A Hand Up, not a Hand Out

Ten members of the Roanoke District representing four churches (Fairview, Grace, Andrew Chapel and Northview) traveled 4 hours north the week of July 23-29 to Keyser, West Virginia. We went to lend a hand to the Helping Hands of the Potomac Highlands organization. The request was discovered by looking at the needs on the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission website (www.umvim.org)
Director, Debbie Price explained that Helping Hands is a bridge that connects local churches with low income people in Mineral County, an area of 26,000 persons in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Helping Hands began a full time ministry in August 1996 with the assignment of a Church and Community worker as Director. They receive no federal or state funding for operating expenses, but depend on donation from individuals and groups, denominational sources, local church offerings and gifts, the Keyser Area Ministerial Association and community fund raisers. A group of 12 churches of various denominations support the ministry that includes disaster response, housing repairs, church referrals, emergency assistance, life skills guidance, and mission education to local churches.
(see comments for the rest of the story...)

Holston team at work in Mississippi

Here are several good shots of Bert & Leslye Beria's team from Tennessee to Great Spirit UMC, Bogue Chitto Community, Philadelphia, MS on June 24-30, 2006

In Sumter County, some good comes from church arson

from the Tuscaloosa News:

God, the Good Book says, works in mysterious ways./s And when Demetrius Foy, from the tiny Sumter County town of Gainesville, sat down last week for his first class at Birmingham-Southern College, an expen-sive and highly selective private liberal arts college, he marveled at the circumstances in which he found himself.

“All things work together for good," said Foy, an aspiring minister, adding that he was quoting Romans.

The truth is, until alleged arsonists -- two of whom happened to be students at the United Methodist Church-affiliated college and another a graduate -- almost on a lark set fire to his church, Foy had never heard of BSC.

In its efforts to put things right in the wake of the series of church arsons -- some at black churches like Foy’s Spring Valley Baptist, others at white churches -- administrators and students have been reaching out to help in any way they can, from helping rebuild some of the most heavily damaged churches, to providing money to others.

The fire at Spring Valley Baptist did little damage, which insurance covered. So when representatives of/sBirmingham-Southern approached the pastor about what help they could offer, he came up with the novel idea of providing financial aid for a couple of the promising, but by no means rich, students in his congregation.

Foy was one of those to visit the picturesque BSC campus, known as “The Hilltop" on the west side of Birmingham.

“After my first visit, I had my mind made up, this is where I wanted to be," he told The Birmingham News last week. “It was a whole different place."

And when Birmingham-Southern College President David Pollick put together a package of private, public and school money that could pay his way though the academically rigorous small college, Foy leaped at the chance.

“You can’t pass up an opportunity like this," he said.

Foy plans to study religion and psychology at BSC. Though the urban campus in Alabama’s largest city must seem a million miles away from Gainesville, a town of only 220 residents at the time of the 2000 Census, Foy is poised to fit right in.

“It’s more exciting than intimidating," he said. “I’m not easily intimidated. I just believe that if anyone can do it, I can do it."

Pollick seems to agree and to share in the wonder of how so much good can come out of the disaster.

“[Foy] is just a wonderful example of what kind of good came come out of human frailty," Pollick said.

We wish Foy much success in his career at Birmingham-Southern College and hope he matures into a fine minister.

From the Tuscaloosa News Sept 5, 2006