there's definitely more to this than meets the eye. how about we find out the whole story first before we jump to conclusions?
More than 300 teens from across the Southeast have signed up to spend a week of their summer repairing houses in Augusta, yet local Baptists say they might have to cancel the project because they have no place to house that many people.
Organizers of World Changers Augusta planned to use T.W. Josey High School but said they can't afford prices set by the Richmond County school system.
"It was $24,000 just to feed us and $11,000 for utilities, and that wasn't all of it," said the Rev. Robert Austin, the project coordinator and the minister of music and youth at Powell Baptist Church in Harlem.
The estimates came from conversations with county school officials, he said.
James Thompson, the county's executive director for special schools and programs, said he offered guidelines for determining the cost of the weeklong stay, though no definitive numbers were set.
"We have met with representatives with World Changers to discuss different ways food can be provided and how the school can be air-conditioned according to their requested space," Mr. Thompson wrote in an e-mail.
"We had asked World Changers to determine the costs of food commodities, which would affect food costs. We also asked our maintenance department if utilities could be zoned to help relieve normal utility costs," he continued. He said the school system can't spend public funds on noneducational activities.
Last year, 280 World Changers participants came from across the Southeast to fix 18 low- and moderate-income homes. They stayed at Baptist churches and took buses to work sites.
That can't happen this year because all the major churches have events planned for that week, June 6-13, said Don Wheless, the director of missions for the Augusta Association of Baptist Churches.
He and the Rev. Austin said they approached Josey administrators about a month ago.
"They were all excited about having us, and I'm not really sure what happened," the Rev. Wheless said.
Bernard Chatman, an assistant principal at Josey, said it wasn't up to the school.
"It's in review with the board," he said. "They're the ones that have to decide."
Superintendent Dana Bedden says the board's attorney is working out details.
The Rev. Austin says he's taken youth on missions throughout the region and was expected to pay only about $5,000 to use a high school.
"We'd worship in the gym or the auditorium and sleep in the rooms," he said. "It was the perfect setup."
The Rev. Austin says a decision will have to be made in the next few weeks, and he's tracking down leads on other available churches close to the city center.
"We've saved the city millions of dollars in labor costs," the Rev. Austin said. "It's disappointing."
Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.
ABOUT WORLD CHANGERS
The international organization, which provides mission opportunities to Christian youth and adults, was initiated in 1990 by the Brotherhood Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Augusta and 100 North American locations are scheduled to benefit from World Changers' service this summer.
For more information, call (800) 462-8657, ext. 6457, or visit world-changers.net.
Source: World Changers
Comments
there's definitely more to this than meets the eye. how about we find out the whole story first before we jump to conclusions?
As worthy a cause as it is, World Changers needs to find accommodations in churches. The schools have to recoup costs and with budgets tight, they can't give services away for free. Dr. Thompson's a fair man, I know he is not out to rip any group off. I am surprised there are no libs on here squawking about separation of church and state.
So if thats how they feel in Augusta..then this very worthy group should take their FREE LABOR and work in a more deserving community...and all of the POOR folks who could have used this FREE LABOR can watch someones elses house be transformed....remember World Changers "Cast not your pearls before SWINE".............God Bless you for your good works............
Here's another novel idea...why don't the inner city churches help their inner city neighborhoods?
waymore that's been going on for over 50 year's. Kind late aren't you.
They need to stay at the augusta inn, that place could use a little religion...
"We've saved the city millions of dollars in labor costs,". It's more like they saved someones $$ on a house that they let go in disrepair for years. "all the major churches have events planned for that week, June 6-13," That should not mean the taxpayers should pick up the bill.
Right on fedup
Wow, a bunch of kids wants to come work here and fix up our city's poorest homes for NOTHING, and you gripe about saving taxpayer's dollars? Why don't you volunteer to go downtown and repair these homes for FREE? Those rent figures are outrageous! It is an obvious attempt at keeping a church group out of public facilities. If this was being done by Habitat for Humanity, no one would question anything about it.
Grow up and leave the liberal left behind.
They say they have (or will) save the city millions of dollars in labor costs. Most, if not all, of the project this group works on would not have been fixed by the city .
They could simply book hotels in Augusta and eat in local restaurants. This would strengthen our local economy. This way everyone would be happy that they are coming. It takes sacrifice to be good Christians.
Why don't some of you good Republicans offer to accomidate at least one of thse people? No...none of you ever would....selfish, self centered Republicans.
I am not in Augusta right now...if I were, God is my Witness I would accomidate at least two...I am elderly and disabled, otherwise I would be right "in the trenches" helping them.
Won't some of you good Christians come forth???
St. Mary's on the Hill....why not help these people....is it too much to ask the Baptist for help ??? Call your Ministers and see if he/she can get something rollling... SANDRA Kennedy ??? How about YOUR church out on Washington Road???
Hey Sargent, You might want to do some research before running your mouth! These World Changers students and adults pay $300.00 to come here and work in the heat and take showers in a shower trailer and sleep on the floor. They are not here to boost our economy!! They are doing great things and winning people to Christ. You can't put a price on that.
AUSTIN RHOADS is another one of you who likes to talk...well why not talk about this problem?
Who would expect to house and feed 300 people, for one week, for $5000.00??? From a taxpayer-supported school district, for a religious purpose??? Crunch the numbers- $17 per day per person for room and board? The fact that they are here to fix houses has nothing to do with the fact that taxpayers would have to foot the bill for a private religious group, and that's against the law. Would all of you think this would be a good idea if a Muslim group tried to do this?
the 300 people pay $300 to come to Augusta and work? lemme see if i got the math here, Dell4: $24,000 for food and $11,000 for utilities were the starting figures. World Changers Augusta takes in $90,000 if your info is right. what is the problem now with RCBOE charging them for food and lodging???? where is the extra money ($300 PER PARTICIPANT if i read your post correctly) going????
in the church coffers. They have to brainwash another generation.
yea right fedup, "volunteer to go downtown and repair these homes for FREE". I shouldnt have to. I own the ones you go buy and say wow isnt that home fixed up nice. When the neighbor house is falling down with trash all over the yard and 10 kids playing out front trowing rocks at my windows.
pack your own lunch!!
Sounds live very reasonable fees, even for a chsrity. Maybe the closed Fairfield Inn on Boy Scoutt Road could house they youths for less money and restaurants and others could assist with the meals. However, inner city churches along with all churches should really be doing their part and certainly should not rely on government or BOE assistance.
I am pretty sure that a lot of the money the kids pay to come also goes to purchase paint, wood, nails, and their supplies. And then the other part goes towards lodging and food. The homeowners do not pay for anything, nor does the city since these are private projects. June is prime wedding month so between that and Vacation Bible Schools, that is a hard time to find a church with nothing on it's calendar. But there are enough large churches in this area that could help. They should not all have to be Baptist churches. How about the Civic Center...Lord knows that place stays empty.
Dell4...Like I said. "It takes sacrifice to be good Christians."
How about they pick a week out of the year when the churches aren't so booked up with activities? The local churches sould be the ones providing the lodging and meals for this group, not the BOE. If June is such a busy month for area churches, then pick another time to do this. Why isn't this coordinated better with area churches?
All you people should be ashamed of yourselves!!! Regardless of the fact that these are Christians - they are volunteering some of their SUMMER BREAK to come here & work for free to help someone they don't even know!! To receive blessings you should help your fellow man (like these people are doing) & if the Board were smart (which they usually aren't), they would offer the facility for only the costs to them (ie: food), because God knows RCBE could use all the blessings they can get!!!
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