2008 Summer-Fall Newsletter
A Renewed Perspective on Cornerstone
This photo, taken from inside the newly rehabbed 5925 A Etzel Avenue, shows how light has been restored to one more building in the neighborhood.
For many years this building stood as a blighted board-up property on the eastern edge of the block. When Cornerstone first inspected the building, we discovered mounds of trash and debris covering the floors, pillaged plumbing pipes, broken or missing windows, termite-devoured floor joists, and the pervasive smell of smoke-stained, charred walls. The years of neglect and abuse compounded the already challenging efforts to rehabilitate this home.
With each replacement board hammered into place and with each brush stroke of pale linen painted on the walls, Cornerstone began the long, and oftentimes, frustrating process of restoring four new homes for families in need. We are now delighted to announce that God in his mercy has established this work by providing all that was needed. Cornerstone welcomed its newest families at the beginning of July.
Thanks to Our Friends
Once again Cornerstone would like to recognize all the volunteers who gave so generously of their time and effort to see our big project through to completion. In the picture above, our friends from Perimeter Church in Atlanta, GA, pause for a brief photo op after a sweltering summer day of constructing a playground. In fact, this particular youth group sent a crew last summer to begin the early demolition work for our project.
When the group arrived in St. Louis this summer, they were able to build on what their friends had started. This crew, along with a dedicated host of others from as far away as Maine, labored valiantly in the messy work of restoration. We are grateful for these and all of our friends who labored with us this past year.
We would particularly like to say thank you to our friends at Chesterfield Presbyterian for showing up each third Saturday of the month throughout the duration of the project. We are greatly encouraged by the partnership in the gospel that we experienced with you as we replaced joists and hung drywall. It is finished! Hallelujah!
Our Newest Playground
The kids at Cornerstone now have a new place to play. The children pictured above are some of the first to slide and climb on the playground that we received this past year.
Due to a generous contribution from a donor in St. Louis, Cornerstone was able to install this playground behind the 5925-27 Etzel Avenue building. While the installation process involved a bit of creative engineering, we are certainly glad to have a new place for our children to play. We hope that the addition of this new playground fosters a greater sense of community for our families as parents have the opportunity to mingle while their children play.
Celebrating Our Newest Addition
On June 21, the Cornerstone board, families, and friends gathered to celebrate the completion of our newest building, 5925-27 Etzel Avenue.
We marked the event by hosting a community barbecue. In the picture above, Cornerstone manager, Matt Kimbrell, talks with a representative from St. Michael’s Houses, an outreach ministry of the Church of St. Michael and St. George which seeks to provide equity funding for low-income families in need of housing. As you may recall, St. Michael’s Houses partnered with Cornerstone by providing generous funding for the work at 5925-27 Etzel. We were also glad to have our friends from Chesterfield Presbyterian join us this day in celebrating God’s provision throughout the past year.
How can you give to Cornerstone Corporation? Send your tax deductible donation to our office: 6030 Etzel, St. Louis, MO,63112 or call us at 314.726.2273.
Cathajane Rieger, President; Dana Malkus, Vice-President; Jon Easterling,, Treasurer; Beth Kimbrell, Secretary; Phyllis Wheeler, David Patrick, Board Members; Matthew Kimbrell, Tenant Relations Manager
www.Cornerstone-Housing-Ministry.org