NORWICH – The Broad St. United Methodist Church will kick-off its 5th annual “Church Has Left the Building” at 9 a.m. Saturday in East Park with a brief outdoor worship service and everyone is invited to attend. Following the short service, the community is encouraged to join members of the congregation in performing an assortment of general public projects transcending denominations.
The UMC is organizing eight separate enterprises Saturday, including work on the Hale Street Community Garden; sewing dresses for Haiti at the Sew Nice in the North Plaza; a choir concert at a nursing home or two; sending cards to shut-ins organized at the Fellowship Hall; working projects at The Place in Norwich; organizing a collection site for First Aid kits outside of the Right Aid on Main Street; and – in cooperation with the county public health department – doing small house projects for seniors and baking for the Norwich community meal at St. Bart’s.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County has given the church a 20’ by 20’ foot plot to garden while produce from the botanical endeavor will be donated to the local food bank. This will be the first year UMC has organized a community garden and there will be a continuous need for volunteers to tend to it throughout the season. At the same time, there are a few exceptional gardeners already in the congregation who will now have a chance to show off their skills.
The sewing for Haiti project is something which UMC has been doing for some time now. Organizers work to fashion sundresses which are in turn shipped off to Haiti where many young girls have been reduced to wearing rags. Interestingly enough, the sundress have been known to actually protect the little Haitian girls because they present the image that they are being cared for. Subsequently, the sundresses have worked as a deterrent to those who would take advantage of a little girl in rags, someone they may think no would miss or care about.
The choir concerts will take place at the Chenango Memorial Hospital and the Norwich Rehabilitation Center, where the elderly have been known to sing along and truly appreciate the efforts of the choir.
Sending cards to shut-ins has, in the past, served as a kind remember to people who have lost touch with the community that they are still being thought of.
The First Aid kits are being assembled for families who are disadvantaged and are unable to afford such a basic safety measure. A collection booth will be set up outside of the Right Aid on North Broad Street where volunteers will have a list of necessary items. Due to the convenient location, people can simply go into the store to buy one of the items on the list, making donating an easy task for any passerby.
For the housing projects, organizers have been given the names of elderly individuals without any kin who need projects done around their house by the county office for the aging. Volunteers will travel to the address and lend the residents a helping hand.
The baking project taking place at the UMC kitchen will produce cookies for the weekly community meals at St. Bart’s.
“Everyone in the community is invited to join us,” said UMC Pastor Nancy Hale. “You do not have to sign up in advance, just show up and we’ll put you to work.”
T-shirts will be available for anyone who wishes to help and many outside the UMC congregation often do.
“Our church’s mission statement is ‘bringing God’s love to our neighbors’ and this kind of project gives us the opportunity to do just that. Instead of just telling people about God’s love, we embody it through acts of caring.”
For more information, call 334-2895.