Good Works, Inc. is a Christian home repair ministry located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania formed to assist economically disadvantaged homeowners in Chester County. By helping to make their homes warmer, safer and drier, hopelessness is replaced with the hope found in Jesus Christ. Services are provided at no cost to the homeowner, with volunteers - including a growing number of St. Peter's parishioners - doing most of the work. This is St. Peter's report for May 8, 2004.

Good Works Ministry for May 2004
By Roger Thorne, Work Crew Leader

Can you believe it. At the May 8th workday our St. Peter’s volunteers set yet another participation record. 22 parishioners and friends contributed a beautiful May Saturday to help provide safer and more comfortable living conditions to two Coatesville homeowners. Thanks be to God . . . . and to our energetic Good Works recruiter, Mark Carkhuff.

Our group divided into two teams: the Robinson Team and the Johnson Team. The first, headed by new Work Crew Leader Hugh McClennan and Technical Coordinator Jason Hacker, continued the work in progress at the east Coatesville home of Mrs. Catherine Robinson assisted by veterans Andy Field, Gene Kiley, Mark Carkhuff, Terry Payntor and Carl Weir. The bathroom renovation was almost completed with the installation of the remaining drywall and the 'tub surround'.  Three new replacement window were installed in the kitchen, and the old kitchen floor tiles were removed in preparation for the installation of a new kitchen floor next month. Mrs. Robinson seemed very pleased.

The Johnson Team launched a new effort at the west Coatesville home of Mrs. Esther Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was a hairdresser for many years who used much of the first floor of her home as her beauty shop. The configuration of this house, in which she raised a family and ran her business for many decades, no longer fits her situation. Physical aliments now severely limit her mobility and effectively put all areas of her home other than the main floor out of reach. The Good Works mission is to reconfigure the structure and yard so that she can continue to safely remain in her home.

The Johnson Team, led by Roger Thorne with technical coordination by Art Wrenn and Tom Brehm, was divided into two sub-groups. Art and Tom, along with veterans Perry Gresh, Steve Rutherford and John Hasson ( a technical volunteer from St. Joseph’s Church in Downingtown), comprised the inside group that reconfigured a small main floor powder room into a bathroom complete with a modern shower unit. The larger sub-group, comprising Work Crew Leader trainee Brian Curtis, newcomers Don Harvey, Ken Flesher, Corwin Briggs and Peter Deriemer, along with the veteran Vaisman family (Sergio, Carey, Garrett and Brett), worked with Mrs. Johnson’s adult daughter Mary to tear down and dispose of a ramshackle shed and discern possessions of value from those with no further usefulness. A 10-cubic-yard dumpster was filled to overflowing. This outside group also scraped and primed window frames, rebuilt an entryway and demolished a useless brick stairway. Much work remains to be done on this property, but a good first installment has been completed.

Our next work day will be Saturday, June 12^th. If you would like to participate, contact Mark Carkhuff or call 610-935-1623. We welcome you to join us, with or without technical skill, in this important ministry to our neighbors.