For the intrepid founders of 2nd Sam 9, the move is on.
“We’re hoping to be open by mid-November,” board member Teresa Roberts told me when we met up in the middle of another working Saturday at St. George Anglican Church at 100 Bonar Avenue, Waynesburg. She and husband Scott and daughter Olivia were there with fellow board member Carol Young to get another few hours of moving in chores done. Last year during the pandemic, when its dwindling number of older parishioners couldn’t attend, the church reluctantly closed its doors. Ownership reverted to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and this spring the church was put up for sale.
“My prayers have always been that it would continue to be used for some type of ministry,” church deaconess Barbara McMillan said.
“We were blessed to get it,” Teresa admitted. 2nd Sam 9 is a faith based day program for adults with developmental disabilities that she and Scott and other parents founded in 2012. Their dream got a spiritual jumpstart from Jim and Cathy Carpenter of WWJD ministries in West Waynesburg, Teresa said. “We went to them for advice for starting a nonprofit and they allowed us to use West Sides for weekend gatherings to see if there was an interest.”
There was.
Using the Old Testament II Samuel chapter nine for its mission statement, 2nd Sam 9 was ready to emulate King David, who gave the disabled Mephibosheth a place of honor at his table. That vision struck a special chord with other families who wanted their disabled children to live an enriched life after high school both socially and spiritually. The weekend gatherings grew.
When West Sides had furnace trouble that winter, the Carpenters rented the old Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist church they owned on Third Street to the fledgling startup. For the next eight years, 2nd Sam 9 offered a three-day-a-week program, staffed by parents, educators and Bonar students from Waynesburg University. It was and is a cheerful environment filled with social activities, vocational opportunities, community outings, music and crafts and emotional support for those who attend.
“The biggest thing is it’s free,” Teresa said. “We have one half time employee as a program coordinator. Everyone else is a volunteer.”
The program continues to be “free from government funding and relies entirely upon the generous support of individuals, groups, churches, organizations and corporate sponsors.”
As enrollment grew, 2nd Sam 9 purchased a lot in West Waynesburg and drew up plans to build a larger facility. But when the pandemic doubled the cost of construction, board members decided to buy an existing building and make it their own.
The group sold the property to WWJD and gave the Carpenters the building plans and their blessings. When St. George’s Church went on the market, it was a match made in heaven.
When I stopped by to see how the move was coming along, the new handicapped accessible bathroom to the left of the front doorway was almost finished and the basement meeting room was stacked with boxes of everything 2nd Sam 9, waiting to be unpacked.
We made time to sit outside by the basement door and dream of things to come – picnics and games in the spacious back yard, a coffee house run by 2nd Sam 9ers, an addition added to the basement entrance to make more room as enrollment grows.
Although the church will be used for programming during the week, Deacon McMillan’s prayers have a happy update. The chapel will become a mission church for St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Canonsburg when local Orthodox Church in America parishioners meet for weekend vespers and liturgy services.
Congratulations on the purchase and the wonderful program! I look forward to seeing what you’ve done with the former church building next time we’re in Greene County.