|
|
|
Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry (WARM) For many elderly and poor in our communities, each rainfall brings with it an increasing sense of desperation. As they listen to the steady drip of leaking roofs, they can imagine the rotting wood of their floor, the walls crumbling, and the beams in their ceiling sagging. They can just feel the reality of their homes slowly and most assuredly coming down around them, and they wonder, “When will we be on the streets?” It is a reality that devastates their homes and crushes their spirits. Yet, for many in the Wilmington area, there is a ministry that is responding to their plight – Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry (WARM.) WARM was set up as a ministry of the Wilmington District after Hurricanes Bertha and Floyd visited Southeastern North Carolina. As damage assessments were done on persons who applied for assistance, it became clear that many of the homes had damage which existed before the storms. As more information was collected on the homeowners, it was discovered that many of the homes had not had standard maintenance in some time. That situation was caused by two main factors—poverty and the loss of the person who had been responsible for maintenance (usually by death). In most cases, leaks from the roofs or from plumbing had made homes unsafe, insecure and unsanitary. Volunteers were sought from United Methodist Churches and monetary resources were sought from businesses and churches. Initially, a small cadre of volunteers (with a relatively small amount of money) refurbished about 4 homes per year. Over time since 1998, WARM has grown as a ministry which has done as many as 30 projects in one year—employing volunteerism from a number of churches from many different denominations and from several community based volunteers. Along with this growth, WARM has been more conscious about asking for help from community foundations and individuals who have a heart for safe, affordable housing. One of WARM’s largest supporters each year is the Catherine Kennedy Home Foundation, which appreciates the work that WARM does to help poor, elderly, single women remain in their homes. WARM is fortunate to continue to find volunteers from a number of different church groups and service groups to assist its ministry by being carpenters, painters, roofers, cooks and office staffers. Although WARM is considered a construction ministry, this is only a facet of the ministry. WARM is a ministry of the heart, reaching into the lives of people who often have no where else to turn, sharing the presence of Jesus through the witness and love of volunteers who have learned that in giving their time and talents, they too are transformed. Mary (not her real name) is one of the persons who have received assistance through the WARM ministry. She stated, “Every time it rained, water would just pour through my house. One day, a big piece of my ceiling just came crashing down into my kitchen. I didn’t know what I was going to do. But when those good people came, I knew God had heard my prayers. It wasn’t just those men who came, it was Jesus.” WARM is challenged as are all non-profits to keep up with the real needs in the five-county area it serves. It always stands in need of volunteers and financial resources to accomplish its mission. Its mission is to serve the community by making sure that every home can be made safe, secure and sanitary. Making the home more livable is often the only thing that enables the elderly to stay at home or enables some families keep their children in a safe environment. WARM is making a difference. Where once there was desperation, now, there are those who can again sit on their porch and rejoice in a gentle shower and the budding flower it brings. They will no longer only think of the mold and the rotting wood. Instead, they will have peace because of a remarkable ministry birthed by United Methodists, a ministry called WARM. For more information about WARM or to get an application in order to help someone, call the WARM office at 910-762-2583. |