Southminster Spruces Up Homes of Local Seniors/Low-Income Residents

Seeking to be a bold force for Jesus in the community, Southminster Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights gathered 160 church members and friends to work on a multifaceted outreach project called GEM - God Energizing Mission.

For its fourth biennial GEM project, the church worked with Wheeling Township and Catholic Charities to identify 17 seniors and low-income families needing help with home repairs and maintenance. For the first time, as part of GEM, a Southminster family and teachers from Lions Park Elementary School in Mt. Prospect assisted with building repairs at Lemons of Love, a nonprofit that provides care packages for people undergoing chemotherapy.

"The support from our community was amazing this year," said Jean Walker, Southminster mission elder and co-chair of the GEM project. "We received donations from several companies and had local businesses, Masons, Rotarians and Chamber of Commerce members participate. That was exciting."

GEM volunteers painted, washed windows, did general cleaning and raked leaves, while teams of carpet and gutter cleaners travelled from home to home. One group installed a garage door and windows, while another group stained a deck and repaired a porch railing.

While their parents were out working on GEM projects, children and youth stayed back at the church to pack up hygiene kits for Night Ministry, a nonprofit a Chicago-based organization that works to provide housing, health care and human connection for people struggling with poverty or homelessness.

"The enthusiasm of our congregation for this weekend was fantastic. So many people stepped up to make it a success," said Sandy Pifer, Southminster mission elder and GEM co-chair. Church members were encouraged to participate in the GEM project through one of these teams: House Assessment and Work, Worship, Prayer, Caregivers, Church Life, Devotionals, Publicity, Financials and Registration.

The GEM weekend began with a supper on Friday evening where everyone gathered to learn about the following day's activities. It continued on Saturday with breakfast at the church and work in the homes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a break for lunch and devotions with the homeowners. On Sunday at a breakfast gathering and worship service., homeowners gave testimonials about their gratitude for being helped, and church members spoke about their experiences.

Jay Haack of R. J. Haack Builders, Inc. volunteered his services for the more complex projects. Ibbotson's Heating and Cooling of Arlington Heights assisted with furnace evaluation and replacement at one home, and Priority Appliance Repair of McHenry did a dishwasher evaluation and repair at another home.

Home Depot gave the church a 20 percent discount on all materials and Behr Paint provided a 20 percent discount on paint. Chic-fil-A donated 250 sandwiches for workers' lunches, and Jarosch Bakery of Elk Grove Village provided breakfast items. Ace Hardware in Wheeling also made a small donation to GEM.

For more information about Southminster's mission efforts, visit https://spcah.org/serving/service-partners/.