 |
 |
 |
Stone-by-Stone Project
Once there lived a simple man
by the name of Francis of Assisi.
He spent his days feeding the hungry
and cleansing the wounds of lepers.
One day, while praying
in the tiny chapel of
San Damiano,
he heard a voice call to him,
"Francis, go, rebuild my house,
which as you can see
is falling into ruin."
|
|
|
And so Francis did.
Stone by stone,
he began repairing the walls
of this forgotten chapel.
His labors and outpouring love
for the poor attracted
a band of followers.
And together,
- stone by stone
- they began rebuilding
the walls of the whole Church,
bringing to life God's love
and care to the world.
|
Some eight hundred years later, Franciscan Friars of the
Sacred Heart Province and
of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America
are continuing to heed
this call to serve the poor
and marginalized.
|
|
A Bit of our History ...
January of 2000 brought the launching of the Franciscan Connection’s most unique outreach endeavor, the Stone-by-Stone Project. Through it, staff and volunteers have been able to provide emergency repairs in the homes of 50+ low-income families each year.
Most repairs are small, costing $300 or less and averaging 2-3 days per project.
Here is a quick sample of repairs completed over the past year:
• Replaced rotted porch railings and stairs |
• Installed a raised toilet and grab bars
in a bathroom |
• Cleaned out raingutters and secured
downspouts |
• Unclogged kitchen sinks, toilets, and floor drains |
| • Fixed broken window panes |
• Insulated a bare attic |
• Painted bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens,
porches, gables, and windows |
• Installed ceiling fans, porch lights, smoke
alarms, extra receptacles & stairwell lights |
• Removed oversized fuses & protected
exposed wires |
• Mounted new tub surrounds & wall panels |
| • Patched & tiled kitchen floors |
• Trimmed hedges and dead tree limbs |
• Created a bedroom in an unfinished
basement |
• Picked up litter from surrounding vacant lots |
Wherever possible, the families become directly involved in the repairs themselves. This may include anything from simply handing up tools and holding the ladder to hammering nails and painting walls. This personal involvement empowers families to learn valuable skills that will enable them to maintain their own home more effectively in the future. Residents know exactly what repairs were needed and how they were completed. This time spent together also gives the project staff and volunteers an opportunity to talk more informally with our clients, learning about their families, their experiences, their hopes and their dreams.
For many residents, especially lonely seniors, this personal interaction and sense of community can be just as meaningful as the actual repairs. At the same time, getting involved with learning tool safety and trying out repair techniques engenders an experience of ownership and self-determination among individuals who often feel victimized or helpless.
Each year, the Franciscan Connection involves a host of volunteers. School groups and churches often organize service days with our project staff. Individual retirees pitch in on our weekday repair endeavors. Meanwhile, professionals in the trades have helped as consultants on our new Contractors’ Committee or have even “adopted” individual projects that our staff could not do alone: rewiring a basement, fixing a furnace, replacing an entire home’s water supply and drain lines.
This “hands-on” ministry fits right into our call as Franciscans to go out and “rebuild my house.”
Instead of just fixing up a home, we are actually building up a community.
to learn more ways to get involved.
|
 |
