Purdy Project
September 21-23 in Oregon City

Ms. Purdy lives alone in her mobile home in Oregon City. Her house problems seem to stem primarily from a severely leaking roof.  Water intrusion had damaged tile floors (kitchen and bathroom) and drywall ceilings, particularly around skylights. This project was meant to be restorative in nature, with the goal of helping Ms. Purdy to feel safe in her home.

We were glad to partner with Stone Creek Christian Church on this project...they already had a relationship with Ms. Purdy, and were eager to reach out and give her a hand-up!  It was an amazing project, which brought about much-needed encouragement and transformation!

Here's a brief report from Isaac Federiuk, Project Advocate:

"Mrs. Purdy was friendly and grateful. Apparently her kitchen had been so bad that she used to have a plastic sheet shaped like a funnel above her stove to collect the rain water into a bucket when it rained.  She was so embarrassed by her kitchen that she would avoid having guests go into/near the kitchen.  If she needed something she would dash into/out of the kitchen to avoid spending time there.  She was already excited to see the improvements, even before we’d finished.  The whole Whisman crew (new floor recipient from earlier in 2018 season) showed up to provide coffee, donuts, and conversation; sharing stories from years gone by which surprisingly led to the Whismans discovering they used to know Ms. Purdy’s family and friends years ago.  The volunteers from Stone Creek Church and Westside were both compassionate and capable on the project.  The work was completed professionally as if it were their own home.  Stone Creek provided a BBQ spread for lunch that was a first in my experience with Catalyst; they even brought their own grill to make burgers fresh off the flames. It was day 2 of 3 project days so I did not get to see the finished product, but the transformation that I saw in one day was encouraging.  Prayers for safety, success, and conversations with the recipient and volunteers were answered.  A great day in the 2018 Catalyst project season."

WORK ITEMS 

• Replace front door
• Remove and replace flooring in hall bath
• Demo & replace laminate on kitchen counters/island
• Sheetrock repairs in the kitchen dining area, and hallway bathroom. Also repaint the ceilings in these areas
• Haul away junk from behind the shed

BIG THANKS TO PROJECT LEADERS!

• Crew Chiefs: Shawn White, Phil Baldwin, Merritt Beymer
• Project Advocates: Tim Long, Dan Niels, Isaac Federiuk
• Site Hosts: Brian Burns, Lee Niels