Since we did not have small group tonight, I arrived home with earlier than usual and had a couple of daylight still remaining. Our adopted lot had become scraggly and I decided to run the mower over it to tidy it up. Ellen did her usual litter patrol to clear the lot ahead of the lawn mower. In the meantime, the manager of the apartment building across the street(an Ethiopian young man who is the son of the owner of the building and whose mother is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University) and his maintenance guy, Jose, were hauling some furniture and an old refrigerator out of the building. After I was done with the lot and returned to RHHP, he began, unbidden, to use his leaf blower to clear the grass clippings off the sidewalk. Yeah, it's a small gesture but a fine one nevertheless. I am very encouraged to know that one more person believes that our block is worth investing in.
Ellen and I received an email from an activist in Reservoir Hill inviting us to participate in two projects down the block on Whitelock. One project is to make raised beds in the Whitelock Community Farm. The other is to help with the landscaping on the lot across from the farm to convert it into a multi-purpose community space for recreational uses and community events such as a farmer's market or outdoor performances. This latter project is funded by a Healthy Neighborhoods Capital grant. I am grateful that there are people in our community with the skills and energy to write the proposals and do the organizing. Oh, I think I will help with the landscaping since I do enough gardening at home.
A ministry of the North Baltimore Mennonite Church and the Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA
The mission of RHHP..
The mission of RHHP is to provide a Christian community setting where persons of various cultures learn from each other, the surrounding neighborhood, and life in Baltimore city. We believe that people's lives are blessed by being part of faith communities.
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