greetings with JOY and gratitude from all of us in the Community of HOPE!
We write once again with thanksgiving as we venture into year number 44 of learning to love and serve people who are made in the image of God with beauty, dignity, and purpose.
Along with many of you, we are “weathering” the winter with its cold days, slippery streets, wood heat, frozen vehicles, salted walkways, and sweaters. This Spring we are planning to welcome individuals and groups who will come alongside us to serve people we love at their homes through Neighbors Helping Neighbors with projects they have described to us. Our ministry values the word intentional. We are planning GOOD for a lot of people, and this in and of itself is done as an act of worship! And… as I have said many times, OUR need to love and serve is not less significant than other people’s needs to receive help. Something good happens spiritually, physically, and psychologically to us when we intentionally do good.
“I made the WIDOW’S heart sing, I took up the case ofthe STRANGER, I was a father to the FATHERLESS.”
(Job 29:12-13)
Carrying Hospitality
As most of you know, through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program we travel in small groups to the homes of seniors who struggle with a fixed income, and issues related to aging and disability. In doing so we carry hospitality. What I mean is that we carry some of the values of Good Works with us. We come as learners. We focus on the person over the project. It is important to us that those whose homes we visit know we have come to serve them, as well as to visit and listen. We carry gratitude with us. We are always finding ways to express gratitude together. In keeping our word to come at the time we promised and to complete the project, we carry promise keeping. We always offer prayer as a part of our visit in the hope that this form of hospitality will bring encouragement and HOPE.
In The News…
HEART-FELT GRATITUDE to everyone who supported and participated in DAY IN THE LIFE! The total amount given from September 2023 to January 2024 is $88,500. These funds will provide 188 days/nights of care and community for the residents of The Timothy House! We plan to launch our next appeal for DAY IN THE LIFE starting in September. Our second annual DITL on-site event takes place on Saturday, December 7th. Please come!
20/30/40. We are planning a reunion of former staff and interns on July 4-6. 2024. This is the 20th year of the Transformation Station, the 30th year of the Good Works (Luhrig Road) property, and the 40th year of the Timothy House! While Good Works started in 1981, we didn’t move to Central Avenue until 1984.
We welcomed two new interns last month. Sarah joined the Appalachian Immersion Internship and lives on the Good Works property. Stephanie is doing a full time academic internship this Spring.
This month (March) several of our staff shift to a Tuesday-Saturday schedule to welcome volunteers and Work Retreat Groups who come to serve on the weekends. If you or a group you are connected with would like to join us for Saturday Service, contact us for open dates. We still have a few weeks open for this Summer (2024) for week-long groups to serve our neighbors with us here in rural southeast Ohio.
Good Works Transformation Station continues to provide appliances, bicycles, non-emergency food, and vehicles through a “sweat equity” initiative we started years ago. In February, we provided a participant with car #202. We need vehicles. Could you pass the word about the TS?
LOADS OF HOPE is our new initiative to provide free laundry services, especially to families who struggle with poverty. This small laundromat is located in the basement of Sign of HOPE. We are finishing up the play area for kids to hang out with volunteers while their parents are doing laundry.
This Spring is a wonderful time to visit, walk the hiking trails & participate with the community.
We are seeking a group of volunteers who will do a food drive for GW. We provide around 21,000 meals a year, which includes “take-home” food (after FNL) to around 10-15 families every Friday Night.
Click here to watch a 5 minute video of Keith sharing the vision of Good Works.
WEEK OF SERVICEis an opportunity for an individual or family to come and serve alongside us for one week this year. WORK RETREATS is the language we use for groups. Contact us for more information.
Friday Night Life will move from The Plains UMC back to the Good Works property in April. Maybe you are connected with a small group who can sponsor one FNL this year?
Through an initiative and partnership with Ohio University we developed years ago we call Praxis, we continue to welcome students to join us in different ways. Last fall, through a class on Economics, we hosted 20+ students at Friday Night Life and in Saturday Service. Many students shared about their experience as part of the class. One student wrote this reflection based on their experience which we received permission to share.
"Participating in the service learning (experience) deviated from my initial assumptions, primarily in the extent of the personal/social interactions that Good Works fosters with the individuals they aid. Rather than merely providing yard work or maintenance services, there are significant social and emotional connections established. Many beneficiaries of the non-profit, who often might live alone or in somewhat isolated areas of Athens County appear to find the socialization provided by the volunteers as impactful as the physical labor itself. Prior to this experience, my conception of non-profits working in poverty alleviation did not fully appreciate the social dynamics and camaraderie. I have come to realize that these elements play a crucial role in fostering hope and optimism. The way individuals perceive their living conditions can significantly influence their overall quality of life, an insight that reframed my understanding of the multifaceted nature of poverty alleviation efforts."
As you may know, Good Works has almost 25 different volunteer opportunities. You can read about them on our website. This reflection is from someone who serves at Friday Night Life and also at the Timothy House.
“I first heard Keith Wasserman’s witness at Christ Lutheran Church, Athens the summer before I started my graduate program at Ohio University. A few months later while visiting another church in town, I was sharing with a very spirit-filled person about recently moving to town and he asked me “Do you know Keith Wasserman?” I pulled out his card from my wallet and that same day reached out to start the process of becoming a Good Works volunteer. That was 2022 and since then I have been attending Friday Night Life and serving at the Timothy House. I have so enjoyed spending time in community with staff members, other volunteers, and the residents of the house. Good Works has served as a model and inspiration for me to truly live out my faith. Talking, playing, eating, praying, and worshipping with all those who share the vision of the kingdom of God has been a profoundly positive experience for me, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be involved.”
In Closing
I want to tell you that I continue to experience my role at Good Works as a gift and privilege. I am so thankful for the opportunity to lead this community in all the things we do, and in all the ways we grow together in love. Our staff and volunteers are such an encouragement to me. I watch and get to participate with some of our volunteers and find a lot of JOY as we together learn to love and serve others.
