Presbyterian church collaborative cleans up Jefferson Township
JEFFERSON TWP — After looking for ways to unite members of six churches that are part of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery group, about 30 people from those churches found themselves cleaning yards and homes Saturday morning, Oct. 3.
The initiative by the Saxonburg Area Presbyterian Collaborative, which comprises Buffalo, Clinton, Glade Run, Jefferson Center, Saxonburg Memorial and Westminster churches, has had two volunteer days per year for two years now. Joyce Hamilton, a volunteer with Saxonburg Area Presbyterian Collaborative, said one of the goals of the group is to complete tasks elderly people may have a hard time with, to help them continue living in their homes.
Hamilton’s Saturday was spent mainly at the home of Dorothy Ringer, a 95-year-old from Jefferson Township, whose yard got weeded and a brush-trimming treatment from three people from the collaborative. According to Hamilton, the people chosen to receive help are all known by members of the collaborative, but are not necessarily part of the Presbyterian Church.
“Most of the time it’s for members of our churches, but sometimes it’s someone who a member knows needs the help,” she said. “A lot of older people are trying to stay in their homes.”
Ringer said Saturday was just the latest time people came from the Presbyterian churches to help her. She said “they just showed up“ at her door one day and offered to take care of some chores. Hamilton commented that one of the main services she and her colleagues provided Saturday was changing the batteries in her smoke detectors, which would have been difficult for Ringer to do herself.
Ringer said the aid from the church volunteers was “wonderful.”
“They see what needs done and they do it,” she said. “They’re always so kind and respectful of my age. I feel so lucky.”
Dianna Crites, a volunteer with the Saxonburg Area Presbyterian Collaborative, worked at another Jefferson Township yard Saturday, with three other volunteers from the churches, one of whom was the pastor of two of the churches, Kelley Angleberger. Crites said that although they would spend about four hours of their Saturday working, it felt like the volunteers were the ones receiving.
“Everyone is so appreciative,” she said. “It’s like they’re the ones giving to us.”
