Let There Be Light
by Ken FleisherIt was January 14, 2006, the second Saturday of the month, which means Good Works in Coatesville! A crew of 14 smiling parishioners from St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley, supported by three members of Trinity Episcopal Church - Coatesville, arrived ready to take on a long repair list at Wanda Suber's home on Chestnut Avenue. After a productive workday in December, both Wanda and her daughter Johnette were happy to see the crew, and anxious to begin this day's work.
Johnette Suber steadies the ladder as Karen Joyce completes
installation of a new ceiling fan.The theme of the day seemed to be "Let there be light", and two crews immediately began to add and improve the lighting throughout the house. On the main level, Karen Joyce and her daughter, Clara-Ann, worked with Suzanne Casey, Andrew Field and Hugh McLennan to upgrade the lighting in both the living and dining rooms. They were supported by the Reverend Sherry Crompton, chaplain of our Good Works team, and Gail Mellon, both of Trinity Episcopal Church, Coatesville. In addition to installing two beautiful ceiling fan/light combinations, this team completed several other smaller projects under the "safer, warmer & drier" mandate of the Good Works program. More importantly, they spent much quality time with Wanda and Johnette, which carried over especially during the lunch break.
Another crew, led by Mark Carkhuff, began its day in the home's basement where Bo Cappelli and Ken Fleischer installed a new fluorescent lighting fixture, while Steve Poole, Carl Weir and Rick Crompton (Sherry's husband) reinforced the support columns under the front porch, a very important project under the "safer" component of the Good Works mandate. After completing these basement jobs, the crew moved upstairs to begin work in the bedrooms where several lights and electrical sockets were replaced. God's love was clearly evident in the camaraderie and fellowship enjoyed by both homeowners and volunteers.
In a basement desperately in need of light, Art Wrenn installs a florescent ceiling fixture.While all of the "light" projects were ongoing, Randy Klein and Cliff Castle were the "craftsmen" of the group, trimming out the windows installed during December's workday. Roger Thorne and technical adviser Art Wrenn provided planning and technical assistance throughout the day. As the day drew to a close and we reviewed the accomplishments, there was no doubt that "good works" had been done.
Randy Klein and Cliff Castle use a 'chop saw' to cut trim to complete last month's new window installation.
Contact Information
If you are willing to contribute a Saturday to share God’s love with people in need living not too far from your neighborhood, or have questions about Good Works, contact St. Peter's Good Works recruiter, Mark Carkhuff or at 610-935-1623. You are also invited to visit the Good Works website. And if you have already volunteered for a workday, but need directions to the Good Works warehouse in Coatesville, PA, where we meet at 8:45 a.m. sharp on the second Saturday of every month, click here.
