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A project dedicated to returning a family to their 100 year-old home, after a kitchen fire forced them out.
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Grinnell United Methodist Church
Project 1707
916 5th Ave.
Grinnell, IA 50112
Grinnell United Methodist Church
Project 1707
916 5th Ave.
Grinnell, IA 50112
7 comments:
Project 1707
December 2008 Update
On Mission Saturday, December 13th sixteen United Methodists gathered early in the morning to help on the Project 1707 in Grinnell. Together, we removed plaster, lathe, and wood trim on the fire-damaged home in preparation of re-wiring and refurbishing the home by spring of 2009.
A lot of work was accomplished. We had donations of labor, trailers, and dump-sites for the extra materials. It just goes to show how much damage (in a good way!) a devoted group of Methodists can do when they get together to serve their fellow man.
The next Mission Saturday will be January 24th. Please join us for the mission and the fellowship. This is an opportunity to positively affect a family’s life for years to come. Also, watch for fundraising events for Project 1707 that are coming up! We would love to have your help and support!
Thanks,
Brian Mitchell
Lay Leader
Grinnell United Methodist Church
very confused by your" mission of mercy", Grinnell has many families in need of your help but you choose a family that has 2 houses? A family that hit the lottery jackpot worth a million $$, why should we contibute to this cause, please explain.
Let me explain that we did not ask for help, we even refused help when it was offered.
We have two houses - both of them old, neither in good condition. One of them we cannot live in, sell or rent out, yet we are still paying the mortgage, paying the property taxes and utility bills. The other house was bought with our "jackpot" money as an investment. We used it as a rental, mostly renting to college students or single moms. We never made any money this way as we are poor business managers and the rent paid barely covered the expenses of maintaining the house.
Currently we are living in that house and receiving no rental income - so we are paying for two houses.
People persist in believing that they can understand and know fully about other people's financial situations when all they have is a little scrap of knowledge.
My husband did indeed purchase a winning lottery ticket in 1995. That money has been used up; as I confessed, we are poor business mangers. Before we won that money we were living from paycheck to paycheck, we had debts, we had no savings, we had 5 children, a mortgage. We used some of that lottery money to pay for our daughter's college education, we bought a new car, big enough for our family (we still have that car). We made a few trips to visit our families in other states. We built a new garage on our property and poured a cement driveway. We remodeled our kitchen. We paid off our debts, and we bought the second house as an investment, a way to "store" the money for future use, such as a college education for our son.
That million$$$$ you are so excited about was in the form of an annuity, paid over 20 years, taxes scraped off the top, and then taxes paid again each year on the income. Because we needed money immediately we cashed in the annuity and received about 2/3 of it as cash. A poor decision, but I will say it again, we are stupid when it comes to money. I'm not good at math, so I'll let you do it: a million dollars over a twenty year period, minus 1/3 equals how much income per year? It's not bad, not bad at all, but it's hardly what you would call rich. We never had a million dollars tax free in one lump sum to do with what we wanted.
We still own the two houses - once our 7th ave house is in habitable condition, we will return to it, and then we hope we can sell the other house. If we can, we will pay off our current debts, and have some money to pay our son's college tuition, and some money to reinvest in our community and pay back the church for the help we have received.
You do not have to contribute to "our cause" at all. Please help another family.
I can understand that someone may be reticent about contributing to a family that has been fortunate in the past. As a tax-payer, I understand that many people are in need, particularly with the economic tumult that has so recently dominated our headlines and our lives. Why should we help someone else who should already be economically healthy?
However, as a Christian, I realize that none of us are without fault. None of us are without sin. Yet, no matter how unworthy we are of grace, Jesus provides it to us anyway. I choose to support this project simply because this is a family currently in need. I can no more change the past than they can, and so I can only take them as they are; just as Jesus takes us as we are.
That's all I can say. I have decided to help because they need it. A person is perfectly justified in not helping, unless that person claims to be a Christian. Christians are expected to help those in need.
I hope that you will choose to aid this family, but that is not my choice to make for you.
Merry Christmas.
Brian
no more money should be spent on this project, giving of your time is all well and good but to be sinking so many funds into this project is a little hard for me to take. When I donate monies I believe I should be able to voice my concerns. Is anyone listening? Maybe this should be put up for some kind of vote or discussion. I think in the future my check book may not open as readily as in the past. I just have 1 question for the McDonalds. Did you not have insurance to cover your loss?? If so where did that money go? If not, why not? Maybe me and others are ignorant of your situation, maybe some straight forward answers could reverse our thinking.
KNOWN MAC 25+YEARS,FIRST TO OFFER HELP,LAST TO ASK FOR IT,AMAZED HE EVEN ASKED THE CHURCH,AMEN.
blah, blah, blah, this is horse s...
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