Summer Volunteers and Projects Uplift Our City

This smile tells the story of how CSM - along with
hundreds of volunteers - impacts our community

CSM volunteers are uplifting people while giving our city a facelift! Over the course of the summer we have involved over 850 volunteers from TN, IL, LA, SC and as far away as California! The team from Glenkirk Church in Glendora, CA made a mark for eternity working hard while they were here in the Collegeville and Inglenook communities. In Collegeville they worked alongside Bethel Baptist Church at the Samuel Bruner house and at the Bethel Baptist Church house. And in Inglenook, they worked alongside True Vine Evangelical Fellowship cleaning out a former pharmacy so the space can be converted to be a Thrift Store and participated with their summer Kid's Camp. Glenkirk Church is just one example of variety of work that our summer volunteer groups are participating with.







In just a few months time, with the help of over 350 volunteers, Howard Morris's house has also been transformed. Aaron Parsons, CSM's Construction Manager, discovered Howard’s house condition while out searching for other housing projects. He met Howard and realized he was legally blind and on disability. Aaron knew he wanted to help Howard so we reached out to our partner Wells Fargo and other individual supporters to provide funding to repair and restore Howard’s house. The Housing Ministry, along with very willing volunteers, were able to redo the siding, windows, install insulation and sheetrock, rebuild the front screened porch, clean and paint the inside, and furnish it. This project also involved a perfect opportunity to teach carpentry and roofing skills to YouthBuild participants who are in a program to learn construction skills for employment success.

YouthBuild participant showing off his new skills

Jane Anne Stone leads the charge to make each house
rehabilitation as beautiful and inviting as possible

Aaron discusses carpet laying with David King,
a CSM house rehab recipient, who wanted
to 'give back' by helping with the Morris project

Randy Sain encouraging and praying with Howard

After the dedication, Aaron placed a
cross above the front door as a seal

While they were working on the house, Howard asked many times for prayer. He also asked if they would pray over the house and dedicate it once complete so Pastor Thomas Wilder from Bethel Baptist and Bethel Baptist Church member (and CSM Special Projects Coordinator) Norman Dixon lead the dedication.
One of the private donors also supplied a cross to be placed at the home and after an emotional time of prayer, Aaron found just the right spot above the front door. All of these volunteers, all the funding, all the prayers and all the transformations that take place in the process of the many projects God puts in front of CSM are clear miracles to us.

This list will give you an idea of how many groups are visiting from out of town and volunteering from around our city.

Out-of-Town (242 volunteers)

Volunteer group from Glendora, CA

Boones Creek Christian Church (Johnson City, TN)
First Christian Church (Johnson City, TN)
Grace United Methodist Church (Napersville, IL)
Aldersgate United Methodist Church (Slidell, LA)
Glenkirk Church (Glendora, CA)
Bells First Baptist Church (Bells, TN)
First United Methodist Church of Franklin (Franklin, TN)
Poplar Ridge Christian Church (Piney Flats, TN)
First United Methodist Church of Cullman (Cullman, AL)

Michael getting volunteers ready for a busy week

Church at Sandhurst (Florence, SC)


Local (610 volunteers)

Trinity United Methodist Church
Redeemer Community Church
Love Fellowship Christian Center
6th Avenue Baptist Church
Cornerstone Middle School
Junior Master Gardeners
BigTime Ministries
Samford Alabama Governor’s Class
United Ability
Riverchase Church of Christ
Church of the Highlands

Jamie gives another group a vision for
community development CSM-style

Faith Presbyterian Church
Cahaba Park Presbyterian Church
The Church at Ross Bridge
Riverchase United Methodist Church
Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church
America’s First Federal Credit Union
Hillsboro School







Projects Include…

Housing – painting, roofing, siding, caulking & repair
Gardens – planting, harvesting, weeding, fertilizing, decorating, composting
Partners – kids’ camps, landscaping, thrift store, dormitory, painting, cleaning, demolition, outreach events, food packing & distribution
Schools – cleaning & school supply packing/delivery
Ministry Center – donation sorting, painting, demolition, landscaping, food distribution, diaper bundling, cleaning

Celebrating a wonderful week and the 4th of July before the teams head home