Greater Barrington
Two elderly widows requested help with their home and yard cleanup through the Barrington Council for Aging. They each have over one-acre lots and they live next door to each other.
On the day of the serve we had 22 adults and 16 kids; 14 families in total! And we needed everyone that showed up. People were everywhere, in the yards, on the roofs, even beneath the shrubs.
One volunteer had a broken shoulder, but wanted to participate. She became the errand runner and supply getter. We had another woman with back problems. She drove the lawn mower the whole time while her husband bagged leaves.
Many families stayed beyond their committed time. Everyone was thoroughly immersed in serving and the children had a blast. All day it looked like a storm was going to start. Finally, it did, but not until we were finished with all the work.
We called this the "Grace Lane Project” for two reasons. One, because the property addresses are on Grace Lane. Secondly, for the way God’s grace touched all of us on this project -- the elderly and the volunteers. He was in total control that day. He brought the people we needed, filled their hearts to serve, and even held up the rain.
Cynthia Clement