Toppa Joppa Times                            October 2015

Joe Grosek
After a very successful summer, the Glenmary Volunteer program has moved into Fall with a full plate of mission opportunities in Grainger and Union County.

Here's my current Mountain Wish List. Let me know if you can help us meet any of these needs. Your assistance would be most appreciated!
  1. A new riding mower
  2. Prayers for the mission and ministry of the Glenmary volunteers on Joppa Mountain
  3. A trailer to haul construction materials
  4. Educational or craft materials for Camp Fiesta
  5. Prayers for the many we serve
  6. Any construction materials, paint, lumber, nails or tools
  7. Groups or individuals to join us in our work in November, December and February (Tennessee is so very nice during these months!)
  8. Groups or individuals to join us in our work in the Summer of 2016
  9. Funds for the many in need in Union and Grainger counties
  10. Individuals interested in serving for more than a week
  11. Funds to start construction of a third building that will help house an increased number of volunteers at the Toppa Joppa site
Glenmary Volunteer Director 

Welcome Back Mark Dumond! 
After taking a two month sabbatical, Mark Dumond has returned to work with us during this school season on Toppa Joppa. Mark, who is a graduate of Fordham, holds degrees in both History and Music.  He has some major skills in demolition and did a great amount of work on the recycled house at Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center. He is a most welcome addition to the team of Emelia Gleber and Donna Turchi on the Mountain.

Summer 2016 Invite Letter and Application now available   
The dates for groups of volunteers are set for Summer 2016. The Glenmary Volunteers on Joppa Mountain will be accepting groups for June 4-11, June 18-25, July 9-16, and July 23-30, 2016. The dates for Homebuilding for families in need, Kingswood, Food Pantry, and Nursing Home service are June 26-July 2, July 17-23, August 7-13 and August 14-20. For next summer we are planning on extending the hours for Camp Fiesta and changing the format to make it more exciting for those participants and the volunteers.

Serving Those Most in Need: Construction Site Updates  
In the past few months both our long term mountain managers and short term volunteers have completed the following construction projects:  
  • Built a porch, sealed a roof, wired, fixed plumbing, cut firewood, replaced five windows, tore out and replaced two floors, installed two doors, replaced rotting wood, installed carpet for a woman who was living in a trailer without water or electricity. We also fixed a leaking roof, falling floors, and broken windows.
  • Completed stairs, fixed plumbing, patched holes in the wall, improved a deck, installed skirting, fixed holes in the floor, and installed a door for some local Catholics to allow a safer place for them to live in with their two young sons.
  • Stained a cabin, painted a house, repaired easement windows, buttressed walls on a house for a couple of shut-in Catholics, and other odd jobs in the community for families and individuals in need.
  • Currently we have six jobs on the Construction queue ranging from installing new windows, fixing plumbing, replacing a roof, chinking a trailer and a ton of insulation work before winter that we put off because of the summer heat. We have more mission work to do and we would love to have you join us this Fall, Winter, and Spring to serve those most in need. This work is supported by the generosity of many individuals who believe in serving the poorest of the poor in Grainger and Union Counties.

New Volunteer Housing Planned for Toppa Joppa in 2015-16  
Things at Toppa Joppa are moving quickly these last few years and the Glenmary Home Missioners have decided to construct a new building on Toppa Joppa to allow more people to join us in the mission work of Glenmary. It was decided to build a double-walled passive house using advanced framing techniques with both passive and active solar power at Toppa Joppa in 2015-2016. This will give us more space for volunteers, which will allow us to take larger groups and to take groups more frequently as well as caring for the environment. Expect to hear more about this exciting new building project and opportunities for you to join us in the expansion of the Glenmary Volunteers on Joppa Mountain.

Many Thanks to Volunteer Groups
Finally, our sincere thanks to those who have volunteered with us during the months of July and August: Saint Maria Gorretti Catholic Youth Ministry out of Fort Branch IN.; St. Agnes Catholic Church Youth Ministry out of Freeland, MI.; St. Peter the Apostle Church out of River Edge NJ.; Central Catholic High School out of Lafayette, IN.; St. Anne Catholic Community out of Barrington, IL.; Saint Mary's Parish out of Solon IA.;  and Holy Spirit Cluster out of Iowa. 
 
We are still looking for groups or individuals to join us for the 2015-2016 school schedule. We have openings in November and December 2015 and February 2016.

Glenmary Group Volunteer Program on the Web


Stay in touch with the Glenmary Group Volunteer Program at a variety of social networking venues: 
  
   

Glenmary Home Missioners  

P.O. Box 465618

Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

800.935.0975

www.glenmary.org  

volunteer@glenmary.org  

 

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