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During the summer of 2007
members of the First Baptist Church of Keene Youth Group went on a
mission trip. During one evening we played a poverty simulation game
that really opened our eyes to the problems. There we were asked to
come up with an idea that would bring our community closer together
and that would help others in our community or even all over the
world. Later in the summer our youth leader, Ivy Merrill, shared her
idea of painting chairs. The concept was born! We knew we were onto
something when YouthWorks, sponsor of the summer mission trip,
awarded us a $1,000 grant. That was followed by two other grants.
What drew your group to the project?
The chance to be together, to
involve other people and to make a difference for good in the world
is what drew us to this project. We like that it is especially
helping kids because we feel that we connect with them.
What was the initial grant
for? Chair materials? Paint?
Grant money has allowed us to
buy chairs, paint, sandpaper, wood glue, brushes, drop cloths, an
idea book, screwdrivers, fabric & stencils, as well as do some
advertising.
Could you describe the chair-painting process?
The first step is to get old
chairs, in good repair, for our mission. We either have them donated
or we purchase them from thrift shops. We then sand them, if needed,
choose a base color, and paint! Sometimes chairs take 2 or 3 coats
of paint! When the base coat is done we get the chance to display
our creativity by decorating with bright festive colors and designs.
Sometimes our first ideas don’t work and we have to try again. After
the chair has gotten a design and looks ready for sale we price it
and display it in our church lobby.
Who has received the funds
you have raised?
We have disbursed two $150
checks to date. One went to the Community Kitchen earmarked
specifically for their Brown Bag project which supplies kid-friendly
lunch items when school isn't in session. The other went to KHS
Interact for use during their recent trip to El Salvador. The money
was given to a very poor school they visited to use for school
supplies.
How many chairs have you
sold? How many kids are involved in the process?
My best estimate for how many
chairs sold is 10-12. The chairs are all priced differently,
depending on size, and complexity of painting. There have been 14
different youth that have at one time or another painted. We never
manage to get them there all at one time, and a few times our youth
group members have had a friend come & help. We have also had 7
adults involved from our church, and 2 adults in another community
who heard about the project and each painted a chair & donated it
for sale because they wanted to.
Do you have a “target
audience” for the chairs? Are they designed for kids? Adults?
We hope everyone will want one
of these chairs. We paint sizes for children and adults. We are
hoping some of the local offices and non-profit locations will have
a chair in a prominent place to remind people to be aware of the
needs of children in poverty. We will be giving a few chairs to area
locations, but we hope businesses will want to help by purchasing
one.
How can people contact you?
If folks would like to get
involved or make arrangements to view chairs, they can get in touch
in one of two ways:
1) They can call the First Baptist Church of Keene,
Monday-Thursday, 9:00am-1:00pm at (603) 352-0340; or
2) They can e-mail Ivy Merrill or Mark Ferrin at
ivymark@yahoo.com, and put
Chair Mission in the subject line.
Chairs will be on display and for sale in Keene at a Youth Craft
fair May 3rd at First Baptist Church of Keene, and at a Poverty
Awareness Weekend at the church in late spring.
We accept donations of
wooden chairs in good repair. We can even come and pick them up if
necessary.
First Baptist Church of
Keene is located at 105 Maple Avenue.
If you are a local youth group or youth association with a project
or event you’d like highlighted, please submit your idea to
many@ci.keene.nh.us for consideration. |
