The New Ronald McDonald House has opened its doors!

   On March 1st Ronald McDonald House was officially moved from its old location to 4707 St. Antoine. Parents were housed in a local hotel until April 1st when rooms were ready for occupancy. The new facility, located on the second floor of the building, has 30 rooms, each with its own bathroom attached.

   The new facility is very spacious with several lounging areas including one with a modern gas fireplace. There is also a study room, a children' s playroom, several private sitting areas, and offices. The kitchen is a very large space which includes two stoves, six refrigerators, and all the amenities needed to complete any meal preparation. There are plenty of tables and chairs and stools to accommodate a very large crowd. A laundry room with multiple washers and dryers is also available for those who have a lengthy stay.

 

There is a free gated and fenced parking lot nearby, and for those who want to carpool, we leave from our church parking lot. The next scheduled date for us to volunteer is May 15th.  

  The Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of Detroit's final Gathering this Spring will make it easy for interested women in the Downriver area to attend since it will take place as the Allen Park Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, May 6. We start at 9:45 am. with a hymn sing, followed by a business meeting to discuss some important changes to the bylaws to be voted on. Changes include extending the time a leader can serve and combining the position of mission and operational treasurer. It was found that leaders, who would have been term limited by the bylaws, can stay in their positions if they are willing to serve. Under current bylaws, Joan Lockard, moderator of PWPD and I, vice-moderator of the Justice and Peace Committee, would have to step down; the change in the bylaws would enable us to continue in our roles. 
   Charlene Smith, vice-moderator of the Studies and Spiritual Development, will share her experiences from the UN sponsored Gathering to Assess the Status of Women in New York. Following the program, lunch will be served by the women of the church. To attend, call the church office (313) 383-0100, ext. 0, during church hours: 9 am.- 4 pm. Monday through Thursday and 9 am. to noon on Fridays.
                                          - Pamela A. Frucci, liaison
                                         Presbyterian Women of Detroit

  

  

  

As adult choir librarian along with my husband Jack, I'm often in the closet up in the choir loft where my office supplies and some music boxes are stored. I noticed a keyboard leaning against the wall of the closet and asked Bud Uday, Properties Committee chair, who it belonged to and if the church might loan it to me since I had loaned my keyboard to Barbara Conroy, elementary music teacher, who transported all her music equipment  to her classes on a cart. Dr. Uday told me it belonged to the church but maybe Grace Iglehart might find a use for it. I showed her the keyboard. We found all the miscellaneous equipment that went with it, carted it down to her office and plugged it in. You should have seen her face light up when it not only sounded like a real piano but could be cued to sound like just about any instrument! Grace is looking forward to adding a keyboard to the Youth Band.
   I also noticed some bulky items stored in the choir loft that needed a more logical storage place. Luckily, our maintenance man, Bill Jambeau, was able to find new storage places! There was a little wooden chair sitting on the piano. I thought of Joan Hemsworth from St. James Church and her skill with handcrafting items for the Holiday Boutique. When she attended the Lenten Concert at GIPC in March, I handed her the chair and asked if she could brighten it up with her colorful and folksy art. She returned the cleverly painted chair and asked nothing for doing it; she said it was 'a gift to our church'--- It sits on the window sill in thein the "crying room". It will only hold a doll, not a child, but it adds a bit of color to the room. Stop by and see it!
                                                             Pamela A. Frucci