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The following story was submitted to me. What a heart-breaker. “The Gym” needs your help…the youth need your help…reach out to others…
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain” Psalms 127:1
The R. A. Buckley Christian Center (The Gym) was closed due to severe floor damages, leaking roof and other needed repairs. The great challenge is to ask those of you who have benefited from the gym to invest in its restoration to help regain our youth. To show the connection of regaining our youth and restoring the gym, please allow me to share God honoring story.
“Growing up in Mendenhall during the 70’s was awesome! I, along with the local and surrounding communities would wake up in the morning anticipating going to the gym at the Voice of Calvary to interact with Dolphus and Rosie Weary along with the group of youth leadership development participants. During our time at the R.A. Buckley Christian Center (Gym), we learned Bible verses, songs, ate our meals and played until our hearts were content. The gym was filled with over one hundred kids daily. I, along with other children from single parent households was shown what a father should be from the love we received from Dolphus Weary. During this time, The Gym was the only recreational facility in the Simpson County area for youths from impoverished families that provided services to the entire area completely free. Therefore, the gym served as an avenue to support low income families who could not afford to pay for childcare, jobs for high school students and alternative for troubled children who would have been placed in juvenile centers. To God be the glory, many of the gym participants mastered the skill of basketball and went on to play at the college level. To every volunteer group and intern that came to assist our low income area, WE salute you! I played at The Gym during the 70’s and 80’s; my children played during the 90’s and early 2000’s. My heart is saddened because my grandchildren can not have this experience now due to the current condition of the building. The Gym has become an eyesore to our community. Children in the Mendenhall and surrounding communities are now falling by the wayside and many are being imprisoned at a young age because they do not have the avenues we had…like the gym and being encouraged with the Word of God.”
My plan is to compile a list of those who have played in the gym, volunteered at The Mendenhall Ministries (TMM) and those who have stopped by to visit and heard the laughter of children enjoying the gym. WE NEED YOUR HELP…”It takes a village to raise a child”!
Within the next few weeks, I will be posting on social media tidbits about The Gym. Please share my post on your social media page and tag those who participated during your era. I also ask that you share this information with family and friends who do not use social media.
We are also asking you to make a commitment to donate to The Mendenhall Ministries over the next four months to the “Regain Our Youth by Restoring Our Gym Campaign”: $10.00, $25.00, $50.00 or $100.00 or more to help raise $50,000 by December 31, 2017. This account is exclusively set aside for this project. You can make a one-time donation or give monthly or make a pledge to this campaign. If you are unable to give a monetary donation, we would appreciate in-kind donations (labor, supplies, materials, etc) to help. Please designate all contributions to The Gym. We can do this together. A group from The Greenhouse Church has given us the first $150.00. Another local church and pastor has donated $300. Can WE count on you? For more information about this venture, please contact Scottye Holloway at 601-847-3421.
MEMORIES are all we have that can be passed from generation to generation; let’s keep the memories going…Indefinitely! If you have a special story regarding your season at The Gym, please share it with us.
