Joining In…
For decades our community has been plagued with litter, illegal dumping, overgrown abandoned lots, and houses in disrepair. At some point, our neighbors came under the illusion that this was an okay way to live, that this is what their neighborhood deserved to look like, what their kids deserved to grow up in. The ones who cared felt powerless, felt alone, felt like they couldn’t keep up and one by one they resigned, moved out of the neighborhood or just stopped trying. It can make it difficult on our team, while we try to promote excellence and represent the beauty of the Kingdom of Heaven, it can feel like no matter how much you clean up, you can return to a new pile of trash the next morning. So what do you do?
What we have done is invite teams from afar over the past ten years. Teams from all over the country, churches, workplaces, schools. People who are encouraged by the mission of Love City and want to support in whatever small way they can. And this is biblical. In Isaiah it says that the “foreigners will come to help restore the land”. People from outside of this part of the Kingdom will enter in and help. But there is also an expectation that the people inside the community will help to restore the land. We see Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah all called to restore pieces of Jerusalem, to help restore the Kingdom of God on earth. They were called to empower the Israelites to help fix their own land.
Volunteers mulching the flower bed in front of the school
This week we had groups from northern Ohio who came alongside us and helped us with projects. Helping clean up the alleys around the school and greenhouse, re-mulch the flower beds, clean up the sidewalks. High school students, used to a very different lifestyle, who just want to come and see what we do, how we do things, how we show Jesus through Love. Always excited to help out in whatever way they can, however they can show Love to our community. It is always a blessing to us and our neighborhood when they come to support us.
While we love the encouragement volunteer groups bring to us, the outside perspective, the curiosity they bring; it can also be frustrating to look at the list of things we would love help getting done, knowing that we could not possibly do them all with a group in a short time, and knowing that our neighbors could be stepping up to help with these same projects. Frustrating to see the generational indifference and apathy towards what our neighborhood looks like, what the streets our kids play on look like, what the abandoned lots next door look like. The feeling that many of our neighbors have conveyed to us that, in their eyes, these are things that somebody else will take care of at some point.
It is a feeling we are trying to change in our Mighty Oak families. A neighborhood pride that we are trying to instill in our students. A problem solving mindset to help prevent these persistent issues that have plagued our community for generations. It is not a change we will see overnight. Maybe not for many years. But it is one that we truly believe will come, where we believe they will join in with us. And I can assure you there will be tears in my eyes the first time that a former student calls to ask if they can use our dumpster because there is a mess in the alley by their house that they have decided is time to be cleaned up.
Ethan Essex
Support Love City!!
If you are looking for a great way to show Love City some support, come out to the first annual crawfish boil at Lou Lou in Middletown. Enjoy live music and all you can eat crawfish boil for $30 a person. This is taking place THIS Saturday, June 28th from 12-5pm. Part of proceeds go to Love City!! Hope to see you there.
Merriment Moving!!!
Merriment will be closed for the time being while we move to the Saint Cecilia Campus. If you would still like to make a donation, please call (502) 930-9006 to arrange a time to drop off.
Fish Fry Open!!!
The Fish Fry is open!! Stop in for a fish sandwich or some churched up tots. Whether you’re in the mood for burgers or chicken tenders, we have them here.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.