On Sunday, May 22, a violent EF5 tornado—the seventh deadliest in United States history—ripped through the town of Joplin, Mo. The storm killed 159 people, injured more than 900 and tore down thousands of homes and buildings. The damage, which affected about 75 percent of the town, was estimated to be more than $1 billion. Joplin, as residents knew it, was gone. This blog will document our efforts to help rebuild the town. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Our final task we completed here in Joplin was putting Bob’s fence back up. His wood fence was disassembled in the storm, and his chain …

On Sunday, May 22, a violent EF5 tornado—the seventh deadliest in United States history—ripped through the town of Joplin, Mo. The storm killed 159 people, injured more than 900 and tore down thousands of homes and buildings. The damage, which affected about 75 percent of the town, was estimated to be more than $1 billion. Joplin, as residents knew it, was gone. This blog will document our efforts to help rebuild the town. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - How do you find your way when the landmarks disappear? We attended the first post-tornado Wednesday church service for Faith Assembly, …

On Sunday, May 22, a violent EF5 tornado—the seventh deadliest in United States history—ripped through the town of Joplin, Mo. The storm killed 159 people, injured more than 900 and tore down thousands of homes and buildings. The damage, which affected about 75 percent of the town, was estimated to be more than $1 billion. Joplin, as residents knew it, was gone. This blog will document our efforts to help rebuild the town. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 3: Wednesday, July 20 “…these things remain:  faith, hope and love.” The stories of survival, near misses and miracles are nothing …

On Sunday, May 22, a violent EF5 tornado—the seventh deadliest in United States history—ripped through the town of Joplin, Mo. The storm killed 159 people, injured more than 900 and tore down thousands of homes and buildings. The damage, which affected about 75 percent of the town, was estimated to be more than $1 billion. Joplin, as residents knew it, was gone. Pastor Colton Johnson, the worship leader from Calvary Church in Lemont, announced earlier this month that he was rounding up volunteers to travel to Joplin to assist with the rebuilding and clean up during the week of July 17-22. The…

On Sunday, May 22, a violent EF5 tornado—the seventh deadliest in United States history—ripped through the town of Joplin, Mo. The storm killed 159 people, injured more than 900 and tore down thousands of homes and buildings. The damage, which affected about 75 percent of the town, was estimated to be more than $1 billion. Joplin, as residents knew it, was gone. Pastor Colton Johnson, the worship leader from Calvary Church in Lemont, announced earlier this month that he was rounding up volunteers to travel to Joplin to assist with the rebuilding and clean up during the week of July 17-22. The…

How do we get our youth to take action and pride in their community, to take responsibility for the care of it and those that reside within it? It can be as simple as leading by example. If there is one thing that radiates from this “little mountain” village, it is the practice of volunteering. One of the most wonderful things about Lemont is that you can take a snapshot of that on any given weekend. Just recently on a Saturday, one could happen upon three separate examples of this community coming together to help others.At the old Lemont Township building, 1555 Warner Ave., 100 reusable …

The National Day of Prayer, which was formalized by Congress in 1952, is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation."To commemorate this day, members of Lemont High School chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) organized a gathering that was held in the north lot of the school last Thursday. FCA members explained the origins of the National Day of Prayer, then led the group in prayer — inviting each of those gathered to express their own personal prayer. Prayers expressed by the students and …

How often does a business — a restaurant no less — open with intentions to help the community? In a difficult economy it is a tough enough mission to simply break even and stay afloat. This is just one of many reasons This Must be the Place was recently named the Lemont Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Business of the Year winner. The award was created to recognize a business for their ability and achievement in assisting the community and impacting Lemont in a positive way. Co-owners Dan Farnesi and Bill Moffett opened This Must Be the Place in November 2008 with hopes of making it a great …

Spring is right around the corner, which means the ritual of spring cleaning is upon us. If more motivation is needed to declutter, think about clearing out those closets and offering your clothing, household items, small furniture, or collectibles to a local business that benefits the Lemont community and a good cause.  Nestled next to the Post Office at 44 Stephen St. is a wonderful asset to the Lemont community: Second Chance Thrift Shoppe. Many have passed the store's colorful front windows, but have yet to poke in and check out the treasures held within.  Unlike some thrift stores, …

The Lemont community is pitching in this week to assist the family of Ellie Cuiching, a 6-year-old girl who underwent surgery this month to remove a large brain tumor.  Ellie, a first-grader at Oakwood School, was taken to the hospital Jan. 4 after two weeks of severe headaches. Her family was shocked when a CAT scan revealed a large tumor covering nearly half her brain. The Cuiching family was sent to Children’s Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago to meet with a team of world-renowned neurosurgeons. After two nine-hour surgeries, doctors were able to remove 98 percent of the tumor, which …

Five years ago on Christmas Day, 12 new friends gathered around a table at a local church and enjoyed a Christmas Dinner that had been prepared by many other generous friends from the Lemont community. That tradition continued this past Christmas, but under the newer format that had been created a few years ago to meet those in need at their door with a home-cooked Christmas dinner and bag of personal care and household needs—all of which were prepared and provided by friends in the community.   Hope and Friendship Ministries has become known for providing an alternative to holiday meals for …

On Thanksgiving Day, Hope and Friendship Ministries held its fifth annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner. The purpose of this dinner was to provide the option to those in the community who might appreciate the invitation because of financial strain, loss of a loved one, change in family situation that caused them to be alone, inability or lack of funds to travel to family, or simply because the thought of being with "friends" sounded much better than eating at home alone. The very first of these holiday meals was on Christmas Day 2006. The request for food was presented to community groups, …

In response to the highly publicized suicide deaths of 18-year-old Tyler Clementi and several other college students, New Jersey lawmakers are introducing a new legislative effort to establish anti-harassment policies at college and universities – something not currently required by federal law. U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harrassment Act to both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Thursday, Nov. 18. In addition to requiring colleges and universities to have anti-harassment policies, the bill …

Could you live off $10,830 a year? If you have a family of four, could you make ends meet on $22,050? This is the 2010 federal poverty threshold.  The thresholds were originally developed in the 1960s by the Social Security Administration. Recently, many have questioned if the number is contrived and whether or not families are able to legitimately stay survice by these calculations. Lawmakers are debating ways to achieve a more realistic barometer of poverty that accounts for the cost of living in different areas, local employment numbers and the availability of public transportation to …

Once a year, on the fourth Wednesday of September, youth on school campuses across the nation exercise their right to one of our Constitutional freedoms by participating in "See You at the Pole"-- an annual gathering where Christian students pray at the flagpoles in front of their schools.Last year during "See you at the Pole," Andy Manganiello, a father and member of First Church of the Nazarene, was one of those meeting at the flag pole in front of Lemont High School. While standing there together, a desire was expressed to expound on this meeting of students who wished to share their faith…

Viviana Grasso, owner of Petal Play Design in Lemont, masterminded a family-friendly event Sunday that allowed the community to eat, drink and mingle, all while assisting the food pantries at Lemont United Methodist and Bethany Lutheran churches. The first Talcott Square Chili Cook-off was put together to create funds, food and support for the two Lemont food pantries that offer grocery relief to more than 100 households. With a $10 entry fee and a gallon and a half of their top-secret recipes, 21 teams of two came prepared to compete for the $150 top prize. To add the challenge of two-person…

War. Hunger. Abuse. Crime. Murder. Homelessness. The list of misery and suffering that occurs worldwide is quite long. Just watch the news and you'll get at least a half-hour of doom and gloom.: 70 percent of the world's population is homeless, 43.6 million people in the United States lived in poverty at the end of 2009 and 307 homicides were reported in Chicago just last week. There are no borders limiting who experiences these crisis situations. I have long believed that the only way we can make a positive difference is to work emphatically for that peace in our corner of the world. If …