Calyx Service Project
June 2014| st paul abilene
This project took the place of the annual youth summer mission trip. It involved staying in Abilene and spending a week partnering with a low income family to rehabilitate their house. The "trip" included 10 adult, 6 high school, and 11 junior high volunteers, along with support from several church members and groups. Throughout the week we also had small group lessons, worship experiences, and community bonding activities.
The experience was an incredible success. Materially, we were able to add insulation and replace the siding on the entire house, repair and paint the porch, fix several doors and light fixtures, paint several interior rooms, and do basic landscaping. Our work also helped demonstrate the power of community. In the last day we did a house blessing and several of the family's neighbors came. Not only did they build relationships and increase community on the block, but several neighbors said they had been inspired to do work on their own house as well. A year later, several properties showed improvement and the entire street had a greater sense of pride and care for their neighborhood. Several students reflected in hindsight that it was one of their most impactful faith experiences. This project allowed me to explore asset based community development and grow in my understanding of nontoxic missions.