Week of Services

written by Sheri Wander

This year's activity by The Presbyterian Cluster included MISSION-oriented service projects lasting for the duration of one week. The purpose of the Week of Service is to:
1. Accomplish concrete work: build a deck, paint the house at Stone School, and build a garden. The Cluster applied for grants to provide the materials and provided people power in the form of volunteers who would work alongside the MISSION community to carry out these projects.
2. Build relationships both among members of the involved Presbyterian churches and also between the churches and the MISSION community.

There between 8 and 20 volunteers from The Presbyterian Cluster on each day of the week and an average of 10 volunteers from MISSION.

Accomplishments

• The most challenging parts of building the deck has been completed. It can be finished once the inspection is completed. The deck serves as a place for people to gather outside and away from the front door. There can be up to 50 people attending the Sunday Meetings, so the deck provides a space for people to be.

• Seven raised beds were put into the garden for flowers and vegetables. This project provides an opportunity for MISSION community members to learn about gardening and provides food for the house at Stone School. It also creates the space for ongoing relationships between volunteers from The Cluster and MISSION. Volunteers from The Cluster have kindly offered to lend their expertise as the season goes on.

• Tim and Tracy (MISSION) cleared out the garbage on the land, which was present before MISSION purchased the property. They also pulled out debris, leaves and sticks, so that the creek is flowing better. Alongside the creek, Tim and Tracy put in a creek bed garden.

• The house was painted.

• A pumpkin patch was put into the garden. If there are pumpkins that grow successfully. MISSION hopes to be able to offer the pumpkins to the kids at Bryant Community Center (our neighbor) where members of the MISSION community have been volunteering.

News articles on the Week of Service may be found below:
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/06/ann_arbor_house_being_transfor.html
http://wemu.org/post/washtenaw-county-presbyterian-churches-help-camp-take-notice-upgrade-house
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/05/volunteers_help_clean_up_trash.html
http://wemu.org/post/week-service-help-mission-house-ann-arbor

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