MEET OUR NEWEST PROJECT MANAGER Building
There were rumors about Neill Lynch… rumors that after 12 years of service at Sobieski Plumbing, he was about to ease into a comfy retirement. Turns out those rumors were wrong! In fact, Neill was planning to donate much of his time toward volunteer projects where his plumbing expertise was Neill Lynch needed. When his employer learned of Neill's intentions, they made an amazing decision: they graciously contributed to the cause by giving Neill the Sobieski truck he'd be working from! Now Neill would have the time, the ability, and the means to really help needy families. That's when someone told Good Neighbors a few details about Neill, his plumbing skills, his generous heart, and his
Summer Youth Camp 2013 Coming in July! Plans are firming up for the 14th Annual Good Neighbors Youth Camp to be held July 14-19, 2013. Avondale Presbyterian Church (APC) will again be our host. Over 50 senior-high youth volunteers and their leaders will spend a week "Repairing Homes and Restoring Hope" to multiple low-income families in southern Chester County. Youth Camp is always our busiest week of the year, and Camp 2013 will be no exception. Each evening, our youth volunteers will gather at APC for dinner and sharing of fun, fellowship and discipleship. We’re excited this year to welcome Rev. Joshua Knott as the evening program leader. In addition to being Good Neighbors' Chaplain, Josh serves as associate pastor at Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Newark, DE. Please pray for a safe, productive, and enriching week.
availability. Faced with increasing requests for home repair services, it didn't take GN long to start talking with Neill about working together. Our team of home repair experts started pointing Neill to qualified families who were in obvious need of home repair services. Like the true professional that he is, Neill jumped right into action and graciously accepted these challenges, to the delight of the recipient families here in southern Chester County. We at GN were pleased too… so much so that we asked Neill to sign on as our newest Project Manager. And he said, “Yes!” God often surprises us with blessings that surpass our requests, and Neill is that kind of answer to prayer. This should remind all of us to be bold when we pray. Scripture tells us that "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from God the Father." Let's remember what a powerful, yet loving, God we serve, and pray accordingly!
on the Rock Sluggish Economy Boosts Demand for Home Repairs The increasing need for home repairs among low-income families in southern Chester County is unmistakable. Sadly, our uncertain and sluggish US economy means that more and more of our neighbors are experiencing unemployment or underemployment. So, many families are now struggling to repair and maintain their own homes. Thankfully, families that fall below the county's low-income threshold will qualify for Good Neighbors services. However, for GN to respond to this increased demand, we must continue to grow in three key areas: Leadership, Funding, and Volunteers. Read on to see what we’re doing and how you can help.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On , Hartefeld National Golf Club in Avondale will host the Good Neighbors fall fundraising event. We're planning an evening of casual elegance, with great food, fun, friendship. We're also planning to auction off some amazing items at our LIVE auction.
LEADERSHIP
THIS NEWSLETTER IS UNDERWRITTEN BY
A Member Agency of the United Way of Southern Chester County
205 E. State Street Kennett Square, PA 19348 Office: 610-444-1860 Fax: 610-444-1961 Info@goodneighborshomerepair.org www.goodneighborshomerepair.org
We are delighted to announce that three new Directors joined our Board in April 2013! Marc Bevis is a long-time GN volunteer who has frequently served as site leader when Willowdale Chapel and GN partner on home repair projects. Marc now serves as GN Ambassador to Willowdale Chapel, and in addition serves on our Board Development Committee. Leaha Lopez has also been a longtime volunteer for GN, and now brings fresh diversity to our Board of Directors. Leaha's first exposure to GN was years ago, working as a summer camp volunteer. The experience had such a significant impact on her life that she kept coming back for more! We are delighted to have her serving now in this new leadership role. Leaha also serves on our Fund Development Committee. Christopher (Chris) Wolfe is new to GN, but he brings a wealth of outside expertise and a passion for using those skills to benefit GN and our homeowners. As a lawyer and professor at the University of Delaware, Chris brings great perspective and lots of new ideas. In addition to his duties as a Board member, Chris also serves on our Finance Committee. Welcome Marc, Leaha and Chris! We are delighted that God has sent you our way! But we’re not done! So gentle reader, if you, or friends you know, have leadership skills and a passion to serve, we want to hear from you. Opportunities abound. (Continued on page 2)
Board of Directors Fred Bruns
Robbie Deike
Robert Johnson
Robert Whitlock
RJ Scaggs Marc Bevis Leaha Lopez Christopher Wolfe Rob Ellis
Bill Stecher
Joshua Knott
FUNDING There's no way around it; our funding must continue to grow for us to keep pace with the home repair demand in southern Chester County. Because we manage our finances with businesslike discipline, we remain on solid financial footing. And since we stretch every repair dollars to deliver $3 to $5 of improvement, our "bang for the buck" is impressive. Still, demand for home repairs is outpacing our capacity. Despite our success in securing grants from foundations and renewed funding from businesses, we need every individual donor to consider increasing their financial support to GN. Please grow with us! As you do, our community will benefit… and you will be blessed!
VOLUNTEERS Bill Stecher is doing an amazing job! Beyond the home repair skills that you’d expect an “Operations Director” to possess, Bill has a knack for matching up volunteer teams (who possess a wide variety of skills and experience) with just the right projects. The result is a triple benefit: volunteers are blessed as they “give back”, homeowners see overnight improvements at no cost, and our entire community enjoys visual and significant improvements to local neighborhoods. Here’s a sampling of GN volunteer teams that are so critical to achieving our mission. Chester County Intermediate Unit Delaware County Christian School DuPont Exelon Generation Gore Hockessin United Methodist Church Kennett Rotary Kennett Square Girl Scouts Longwood Rotary St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Landenberg United Methodist Church
YOU CAN HELP Good Neighbors is blessed with strong leadership, a solid financial base, and enthusiastic volunteers. As we face new challenges and a growing demand there are three specific ways you can help: Pray… Give… Serve. As you do, I believe God will continue to bless our efforts, and your hearts.
Who Is My Neighbor? Rev. Joshua Knott, Chaplain
A recently published book asks a great question, what if we took Jesus literally when he tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves? In other words, what if we saw the people living nearest to us, say the six people or families living closest to us, as the neighbors God was calling us to actively love? It's a challenging question and Good Neighbors is part, but not the whole, of an answer. The whole answer comes when we not only support this work for those "out there" but are moved to love and serve those "right here," even next door. Someone once asked Jesus, "who is my neighbor?" intending to find a loop hole. Let's ask Him that question intending to find the very people He wants us to love and serve, beginning right next door. Joshua Knott is Associate Pastor of EP Church of Newark, DE and serves Good Neighbors as Board Chaplain.
GN Staff Rob Ellis rwe@comcast.net Bill Stecher staff@goodneighborshomerepair.org Tom MacAulay staff@goodneighborshomerepair.org Phil Smith staff@goodneighborshomerepair.org Neill Lynch nslynch@verizon.net Barbe Stecher taff@goodneighborshomerepair.org Bob Johnson
Mission Moment I would like to thank all the volunteer groups that recently contributed their time and talent to help us “Repair Homes and Restore Hope” to low-income families here in southern Chester County (see ‘VOLUNTEERS’ opposite page). When teams like you turn out, roll up your sleeves, and dive into a GN project, you make a huge difference in our community, and in the lives of those you help. Projects that would normally take a week to complete with a two-person crew can often be finished in a day! Additionally, when homeowners (and neighbors!) see a group of volunteers, they are doubly blessed – first in knowing how many people care, and second in seeing such rapid improvements to their homes and community. Your efforts really do “Restore Hope”. In addition, our Field Managers (including me!) are encouraged by your cheerful, can-do attitudes and eagerness to make a difference in the lives of those who are in need. Interestingly, the recipients of GN projects are not the only ones who benefit from our group projects. If you’ve volunteered before, you know what a joy it is to serve others. If your employer or church or neighborhood group would like to experience first hand the blessings that come from volunteering, please contact us… we’ll be happy to put you to work.
Bill Stecher GN Operations Director
rwj44@verizon.net Bob Whitlock rhw@vet.upenn.edu Don Aldridge taff@goodneighborshomerepair.org