2011 Fall Newsletter
Many Hands Make Light Work
Given its stated purpose of providing good housing for below-market monthly rent, and its on-going effort to spruce up its properties, Cornerstone Corporation always welcomes volunteer labor in the form of teams who assemble for work-days on our behalf.
We would like to thank sincerely, in this space, the gracious help provided on November 12 by a small but spirited group from the Korean Presbyterian Church.
Richard Lammers, the independent contractor charged with overseeing most daily maintenance for Cornerstone, gave the team its marching orders and kept it on-task; also lending helping hands were Josh Dodson, Cornerstone’s Managing Director, and Jennifer Fancher, a friend of the Corporation from Grace and Peace Fellowship. In the course of a day’s work, the crew raked leaves, did some landscaping work, and toiled to replace a retaining wall of rotted railroad ties.
We always have tasks to accomplish and we invite anyone, skilled craftspeople and cheerful laborers alike, to come along as a crew on one of these workdays. Among other renovations facing us in the near future is a roof that needs replacement; if we can assemble a group to tear the old roof off, we can save a great deal of the cost of replacement.
So, whether you like the idea of roofing or raking, painting or planting, we can probably find something for you and your group to do; in any case, we shall be most grateful for the donation of time, skill, and strength. To find out more, or to arrange for a work-day for your group, please call Josh Dodson at 314.726.2273, or send an email to cstone_stl@sbcglobal.net. Thanks to the workers from the Korean Presbyterian Church, and to future word-day participants, for truly becoming “repairers of broken walls, and restorers of houses in ruins.”
Networking in Indianapolis
Cornerstone’s Managing Director Josh Dodson has recently returned from attending the national meeting of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). Its annual conference, held this year in Indianapolis, Indiana, brought more than three thousand folks in Christian community organizations, from around the country and the across the globe. Josh was able to attend the conference thanks to a generous grant from the Longbrake Family Foundation, to which both Josh, and the entire Corporation, wish to express heartfelt thanks for its generosity.
Josh reports that, while he was attending the conference, “I was blessed to sit under and learn from a handful of experienced groups who are carrying out various forms of affordable housing around the United States. Many of them were small in size for some time before expanding into the larger organizations they are today.”
Josh felt much encourgement in hearing stories of fruitful expansion in organizations like ours; at the same time, being reminded of God’s redemptive work in communities around the world also challenged Josh to have bigger dreams for Cornerstone’s own future. Josh ended his report on the conference thus: “So often I can focus solely on the enormity of the need of housing here and the task in front of me. It is easy for me to lose sight of the work God is doing, especially when things are difficult. Yet, being surrounded by so many brothers and sisters in the faith, who testified at CCDA to the faithfulness of God’s commitment to his purposes and to his unwavering character, left me blessed.”
Building Update: 5936-38 Etzel
Cornerstone Corporation’s Building Committee has been meeting monthly and working hard at behind-the-scenes work in preparation for renovation of our newest property into efficiency apartments on the bottom floor and a one-family unit on the second floor. We are working with a project manager who has been assisting us in establishing a working budget for the cost of rehabilitation. In addition, we are drawing up proposals for two grants so as to secure the funding we need to commence work on the building. Watch this space for further updates on this exciting project.
Cornerstone Prayer Requests
❖ Pray for Josh Dodson’s transition to full-time Managing Director–and join us in thanking God for him.
❖ Pray that the foundations will see fit to provide the grants for which we applying.
❖ Pray for our tenants, especially those struggling in the present economy.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Cornerstone Corporation!
