a member of St. Luke's UMC, Indianapolis, serves as one of three construction coordinators for the volunteer center build.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008