CYO teens work on center cleanup
August 29, 2009 by Sarah
Members of the local CYO spend Saturday morning clearing trash and plastic from the second floor of what will be the Neighbor to Neghbor center in downtown Concordia.
Among the teens hauling loads of trash down the rear fire escape of the building at 103 E. Sixth St. are (clockwise from top left) Paige Evans, Taylor Chrisco, Raef Chrisco and Christa Deneault.
A work crew of more than a dozen members of the local Catholic Youth Organization spent this morning (Saturday) cleaning out the second floor of what will become the Neighbor to Neighbor center in downtown Concordia.
The teens from the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church group hauled out load after load of trash and plastic, carrying much of it down the fire escape at the rear of the building.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia purchased the two-story century-old building this spring, and will renovate the entire structure before it opens as Neighbor to Neighbor, probably early in 2010.
And while maintenance employees from the Motherhouse have done some cleanup already, this was the first big volunteer effort to get the building ready for remodeling, said Renn Allsman, the sisters’ maintenance supervisor who was on end as the teens worked Saturday morning.
Greg Gallagher, facilities administrator for the sisters, said the renovation will include repairing old water damage throughout the building, and then installing new plumbing and fixtures throughout, plus new sheetrock, dropped ceilings, carpet, other flooring, lighting and paint. Many of the windows will be replaced as part of the restoration, and the front entrance will be modified to be handicap accessible.
Taylor Chrisco laughs as she helps dump a wheelbarrow full of plaster pieces down a chute to the Dumpster below.
Neighbor to Neighbor will provide a wide array of services for women and for women with young children and be a resource center to help them find other services they need, said Sister Pat McLennon, one of the drivers of the project.
Services offered will likely include nutrition and parenting classes, workshops on healthy living, personal counseling and information on what help is available through other agencies. The center will also have small facilities to meet what Sister Pat described as “basic needs” — showers, at least two washers and dryers and a kitchen.
In the coming months, the sisters will seek grants and gifts to fund the renovation of the building, which is in good structural condition despite its need for extensive cleanup and remodeling to meet the sisters’ needs.
If you’d like to help support Neighbor to Neighbor or any of the sisters’ other ministries, you can make a donation through a secure server with Amazon Simple Pay, simply by clicking on the Donate button:
Two members of the CYO volunteer work crew check how much more room is available in the huge Dumpster at the bottom of the fire escape.
Longtime CYO leader Mary Beth Smith, wearing a mask to protect herself against the plastic dust, throws more trash in the Dumpster at the bottom of the fire escape.
Four of the volunteers carry a trash-filled box down the fire escape at the rear of the two-story building.
As the morning wears on, it seems as though the trash to be hauled never ends.
