August TS, 2018
2018 Kingdom
uilders Fall
projects
are planned
Plans are underway for
Monroe County Kingdom
Builders to work on
local building projects at
homes of the elderly and
needyin Monroe County
Oct. 12-13. Applicants
for assistance, as well as
those willing to volun-
teer to do the work and
those making donations
for purchase of building
materials, are needed now.
The group also requests
prayers for success of their
upcoming projects.
According to John
Knox, longtime Kingdom
Builders volunteer,
Kingdom Builders, now
entering its 11th year
in Monroe County, has
provided youth and adult
volunteers to work on
over 100 homes— repair-
ing roofs, doing plumbing,
electrical and painting
projects, rebuilding bath-
rooms and porches and
adding wheelchair ramps.
It has also served the com—
munity working through
nursing homes, assisted
living, Circle of Care,
the Senior Center, the
Care Cottage, Children’s
Day Camp, the Crisis
Pregnancy Center and the
Reconciliation House.
An additional goal of
Kingdom Builders is to
provide long—term benefits
derived from engaging
the local youth in its min-
istry, which organizers
feel impacts their spiri-
tual development through
projects.
“We have no overhead,”
Knox said. “100 percent
of all donations go toward
purchasing materials and
tools. Everyone is a volun-
teer— There are no salaries,
no overhead. All funding
comes from grants, from
Page 7C
Kingdom Builders volunteers work on a Monroe County home in 2017.
, local businesses, individu-
al donations and Church
fundraisers.” Donations
can be made through
the office manager at the
Circle of Care, through
local churches, or through
the office of the Forsyth
United Methodist Church
at 478—994-5706.
“To complete our plans,
we need all kinds of work-
ers— plumbers, construc-
tion crews, laborers, run-
ners,” Knox said. “If you
have a pickup truck and
can haul supplies, if you
can work in the kitchen
1
and prepare meals for
our volunteers, if you can
be a runner going out to
our various work sites, we
need your help. Regardless
of what your skills are,
we have something for
everyone who wants to
contribute. All we need is
a willing heart!”
Homeowners who wish
to apply for assistance
may pick up Kingdom
Builders application forms
at the Circle of Care in
Forsyth, at the Monroe
County Reporter office or
participating churches in
the county. Applications
should be submitted by
Sept. 9 to the office man-
ager at the Circle of Care
or through local churches.
The planners will review
applications during
September and evaluate
work sites as applications
come in, in preparation
for Kingdom Builders
weekend, Oct. 12 and 13,
which coincides with fall
break.
Traditionally at least
10-12 sites are selected——
However— “The potential
to directly assist and lift
up those in need in our
community is limited only
by the amount of com-
munity support that we
can gather in the form of
your service, your dona-
tions and your prayers.
Last year was very suc—
cessful, we were able to
assist 15 families with
home repairs. With con-
tinued engagement from
the community we can
have another successful
year improving the lives of
our neighbors, right here
in Monroe County: Knox
said.
Rotary swears
in new officers
The Forsyth-Monroe County Rotary Club swore in its 2018-
19 officers. They are President Barbara Dean, President
Elect Marcy Sanders, Secretary Mike Howard, Trea-
surer lsabelle Tanner, Membership - Dr. Mike Hicl..nan,
Programs Alicia Elder (Not Pictured), Public Relations
Cheryl Treadwell (Not Pictured), Sergeant at Arms - Roger
Onstott (Not Pictured). Pictured, left to right, are Hickman,
Howard, Vibha Singla Assistant Governor District 6900,
Dean, Sanders and Tanner.
Apply for Southern
Rivers Energy’s .
Bright Ideas grants
Bright Ideas, a‘ grant
program sponsored by
Southern Rivers Energy and
the Southern Rivers Energy
Trust, Inc., funds innova-
tive lessons and projects to
energize learning in their
students. The Bright Ideas
program grants up to $1,000
for certified teachers in
grades Pre—K through 12th
at public or private schools
located in the co-op’s nine—
county service territory The
grants are not for profes—
sional development, general
classroom supplies, iPads or
Smart Board purchases.
“Students are the future
of our communities and
deserve to have innovative,
creative learning experienc—
es,” said Kathryn Claxton,
Communications Specialist
at Southern Rivers Energy.
“It is our hope that these
grants will inspire teachers
to think outside the box
and create exciting projects
that will re-energize their
classrooms.”
Certified teachers in
the following counties
are eligible to apply: Bibb,
Southern Rivers Energy Bright Ideas Brigade awarded Annie Dyke $993.60 last
October for her "More than aMeal" ‘
proiect. Annie is a teacher at Monroe County Middle School.
Coweta, Crawford, Lamar,
Meriwether, Monroe, Pike,
Spalding and Upson. All ap—
plications must be submit-
ted online by Sept. 1, 2018.
Any applications received
ing for a $250 OfficeMax
gift card. Grant winners
by Aug. 17 will be entered in will be notified when the
an Early Bird prize draw
Bright Ideas Brigade makes
its rounds in October. For
more information or to
apply online, visit southem-
riversenergycom.
Rotary Club hears of
Area Rotarians heard
from Leadership Monroe
Class of 2018 spokesper-
sons Wanda Freeman and
Lisa Lee. Each year individ-
uals in leadership positions
around the commwity
learn and participate in
the nuts and bolts of local .
government and com-
merce. The class selects a
community project as their
contribution and orches-
trates the completion.
‘ This year the class
chose to design a walking
scavenger huntfor Forsyth
and Monroe County. The
hunt is designed around a
“Fox Hunt” theme using
the Fox as a town mascot
on identifiable signs near
historical siges around the
comm/unity. The purpose
is tapromote tourism, sup-
port literacy by enhancing
the knowledge of the town
history and to stimulate
commerce .
The project will be
turned over to the Forsyth
Convention and Visitors
Bureau (CVB). There are
plans to create a board
game as well associated
with the Fox Hunt.
Pictured,lett to right, are
Rotary President Barbara
Dean, Freeman and Lee.
2018 Leadeship oros
ox Hunt project
