Project Profile for Mission Next Door

Mission Next Door, is a charitable association of volunteers from six churches in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Our mission is to provide Christian stewardship in the form of free home repair and maintenance for area residents who are financially or physically unable to provide some aspects of this service for themselves. The project originated as an offshoot of a highly successful group effort by our Missions Committee in November of 2007 to assist a New Providence Church member who lived under our collective noses and whose home and living conditions were substantially improved by a collective effort of members from multiple churches in our area. Over 300 volunteer hours were provided during 5 work days by a total 85 volunteers who joined this enjoyable and constructive project. The project felt good and produced major benefits to the house, the homeowner, and the workers involved. It convinced us that we could accomplish a lot in our own neighborhoods by focusing our collective resources on problems and needs that exist among local residents who need our help.

The Churches involved are:
  • Bethesda Presbyterian
  • Mt. Carmel Presbyterian
  • New Providence Presbyterian
  • Ashbury Methodist
  • Timber Ridge Presbyterian
  • Fairfield Presbyterian.

MND resources are charitable donations and funds raised to help others and Christian faith in the need and capacity to provide that help.

Services We Provide:

We typically provide minor to moderate repairs to existing homes that involve carpentry, roofing, and / or plumbing. We may provide minor repairs to electrical and heating and cooling systems, but will typically call on professional expertise for work in this area when needs are more complex. We have been assisted substantially in our efforts by Spencer’s Home Center, which provides materials to us at a significant discount and by other area service providers, who have provided professional services at reduced rates to assist our efforts. At present, these include Rockbridge Farmers Cooperative, Roscher Electric and MidValley Electrical. We greatly appreciate this cooperation.

Our Work Force:

We are a totally volunteer workforce. We have developed "Skill and Will" survey forms (on file)) to evaluate the level of expertise among member volunteers of our participating churches.

How We Are Organized?

We operate with a central planning and reporting body comprised of representatives of participating churches and work teams organized around team captains. Their role is to track progress, budgets, and completed and potential tasks and report back to respective churches.
The MND Planning team is currently comprised of

  • Roberta Fauber (NP and Chair, 540.261.1975)
  • Sandy McLaughlin(NP 540.348.4342)
  • Sue Glenn (NP 540.348.5656)
  • Kenny Mohler (Bethesda 540.348.5210)
  • Linda Baumann (Bethesda 540.348.5510)
  • Wistie Job (Bethesda 540.348.5880)
  • Jerry Close (Fairfield, 540.463.4434)
  • Bonnie Wilson (Fairfield 540.377.2980)
  • Martha Earhart (Mt. Carmel 540.377.2660)
  • Dale Earhart (Mt. Carmel 540.377.5011)
  • Mike Henry(Timber Ridge 540.377.2756)
  • Marc Gingerelli (Timber Ridge 540.383.7035)
  • Marty Rockett (Oxford 540.463.1950)
  • Betty Brown (Asbury, 540.348.5019).

Work is performed by work teams typically organized around church affiliations, locations, and skill levels of team members. The teams are led by captains who serve as points of contact and are responsible for helping their members organize to address work projects. Teams frequently combine resources when larger jobs are undertaken, and some of the most enjoyable projects have involved multichurch work teams.

Our Budget:

We began the 2010 year with an accumulated cash reserve of about $15,000 to meet future expenses for materials and skilled professional services.

Projects On Which We Work:

With the help of TAP (Total Action Against Poverty), Habitat for Humanity, and local referrals we identify a list of potential new projects each spring and work from this list until late Fall. The attached list of work projects and smaller and more diverse Helping Hands projects is included to summarize the nature and progress of work on these projects during 2009 . (See link to Mission Next Door Progress in 2009)

Acknowledgements:

We wish to thank the following organizations for contributing financially or through discounted costs to Mission Next Door. Spencers Home Center, Roscher Electric, Washington and Lee Community Grants Program, Clark Guttering, Mid- Valley Electric, Adam Sichol Plumbing, Jim's True Value Hardware, and Lowes Home Center.

Mission Next Door Progress in 2009
2009 Mission Next Door Projects
News Gazette Article / 2009
Mission Next Door Progress in 2008

In 2008 Mission Next Door completed 10 Work Projects and and initiated three additional projects that were finished in 2009. Mission Next Door expenses were $10,172 of which $601 was a cost to others. Over 1025 volunteer hours were donated in completing this work.

2008 Mission Next Door Projects
2008 Mission Next Door Photos
Beginning in 2007

Mission Next Door was organized in early 2008 following a multichurch project of assistance to a member of our church family in November of 2007. That house renovation project involved over 300 donated hours by a team that totalled 85 workers over a 5 day interval. The volunteers originated from many of the churches that have combined resources to form Mission Next Door.

Mission Next Door