“THESE DAYS, ALL OF US MUST FIND SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR HEART, HEAD AND HANDS TO HELP, ENCOURAGE AND GIVE HOPE TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE MUST.”– KEITH WASSERMAN
June 2025
greetings from all of us in the Good Works community!
Good Works staff and interns 2025
WE ARE WELL. We are grateful. We are now about half-way through our 45th year! We are keeping our “hand to the plow” of loving and serving our neighbors here in rural Appalachia. We are thankful for each one of you who reads our newsletters, prays for us, and supports Good Works!
Summer is upon us. In addition to our care for adults and children through the Good Works Timothy House (which is very busy place), Sign of HOPE, the Transformation Station, Friday Night Life, Loads of HOPE and other initiatives, here is what we are planning this month:
On June 8th we welcomed our summer interns and summer staff with a picnic which is the start of our training week for the 9 weeks of Summer Service 2025. This is our 25th year!
From June 16th (through July 31st ), we will launch the 18th year of our Summer Kids Discovery Club again for 7 weeks. This year, we are moving Discovery Club to the Good Works Luhrig Road property Monday – Thursday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. During those weeks, we are also planning our Summer Lunch each day at noon for adults and children from Athens County with food insecurity, and who desire a time of connection with others. We will serve lunch under the picnic shelter each day! If you know where we can locate fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, please let us know. We are also seeking gift cards to purchase food for Summer Lunch.
Sydney Teagarden who has been on the full-time staff for the past two years working in the GW Timothy House, has begun a new role in Community Life in the GW Hannah House. Sydney will oversee the interns and guests there. She did her summer internship with us in 2022 for her degree in Community Development and joined the full-time staff after her graduation.
Ben Woodson will be joining the summer staff. Ben just finished Ohio University and plans to start graduate school later this year. Ben was in the Kids Discovery Club as a child and later an intern in the Teen Kingdom Internship. He has served on summer staff for several years working with Discovery Club. Ben is the son of Terri who is has been on the GW staff for 26 years!
Our Teen Agricultural Internship starts June 17th and will continue 3 days a week for 7 weeks. Teens will serve alongside Sophie Mather-Smith and one of our summer interns both at our community garden, and at the homes of seniors all over Athens County. We have 9 garden partners this year. We also have an educational component each day.
We will welcome several week-long Work Retreat groups this summer and continue to serve widows and adults with disabilities at their homes through Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
This is where Summer Lunch and Kids Discovery Club (KDC) will take place this summer from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Monday-Thursday. We are planning activities for kids (ages K-6th grade). We are seeking one-time presenters to come and share with the kids something they are passionate about for 40 minutes or two 20 minute presentations. This summer, our focus is on creation (nature, insects, weather, birds, trees, plants, wild-life, animals, the soil, air, sunshine). Contact us for more information through email@good-works.net
IN THE NEWS
Good Works provided a family with vehicle #209 through the Transformation Station on May 15th. We are so thankful for each person we get to know and build a relationship with as they volunteer to serve others with us!
We are welcoming groups to schedule a Saturday Service Day with us this fall starting September 13th. Know of a group who would like to join us for one Saturday this fall?
Appalachian Immersion is the name of our ‘year-round’ (paid) residential internship. Interns live in the GW Hannah House and join the staff in all aspects of our ministry as they grow in their love for people and God and learn about the history, values, needs, beauty and people of rural Appalachia. Know someone you can encourage to explore this? The next season begins in September 2025.
Good Works has many different opportunities to volunteer. Visit https://good-works.net/volunteer-opportunities/. Last Spring we started our new volunteer initiative we are calling “Dinner at Timothy’s”. We are seeking a volunteer to prepare a one-time dinner for the residents of The Timothy House (about 15 adults and children) and bring it there at 7:00 pm on a Saturday or Sunday. Contact us through email@good-works.net to learn more.
IN CLOSING…
I want to say this: The ministry God has trusted us with is people! Our vision is to welcome vulnerable people into a community where they feel safe, respected and heard. It is here that we can show and share with them the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).
If you would like to participate in the mission and ministry of Good Works through giving,
PS - On Friday July 4th, we are hosting an OPEN HOUSE at all three Good Works locations. Staff, inters and volunteers will be present to share about the ministry and show you around.
