The Good Works Dedication of Mrs. Esther Johnson’s Home, Coatesville, PA, May 14, 2005
by Roger Thorne

Before and After: A Year in the Life of Mrs. Esther Johnson's Home
Shown at left the home in May 2004; on the right May 2005

In May 2004, St. Peter’s volunteers representing the Good Works ministry took on a new challenge of making the west Coatesville home of Mrs. Esther Johnson “warmer, safer and drier”, and in so doing, to increase the dignity of this homeowner. Mrs. Johnson, a widowed former beautician, has lived in her home, built by her late husband, for over 50 years. Gradual deterioration of the home, coupled with evolving requirements brought about by Mrs. Johnson’s declining health, had created quite a project list. 

The Good Works organization that orchestrated the project, the thousands of dollars raised from donors for the necessary materials, and the St. Peter's Church, and other, volunteers, all worked seamlessly to share God’s love in this very tangible effort. 

And what an effort it was! Because Mrs. Johnson has limited mobility, she had been able to use the home’s second-floor bathroom only with great difficulty. So Good Works built an easily-accessible bathroom on the main floor, complete with a handicapped shower. To facilitate her access to transportation outside the home, volunteers built the longest handicapped ramp in Good Works history. New window units replaced broken and rotting originals. A leaking and sagging roof was strengthened and sealed. A termite-weakened center beam that could easily have undermined the home was replaced. Literally hundreds of individual repairs, large and small, were completed to return Mrs. Johnson’s home to full usefulness.  

Over the period of service literally hundreds of labor-hours were freely given to provide Mrs. Johnson better and safer use of her own home. On May 14, 2005, one year after commencement of the project, St. Peter’s volunteers held a Home Dedication upon the completion of this considerable assignment. 

Mrs. Esther Johnson, seated, with her daughter Mary by her side, surrounded by some of the volunteers that made this transformation possible.

Someone once said that “Christ has no hands but our hands to do his work today.” And so this short dedication ceremony began with the words “We are here to offer thanksgiving for another home completed for Jesus.”  After reviewing all that had been accomplished, Mrs. Johnson was presented with several mementos: a Holy Bible signed by each of the St. Peter’s volunteers; the book More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell; and, for the first time in our relationship with Good Works, a prayer shawl prepared especially for Mrs. Johnson by the St. Peter’s Prayer Shawl ministry, and presented by a representative of that ministry. Mrs. Johnson was moved to tears by these kindnesses.

Mrs. Johnson beams with pleasure as her new prayer shawl is draped over her shoulders

For a look back at a representative sampling of all the effort expended on Mrs. Johnson's home over the last year, click on any of the thumbnail photos below:

The next Good Works workday will be Saturday, June 11th. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry that meets the second Saturday of EACH month, click here. Regardless of your skill level, if you want to join in demonstrating God’s love by providing tangible help in people’s lives, contact our recruiter Mark Carkhuff or at 610-935-1623. You are welcome to join us, with or without technical skill, in this important ministry to our neighbors.