“Another great day at Camp Hope!”
— Alyssa Blevins, adult leader team
Archive Page 2
Day 1–two work sites and two hard-working crews
The Camp Hope teams spent the first day at their two work sites:
Here’s Ms. Piper’s house and the yard after the team worked on clean-up. The bricks will be used to edge a new garden. They’re also painting the entire house and the kids are shown working on the first side.
The second team is at Ms. Wigfield’s home and they’re shown measuring dry wall.
For more information on this year’s Camp Hope, see the first entry for the week by scrolling down.
Looking ahead to 2013 Camp Hope
By Perry Brown, adult leader
We are bringing two teams to Camp Hope this year and therefore have two projects, both located in Cumberland, MD. Cumberland is about a 20 minute ride from Frostburg University where we stay in the dorms. We leave Sunday, July 7 right after the 8 a.m. service and return on Saturday July 13. We will be staying in Annapolis Hall at Frostburg University.
Our first project will involve rebuilding a front porch: replace the decking, add framing to screen in the porch and provide other needed repairs. We will repair/replace the ramp leading up to the porch – approximately 20 feet long. Our final task on this project will be to repaint the exterior of the house.
The second project will be to include replacing a 2 to 4 windows as well as framing, insulating and dry walling the basement. This will provide a place to live for a mentally challenged relative.
A typical day at Camp Hope goes as follow:
7 a.m. Morning Devotions at Frostburg United Methodist Church
7:20 a.m. Breakfast provided by Frostburg UMC
8 a.m. Circle up prayer by Good Shepherd youth and adults and then leave for work sites.
3:30 p.m. Work ends at the two sites for the day.
4 p.m. Return to the dorms for clean-up and free time until dinner
6 p.m. depart for dinner at local church (on Wednesday, a team from Good Shepherd led by Melissa Packard will be cooking dinner for some 110 youth and adult volunteers)
7:30 p.m. Vesper services following dinner
8 p.m. Return to the dorm with planned activities for the youth: games, volleyball, capture the flag, Bible study, etc.
10 p.m. Quiet time and lights out at 11 p.m.
A BUSY schedule, but one that gives time to get the job done. This is the 17th year Good Shepherd is sending our young people to Camp Hope, a Christian-based youth ministry that rebuilds the homes and improves the lives of people in great need.
Team members are: Claire Everett, Katie Rogers, Camille Sides, Aiden Rockwood, Sarah Thomas, Hannah Thomas, Delaney Thompson, Ally Anderson, Meaghan Sniegowski, Bryan Higgins, and Andrew Burns–with two at Camp Hope for the first time and one making her 5th trip, and adult leaders Kevin Slocum, Alyssa Blevins, Natalie Norris, Steve Sides, Rob Rockwood, and Perry Brown. Stay tuned for pictures from Camp Hope, July 7-14.
Summer theme Sundays are underway, and we celebrate Haiti Sunday and our ministry at the House of Hope this week. Alice Barthole, founder of the orphanage in Haiti, had hoped to be our guest, but she is not well enough to visit. We will say our prayers for her and remember all the good things she has done for the students at the orphanage and the young neighborhood children who attend elementary school at the orphanage. Arline Easley and Michele Braithwaite visited the House of Hope in April, and Arline brought the dresses contributed in the “Dresses for Haiti” project coordinated by Lois Lightfoot. Good Shepherd parishioners have long been partners with Alice in her work. We provide scholarships for students to attend Ste. Croix Episcopal secondary school. And the need is still there. As you think about all the good things Alice has done for her children, think about honoring her with all or part of a scholarship for secondary students at St. Croix. Please call Arline Easley at 703-323-1875 if you can help.
Previous blog postings and photos from the House of Hope are available by clicking here and (with some duplication) clicking here.
The JYF and SYF celebrated the end of the program year with the Climbing Wall and interactive games at the Burke Racquet and Swim Club. Thanks to Kristin Tompkins and all the leaders who worked with the youth this year.
Were you one of the 124 ticket holders who enjoyed the great evening of music, food, wine, fellowship and the chance to make the winning bid on any of 95 live and silent auction items? Did you win a door prize or play the entertaining Heads or Tails game? If so, you already know what a special evening it was!
The Outreach Committee thanks each and every one of you, along with all those who donated items, prepared food, volunteered their time in the kitchen and elsewhere, or in any way contributed to making this Outreach fundraiser a true success. “We couldn’t have done it without all the helping hearts and hands of the Good Shepherd parish family,” says Outreach co-chairs Gail Calabrese and Sharon Holcombe. Special thanks to them and the rest of the Spring Fling Silent Auction planning committee: Judy Caddell, Peggy Morris, and Ingrid Sides, and the “men in top hats”: Master of Ceremonies Howard Lincoln and Heads or Tails Ticketmaster Steve Sides. Congratulations to our winners: Mariana Vervena was the last woman standing in the Heads-or-Tails game and won the two Delta Airlines domestic one-way tickets, Charlie Kemp had the winning raffle ticket for the Starbucks Versimo Espresso and Latte coffeemaker.
Photos by Linda Bilotti
by Nancy Biele, ESOL Coordinator
On Saturday, April 20, the Good Shepherd ESOL program held its gala luncheon and graduation in Sheads Hall. After a welcome and blessing given by the Rev. Dr. Larry Packard, students, family members, and ESOL teachers enjoyed a delicious potluck array of main dishes, salads, and desserts. Fifty-one students were eligible to receive certificates after completing the January – April classes in the winter/spring session
During this 12-week session, Good Shepherd was able to offer English classes three times each week in five levels during the morning and three levels in the evening. Volunteers who made the winter/spring ESOL classes possible are Barbara Adams, Nancy Biele, Elva and Michael Crawford, Arline Easley, Anne Ferranti, Winnie Gordon, Anne Harrell, Lou Hind, Bill Hoffman, David Jones, Roberta Lindsay, Jacquie and Steve Lowe, Eileen Miller, Pam Salmon, Tink Shelton, Gail Smith, Bill Straight, Carol St. Germain, Maureen Strauch, and Carol Sweetser.
During the spring, ESOL will offer Coffee and Conversation, an informal program to help students practice English conversation skills. Coffee and Conversation is planned for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 10 a.m. – 12 noon. This program will run from May 7 through June 13. Please drop in to Classroom 6 on any of these mornings to meet our students and help them with English conversation. All are welcome.
Registration for fall 2013 classes will be held on September 4-5 in the morning from 9:30 to noon and again in the evening from 7 to 9 p.m. Classes begin on September 17 and continue for 12 weeks through December 5. Please contact Nancy Biele at biele_57@msn.com or 703-425-5256 for information about the ESOL program. We are anxious to hear from you about your interest in joining our team of teachers.
Preparing for Godspell production May 10-11, 17-19
Published April 25, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a CommentGood Shepherd Players present Godspell May 10-11 and May 17-19. The show offers a unique reflection on the life of Jesus, with its always timely message of community, kindness, tolerance and love. The musical is based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, and features a sparkling musical score. Join us for this spiritually uplifting show! Tickets are available online at goodshepherdplayers.com.
photos by Linda Bilotti
By Arline Easley
To Haiti with love could describe my trip to the Haiti Episcopal Connection in Port-au-Prince last week, followed by a visit to Ste. Croix, the Episcopal secondary school that House of Hope students attend, and a visit to all the House of Hope students at the orphanage in Gressier. I was able to deliver the dresses Lois Lightfoot recruited Good Shepherd parishioners and quilting friends to make dresses–89 dresses in all. The Rev. Rosemari Sullivan and her friend Mary Gorman brought about 185 comfort dolls for all those at the House of Hope. We had a fashion show of sorts as all the girls, big and little, tried on sundresses over whatever they were wearing. They all seem delighted with their pretty new colorful dresses. The comfort dolls were spread on a table and each student, girls and boys, could choose a soft knit little doll person that pleased him or her. The girls cuddled the dolls and the boys were excited about them, too.
Our visit to the secondary school was rewarding. The school was damaged in the earthquake, and Finnish Lutherans have built plywood school buildings to house all the students. These structures include roofs and waist-high walls which let in lots of light and fresh air. They are equipped with benches, desks, and blackboards. They are painted light blue and cream and are really a joy to see after all the destruction in the area. This group has built open-air classrooms in other schools across Haiti, a great gift.
There has been substantial rebuilding since the earthquake and the roads have been improved. On my first trip to visit the orphanage in 1999 there were very few paved road in the whole country; the section of paved road was outside the airport and had been built by the Japanese. This time there were highways stretching from Port-au-Prince to Leogane and beyond, and I counted three stoplights where there had been none before. Along with the new roads were hundred of motor bikes, all zipping around the cars and trucks. Unemployment is still very high but there are hopeful signs. We went to a free English language class on Saturday in a large building which had been the market in Leogane before the earthquake. There were several English classes taking place at the same time with small groups where teens through older people were trying to learn English. We found that they taught English as we teach ESOL at Good Shepherd, and it was fun to participate.
We will continue to help our students who are attending Ste. Croix secondary school but this year it has been particularly difficult to provide tuition for them. Please call Arline Easley at 703-323-1875 if you can provide the $300 tuition for a student or if you can manage any part of the tuition. We can make a big difference in people’s lives with our gifts.
After the celebrations on Easter Sunday, it was nice to have the opportunity to sit and talk to fellow parishioners at the parishwide breakfast, sponsored by the vestry. Take a look at that event.
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