The need was there, a family in the fellowship at Pleasant Grove in need of a wheelchair ramp. The desire to help was there as well, our Brotherhood Director, Charlie Culp had been asking for projects for two years. The problem was this project was a little different, there were design issues and we had never built a wheelchair ramp before. So, the need went unmet for several months.
Meanwhile, men from our Brotherhood and First Baptist Church of Ellijay’s mission team were working with other groups to get a singlewide remodeled for New Beginnings for Gilmer County to use in the new transitional housing ministry. During a planning session for New Beginnings, Don Reil from First Baptist mentioned his mission team had just completed their fifteenth wheelchair ramp. When the conversation turned to the need at Pleasant Grove, Don’s instant response was, “we can help with that”.
After a joint site visit for measurements, Don did the preparation, picking up the lumber and even precutting the boards in his shop. A date was set for a Monday morning assembly. Don planned to bring two experienced workers from First Baptist and Charlie recruited three men from Pleasant Grove. The day was overcast, with rain anticipated before lunch; but shortly after 11:00, First Baptist had wheelchair ramp number sixteen in the history books and Pleasant Grove had completed their first.
The next Brotherhood breakfasts will be on Saturday, May 30th and June 27th at the Davis House and plans are underway now for projects around the church during the church wide Vacation Bible School beginning July12th. All Pleasant Grove men should make plans now to attend both the breakfast and VBS.