St Patricks Crew Online

Sunday July 8, 2007

Travel Day

The CREW teens and adults left St. Patrick's at 10:30 this morning. After a long bus ride we arrived at the University of Detroit Mercy at about 7pm Detroit time. We ate dinner and had a brief bible study and sing along led by the CREW praise Band. After bible study the teens had free time until lights out that evening.

Monday July 9, 2007

Off to the worksites... After an early breakfast at the University, the group headed out on the bus to meet Mike Fisher, founder and CEO of Detroit Community Initiative. Bill gave the group some background on the groups mission, which was to "put the neighbor back in the hood so that we have a real NEIGHBORHOOD." Since its founding, the group has successfully cleaned up impovrished Detroit neighboorhoods as well as encourgaed buinesses to return to the abandoned business district. In addition, the group has gained ownership of over 80 abandoned lots and built brand-new homes on over forty of these lots. The homes are rented to lower to middle-income families with the hopes that the families will be able to own the homes in 15 years. CREW's job was to help repair several of the older homes in the area, helping to continue CTI's mission to rebuld the Detroit neighborhood. After ariving at the worksites, the group was divided into three groups, each with their own house and set of tasks to complete. The first of the three groups was assigned to a house with extensive water damage to several rooms. Teens and adults worked to tear down rotten ceilings and began to install drywall, a task that will continue later in the week. A second group was assigned to house in need of a new porch floor as well as some painting of porch railings and trim. After hours of scraping and demonishing the orinignal porch, this group was able to begin work on the new floor, with hopes to complete the porch by tomorrow. The third house was in need of a new paint-job for both the garage and house. This group spent many, many, many hours scraping and power-washing the old paint before finally begining primer coats. All in desperate need of a shower, the group returned to the dorms, cleaned up for dinner, and met Father Joe in the chapel for a Meditation service and Reconciliation. Afterwards, teens participated in a scavenger-hunt of sorts created by Father Joe, ending in a water-balloon fight and candy-fest. Tired and wet (and on a sugar-high), teens returned to the dorms where they relaxed before heading off to bed.

Tuesday July 10, 2007

Welcome to the CREW worksite, Father Joe! Father Joe joined the CREW workers at site three. If the scraper was the tool for day 2, the paint brush was the tool of choice today. The group finished priming the garage and began to paint it. Father Joe and Maciek manned the POWER WASHER! The house was prepped for the scrapers and by the latter part of the morning-- the paint brush with primer. The crew wanted to cover graffiti that marred the looks of the house. Father Joe posed with Val from the Detroit Community Initiative. Can you spot the new CREW four-legged member?