Lay of the land and beginning work projects.

As a result of several minor delays, we ended up getting to our hotel about 2 hours after we originally expected. This meant our crew only had time to unload the bus, find our rooms, and get some sleep to prepare for our work day, which would come very early the next morning!

This morning, we woke up at least somewhat rested, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast before loading the bus to head to the Cass work sites. Rev. Sue Pethoud, the Cass Church and Community Relations Liaison met our crew and shared some of the history of the area.

Some interesting things she pointed out included that the downturn in the community began nearly 100 years ago, in the 1920's! In response to social and economic changes in their community, Cass Community United Methodist Church has continued to respond by keeping their neighborhood and its people as their reason for being.

This led to the creation of Cass Community Social Services as a separate entity from Cass Community United Methodist Church in 1995. Since the early 2000's, when they had only 3 buildings, they have grown to include 11 buildings, and coordinate over 6,500 volunteers each year. Everything they do is designed around rebuilding the neighborhood and bringing a sense of community to the people they serve.

You can read more about their long and dynamic history here:

https://cassumc.com/history/

Our team broke for lunch, and shared the food line with Cass' clients in their cafeteria. Our menu consisted of BBQ chicken, baked beans, mac and cheese, tomatoes, coleslaw, corn on the cob, potato salad, and a green salad. What a feast!

This afternoon, we are returning to our work sites, to continue helping Cass help their neighbors.

In anticipation of our next posting, we will compile all the wonderfully graphic tales from all our work crews.

Come back for more mission insights!