Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
The credo is posted alongside Maple Valley Highway at the entryway to Maple Valley Food Bank. On September 10, 15 members from Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church shared similar philosophy, “God’s Work. Our Hands. Together.”, as they painted barrels, painted the Food Bank lobby and breezeway, and then brushed up the slider door and conquered bay walls.
The painting upgrade came as an annual tradition of the church’s synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). ‘Day of Service’ encourages congregations to get out into the community and serve.
Photo by D’Ann Tedford
The painting project came at the suggestion of Food Bank executive director, Dan Lancaster, who said painting at their facility is not a project that can be accomplished during the regular work week due to their usual traffic of customers, clients and staff. So, donning grubs and their bright gold shirts the SVLC crew worked tediously, but quickly, in a timeslot tucked between their morning worship service and the Seahawks first game of the season.
A second ELCA church, Messiah Lutheran in Auburn, also had a team of 15 who adopted a Maple Valley project. Again, a 15-member group was dressed in ELCA’s gold colored ”God’s Hands” shirts. Their project consisted of summer grounds keeping and landscape repair at Vine Maple Place on SE 216th. VMP addresses complex issues of family homelessness by providing a safe place and housing. Messiah Lutheran also had a contingent of workers assisting and upgrading with chores at VMP’s housing facility on Witte Road at Wilderness Village Apartments.
