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A
Vanceburg View
A Monthly Update From the Director
of Glenmary's Volunteer Office
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| Joe
Grosek, a former farm manager now serving as Glenmary's
first fulltime volunteer director, lives and works in
Vanceburg, Ky., home of the Glenmary Farm. For
more about Joe and his work. |
News
From June 2003
Monsoon
Season in Lewis County
The
word for the last few months in Lewis County has been rain,
rain and more rain. Lewis County was victim
to one of many tornadoes that hit the Midwest in May. It
tore through the Harrison Hollow area, which is about eight
miles outside of Vanceburg. There were 17 people injured
by the tornado and many houses were damaged and destroyed.
Among the damaged houses were two houses in Harrison Hollow
that volunteers from the Glenmary Farm have worked on the
past.
With
the rain, Lewis County had to deal with a few mudslides
as well. These slides shut down traffic on Lower Kinney
Road (which is where the Glenmary Farm is located), on Highway
59 and on Rock Run Road. So a few times the Farm Managers
had to take the long way around to get the volunteers to
sites.
The
monsoon season in Lewis County has kept the Glenmary Farm
and its volunteers very busy. From storm cleanup, to bringing
food to those in need, to visiting those affected by tornado,
mudslide and rain—the volunteers have been a great
help to this area as always.
Given
the recent tornado and mudslides following on the ice storm
in February and the general state of the economy, the Christian
Community Center has put out a plea for food. The Christian
Community Center is the local food pantry/rummage store
and a place that anyone in Lewis County can get help. These
natural disasters have sapped the Christian Community Center's
food pantry, and the volunteer groups that have visited
the Glenmary Farm have responded to the need. Besides bringing
food, many have donated money to make sure that those in
need in Lewis County will have food for the coming year.
Dedication
of New Chapel
Also,
the monsoon season has pushed back the completion date of
the new Chapel at the Farm. The dedication is now set for
August 9, not in June as originally planned.
New
Farm Manager
The
Glenmary Farm welcomes Matthew Dooley as a new Farm Manager.
Matt is from Sparta, N.J., and has a long history with Glenmary.
He spent a year in the 1980s at the Glenmary House of Studies
discerning his life's path. He has also brought many groups
to the Glenmary Farm from his home parish of Blessed Kateri,
which is also located in Sparta.
Before
coming to the Farm, Matt was a funeral home director in
his native New Jersey. Matt enjoys corny jokes, doing back
flips off the rope into the swimming hole, winning the 50/50
at Beechy Creek, reading and skydiving. He brings maturity,
laughter, intelligence and true love of service to the Glenmary
Farm. So, if you have a chance, come and visit him.
Peace,
Joe
Grosek
jgrosek@glenmary.org
For
more information about the Glenmary Farm:
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