Visit Warm and Cheerful Chalmette This Fall!

The Gathering Christian Church plant that we've worked with in Chalmette the last two years has the go ahead to build out the bowling alley for their community center. They need us back to help get that done. Plans are not yet made. If you have availability for a week or two, please email me with special skills you have and times you could go. I'll publish that back out to the list to see if we can nail down a trip or two to help them out.

If you haven't been back since soon after the storm, you'll appreciate the difference. People live there again. Baseball happens. School happens. Going out for dinner or ice-cream happens. It'll do your heart good to see some of the fruits of your previous labors and help the continued recovery at the same time.

Here's the information I have from them right now:

"The Gathering Place"

We are moving forward with our building and from now on will refer to it as The Gathering Place- our future community center and meeting place for the church! We got our final building permit at the end of July and hope to close on the purchase of it in September. To the right is the floor plan of the first phase, with two more areas for future phases. This area will hold counseling offices, a multi-purpose room, meeting spaces, and restrooms.

We are extremely excited to watch as God builds this place of ministry. We are prayerfully planning as we move forward with what He has already provided. This August we will be working on tying re-bar, installing under-slab plumbing, and pouring concrete. Please lift us up in these endeavors!

2009 Hurricane Season So Far

Just so people don't think I'm watching.... There is a major hurricane, "Bill" out in the Atlantic, but it is not expected to make landfall. There's a chance for storm development in the Gulf of Mexico, but this storm season has been unexpectedly light. Even in the midwest where we generally have a few flooding and severe storm events a year, there has been little of the mahem we've come to expect the last few years.

Due to a general lack of interest over the past 12 months, we're kind of in a holding pattern as an organization. When the next big thing happens though details on how you can help will be here as will I and other's who have been team leaders in Servants Unite over the last 4 years since Katrina came onshore.

I pray that you've had the opportunity to spend more time with your families and other ministries recently. We will be called on again and your help will continue to be needed.

Local work opportunity

President Obama recently announced a Summer of Service initiative called United We Serve. This 81 day initiative will culminate with a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11, 2009.

Rebuilding Together Central Ohio is ready to answer President Obama's call! In the spirit of United We Serve and the new National Day of Service, RTCO is looking to mobilize 100 volunteers in the greater Columbus region. In volunteering, Americans will be reaching out to impact our neighborhoods in the areas of energy efficiency, sustainability, and beautification.

Volunteer activities will include:
Energy Efficiency Outreach Project
o Assembling and distributing 500 Energy
Efficiency Outreach bags to local residents
Community Garden Maintenance
o Clean up local community gardens, turning soil and
preparing them for the Fall and Winter months
Street Clean Up
o Canvassing local streets for trash, separating
recyclables from non-recyclables

The dates of service are August 28th and 29th. Volunteers will meet at Rebuilding Together Central Ohio's Office and go out into the community from there. The first 100 volunteers will receive a United We Serve - Rebuilding Together T-Shirt and water bottle.

Interested?
Contact:
Aaron Murphy at aaron@rtcolumbus.org or

Jonathan Duffy at jonathan@rtcolumbus.org