Partnerships Make It Possible

Increasingly aware of the struggle of many area residents to acquire necessary goods and services for their families, and with declining participation in church activities, congregations came together in 1969 to form a church cooperative parish focused on creating new opportunities for the future.

From the onset the cooperative sought to identify suitable partners committed to improving the quality of life for area people, to identify and develop new resources, and to expand visions to include a global perspective. The congregations rekindled their traditional Methodist focus in caring for whole persons - not neglecting the spiritual but attending to physical, mental, emotional and social needs as well.

The cooperative has always been advocates for quality of life issues related to area people. In partnership with rural health initiatives, a network of nurse practitioner clinics emerged. In partnership with the two Councils of Aging serving Dekalb and Jackson Counties, rural nutrition sites and transportation services were initiated. In partnership with local vocational agriculture classes in high schools, a series of solar workshops was created that drew funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and gained national recognition with an Innovative energy Award in 1984. Solar construction workshops involved local high school students in leading persons from across the Southeastern USA in constructing over 350 solar water heaters, greenhouses, collector panels and food dehydrators.

As changes have occurred and county agencies have acquired resources to develop services, the parish has focused its efforts and resources in other areas. One of the primary resources of the parish is its numerous partners in churches, government, businesses, health care providers, education, civic and other nonprofit organizations and foundations.

However, the most valuable resource the parish has is in its multitude of local and distant volunteers. Annually, hundreds of people from the service area are joined by people from across the USA to develop and offer needed services.

The parish is committed to leadership development and training both to strengthen its member congregations and for community service. The parish offers a variety of services to children, youth and the aging, Outreach "Bible School" type programs are held weekly during summer months in a local trailer park and in a housing area developed by the parish. Community forums are offered on subjects of interest to area people. Forums may focus on health issues, economic development, tax reform, etc.

Jointly, the congregations offer outdoor concerts, Rural Life Celebrations, Children's Sabbath festivities, music and drama productions.

Annually, the parish provides basic care to nearly 3000 families with 7500 people (4 l% children). These services include food, clothing, housing, transportation, medical and educational supplies.

The parish presently operates two "Better Way Shoppes" that provide employment while offering a wide variety of items - clothing, furniture, home decorative items, toys, books, building supplies - for sale. The parish partners with the TARCOG (Top of Alabama Council of Governments) for trainees in its Senior Adult employment project

Following years of basic home renovation, twenty years ago, the parish initiated its "Heart and Hand" Housing project to provide "rent-to-own", passive solar, energy efficient houses to area people otherwise never able to own a home.

With sponsor churches, like Huffman and Canterbury in Birmingham, Holmes Street UMC in Huntsville and Roberts Park UMC in Indianapolis, Indiana, the parish has completed 40 homes with over 100 children moving into them with their families. The project has received numerous donations of labor, services, and materials. Donors include Sterling Group Plumbing, Vulcan Materials, Virgil Berry Construction, Co., etc.

During the past four years, the parish has moved beyond its wildest dreams in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Economic Development Two capacity building grants for Rural Economic Development and Housing and an Innovative Construction grant have enabled the parish to construct a new Rural Community Development and Service Center. Aside from office space, the facility contains a community storm saferoom to accommodate 200-250 local residents during stormy weather; the new Better Way Shoppe and sorting center; the Better Way Cannery and warehouse space. The center plans to expand its services to include a computer center for local people; a nursing/health care focus and dinner theatre.

The Better Way Cannery along with a gardening and "gleaning" program, offers seed and fertilizer for gardening to 400-450 area low and fIxed income families yearly. The cannery provides training while involving 200 or more volunteers annually in canning soups and vegetables for non-profit urban soup kitchens and homeless feed programs across Alabama. The "gleaning" (a Biblical Old Testament teim for "reclaiming food" that would otherwise be wasted, for the benefit of the poor) project has harvested and offered over 10 million pounds of fresh vegetables to Alabama non-profit for Alabama families in need.

Thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture "Community Food Security" grant, the parish developed and continues to market green tomato jams, relishes, pickles, chutney, etc. The products were featured in a Southern Living article in July 2001.

The parish values the diversity of gifts that people from all cultures, races, religions, "walks of life" bring and contribute to build and sustain healthy communities.

Parish member United Methodist Churches are: Chaney's Chapel, Dutton, Ider, Forest Hill, Flat Rock, Lusk Chapel, King's Chapel, Robertson Chapel, Section and Wesley's Chapel. Its director and wife Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Dorsey H. Walker have provided leadership for the past 30 years. For the parish, "Partnerships Make Possible the Impossible!"