CLARKSVILLE — “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can.”
That quote from 16th-century Methodist Rev. John Wesley was the theme of recent work projects by the Friendship United Methodist Church.
The church — based out of Wyoming, Ohio (in Greater Cincinnati) — did around 36 community service projects in the Clarksville and Wilmington areas this summer in place of their originally planned mission trip.
They had raised money for a mission trip to Texas, but due to the pandemic, they had to cancel their plans.
Carrie Short-Lippert, Senior High Youth Director for the church, told the News Journal it would’ve been too dangerous.
“It would not have been safe to travel on a train or bus for that length of time. It wouldn’t work,” Short-Lippert said.
The original location of the mission — east of Houston — was deemed too dangerous a location due to the number of COVID-19 cases.
Within days of cancellation, Neil Notestine of Clarksville gave them the idea of coming up to Clinton County — he even allowed the group to camp out at his farm.
“(Notenstine and his wife) thought of everything,” said Short-Lippert, in regards to safety and hygiene. “They had showers set up outside with generators, big tents to set up outside, handwashing stations. I’m in awe of how they did it.”
The best part, she said, was that no one got infected with COVID-19.
“I’m beyond thrilled,” she said, adding they all had masks to wear.
Friends of Clarksville and other organizations helped select projects for them. Among those were for senior citizens, veterans, and those who can’t afford work or are unable to do things around the home, from gutter work and power washing to gardening.
They also did volunteer work including serving dinner at Your Father’s Kitchen in Wilmington.
“One person had been in an accident and couldn’t work in her garden. It made her day, ” said Lippert-Short. “With all of the COVID, they can’t go out. Having a group of teens to tell your stories to makes their day. The kids know that.”
Lippert-Short said at one house, they were just hauling stuff to a burn pile. One of the girls on the trip said she was having so much fun. That’s what she was hoping when it came to the projects.
