Cold Weather Shelter

Chapelgate is helping Grassroots Shelter with hosting the folks that the shelter doesn't have room for at their Freetown location. If you have enjoyed being a part of this and would like to continue to serve these homeless folks, you could join our cooking team. We cook meals for the 50 residents the shelter helps year round. Each person on the team cooks part of the meal. We are thankful for our team captains, but are losing one due to health problems. So if organization is your thing and not cooking, let me know! Helping those who are less fortunate than us, helps us to appreciate God's blessings in our lives.

On Saturday, December 13th, as part of a large Dedication Program, Reggie Green accepted the ceremonial keys to his new home at 1442 Mount Street in Baltimore. The significance of the day was not solely for Reggie and his family. Immediately next to Reggie, two other homes were dedicated at the same time. Three homes, three great families, one enormous impact on a city block that had long been neglected!

These homes marked the 250th, 251st, and 252nd homes completed in the Sandtown Community by Habitat for Humanity. The amount of work that went into finishing these homes was incredible. The Habitat Staff should be commended (and very tired!) for the countless hours they personally put into these homes.

Reggie's house was the 4th home where Chapelgate and Central Presbyterian "partnered" out teams and efforts to tackle some of the worst properties in Sandtown. It was agreed at Dedication that we would continue this relationship for at least another home (after we all take a much needed break!).

In total, this is Chapelgate's 13th home we have sponsored and built, while it was Central's 14th home. Our work is getting better, and faster.

There are too many people to recognize and thank, but the efforts and dedication of Larry Sames and Joe Bianco certainly kept this home on track.

Baltimore Rescue Mission Christmas Wish List

Chapelgate is involved on an ongoing basis with Baltimore Rescue Mission, an organization that provides for the basic and spiritual needs of the homeless in Baltimore.
At Christmastime they give out gift bags, and Chapelgate has been invited to contribute items for these bags such as kitchen supplies, gift cards, toiletries, medicine and clothing. For a complete wish list please visit the Information Desk in the lobby. Items may be dropped off in designated bins also in the lobby.

Meet Doug Carl, Grassroots Kitchen Manager

Doug Carl has been involved with Grassroots since the late 70's as a volunteer. Later, he served on its board. With a master's degree in management, he spent a couple of decades in health care management. In his retirement, he wanted to continue to serve at Grassroots. When the renovation of the current facility was complete in April 2008, Doug became the kitchen manager. One of his many jobs is to heat up the meals that have been brought in by the community and make sure there is enough food for the 50 residents that live at the shelter. What a much needed service. Who doesn't like to have a meal provided and served to them!

If you would like to help by making part of a meal, contact me at cpcgrassroots@gmail.com.

Sandtown update for September 2008

The progress on 1442 Mount Street has been incredible over the past month. 95% of the framing is done, the front wall is rebuilt(see picture), windows should be installed very soon, plumbing and heating rough-in should start within the next week or so!

The targeted Dedication date is December 13th. It will take a great deal of effort to make sure the Greene family will be in their new home by Christmas, but it is possible!

For those of you who like to paint, your talents will be needed very soon. Look for updates here and in the connection at church.

Next Grassroots Meal

Got some time to make part of a meal for the homeless shelter? One of our teams is making a meal for Grassroots on Sunday Sept. 28. You'll just need to bring your contribution to Chapelgate that Sunday morning. Send me an email at mspaulis@verizon.net and I'll connect you to that team captain. She'll let you know what the team needs. If this day doesn't work for you, email me and I'll let you know the next date. This is such an easy way to make a difference in the lives of people less fortunate than us! 

Mary Sue Paulis

Grassroots Coordinator for Chapelgate

Grassroots New Facility

Hi to all! I had a very busy summer, as I imagine you had,  and now I am ready to get back to organizing and keeping you updated on our  ministry at Grassroots. I recently toured the facility and was warmly welcomed and given a tour by Anna Katz, the Cold Weather Shelter director. The staff is enjoying the additional space and having freshly painted and decorated rooms. I'm sure the men, women, and families are also enjoying the newer facilities. The families have their own breakfast area and living room where they can hang out and watch TV. There are plans for an outdoor play yard for the children. The single men have the same set up on another wing near their bedrooms. I enjoyed my visit and appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into the planning for the renovations. They even have a men's bathroom for the dads in the family area. 

This is the medical exam room. Doctors and nurses volunteer their time here and one of the doctors managed to find this excess equipment for the center.


 

Future blogs--- meet the kitchen manager and hear from our cooks

Sandtown Habitat Update through Aug.2nd

The progress on the home at 1442 Mount Street look more negative than positive sometimes! This was the case on August 2nd. There was a demolition company working on tearing down the front of the three active homes on Mount Street, while we were inside trying to do odd framing jobs (that seemed to take longer than anyone expected.

You can see, sometimes you have to step backwards before you step forwards. Good things are still happening, but the schedule is being pushed a little.

Over the next couple of weeks, framing will be done for the front wall as well as the early framing on the back "bump out" for the house.

Our priotity is still to get a roof on ASAP. With a roof, a new front wall, and the framing of the bump out, the progress can really be accelerated with the "trades" coming in and doing the masonry, electrical and plumbing rough ins.

Meet the owner of our house. Reggie (middle), his son Andre (left) have been regular and hard working contributors the past couple of months. They are great people and we look forward to getting them into this house before Christmas!

Also pictured, Larry Sames. Master Carpenter and the one who makes sure things are plumb, level and square!

Grassroots Meals

Sorry for the typo- we have 2 "existing" teams.

Sandtown Habitat for Humanity

Hello,

Welcome to the Sandtown Habitat for Humanity blog post. I hope to use this to keep everyone updated on upcoming work days, progress and stories of interest. In future postings, I will give a little history on the Sandtown area and the Habitat Mission.

Currently, Chapelgate is working on a home at 1442 Mount Street along with our friends from Central Presbyterian. This is the 13th home we've sponsored in 12 years!! Chapelgate takes the lead responsibility for leading volunteers on the 1st and 4th Saturday of each month, while Central leads on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays. We typically work from around 9:00am until around 2 or 3 in the afternoon (you do not have to commit to the entire day to be a big help!).

How can you help? Volunteer to drive nails, help clean the house during work days (this keeps the site much safer), be a "runner" (gather materials for the work inside the house), prepare and serve a meal for about 30 people (a great idea for small groups!), painting (usually only one or two work days a year, but always a active day!), etc.

You will see pictures of the progress of this home as we move along. Currently, it is in BAD shape, but we are well on the way to making this a beautiful home.

If you are interested in Habitat, please contact me. I will add you to an email list.

Dennis Love
dlove@victaulic.com
410-552-4483

Grassroots Meals

Chapelgate has been providing meals for the Grassroots Crisis Shelter in Columbia, MD. since January 2007. We have 2 exiting teams and each team member provides part of a meal, one of the main dishes, a salad, a vegetable, or a dessert. One team usually provides a meal once a month and the other team does so every other month. The team captain arranges the date and notifies the team what their Sunday is to provide a meal, plans the menu, gives you choices of what to make, and delivers the meal. Pretty simple for the cooks and rewarding to know we are helping to feed the homeless in Howard County!

Welcome!

We hope this blog will be a great resource for you as we seek to enter into our surrounding communities and serve in Jesus' name. You will soon be able to read descriptions of Chapelgate's partner ministries as well as view upcoming events on our calendars. Enjoy!