SU0002304 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

mR11kELIGION Church reaches ;out to neighbors Calvary Bible makes commitment to help eastside residents By Lan-Chen Pao News-Sentinel staff writer A church with red awnings and a fresh layer of white paint dominates Lauri Delgado's neigh- X - borhood in more ways than just its size. z On Wednesdays and Sundays, the streets leading up to Calvary - Bible Church, at the intersection - of Hilborn and Garfield streets, fill up with cars and the noise level goes up. But the recent renovation of a once dilapidated church building has also been contagious. One af- ter another, almost all of the houses on the block, in addition to neighboring churches, have ; been repainted. : ` "You can't attribute every- thing very thing to them," said Delgado, as two children play with colored chalk on her sidewalk. "But they Church members of Calvary Bible Church gather for a group photo in front of the building they all have been a positive influence." helped renovate. The structure's makeover has Indirectly affected the neigbhorhood, prompting sur- At a time when efforts to re- rounding residents to repaint their homes. store the eastern part of town have received widespread publici- "The concept is W build rela- makers came out of the wood- cater a Thanksgiving dinner for ty, members of Calvary Bible tionnhips. We knocked on 150 work to refurbish the building for local residents last year. Expect- have been quietly trying to build doors and 'invited people 'to . an additional$150,000. ing a large turnout at the church, bridges to their eastside neigh- lunch,"said Bowman. "That's an old Texaco sign,' the trickle of residents who actu- bors for the past 1$months. Formed three years ago, Cal- said associate pastor Chris Seib- ally came was disappointing. "I don't know much about vary Bible was housed in the ert, pointing proudly at the Members then decided to ap- their programs, but I've certainly Spanish Seventh Day Adventist "Calvary Bible Church" sign by proach eastside families on their been impressed with their will- Church, also in the eastern part the building. The sign was recy- own' and ask if they wanted ingness to help clean up the of town, before it moved to its cled for the church and repainted Thanksgiving meals. neighborhood,"said Virginia Sny- current location. The renovated by church members. "We served 250 meals that der, pioneering member of the re- building, constructed in 1905, The move has not been with- night," said Bowman. "It's some- cently-formed Eastside Improve- was purchased for$205,000, out its hurdles, times a little awkward for people, mentCommittee. The decision to stay on the According to Bowman, limited but you have to start some- After getting wind of the com- Eastside is considered atypical parking space around the church where." mittee, church members ap- for churches as they follow has meant that cars have to be Their efforts are even winning proached Snyder about providing church members out to the west- parked throughout the neighbor- over skeptics like Frances Daley, volunteers for an eastside ern part of town. Most churches hood. So far, no residents have a 10-year resident of the block. cleanup effort. in the past were built as neigh- complained about the barrage of Over the past year and a half, So far, the group has tried to borhood rather than commuter traffic on Sunday. she's noticed the clean-up efforts, reach out through the children of churches. There were also concerns even a transformation in a neigh- the neighborhood with Sunday "Cost was a consideration." about safety. The church has borhood pre-teen since he started school activities, a free Thanks- said the pastor, Randy Bowman, been vandalized twice and a attending Calvary Bible Sunday giving dinner. and block parties. of the church's decision to pur- homeless person was recently schools. . Calvary has invited the whole chase an Eastside building. found sleeping under the church's "He was kinda' hyper before, neighborhood to its Memorial Once to decision was made wheelchair ramp. but now I've noticed a real Day block party. dubbed "Friend however, church members But for the most part, the posi- change in him," said Haley. "I Day." The Sunday event will in- banded together to renovate the tives have outweighed the obsta- don't believe in organized reli- cludc: an outdoor .barbecue and building. Resident architKts; La- cles, gion, but they've been a pretty concert. ble. tir�ishipg-,q; pgrtA, 'e'Ve'n' coign Bowman.recalled.deciding to poilitive influence."