Baltimore church renovates home, donates it to veteran

This is a great story for several reasons. First, Rock City Church puts on block parties with music and food in high-crime city neighborhoods each summer to get to know residents and help connect them with services.

That makes it an #ImpactChurch simply because it leaves the confines of its four walls to venture into the community where members can make a real impact on the lives of people.

Second, each year for 17 years, church volunteers have found sponsors and donated their labor to renovate an abandoned house and then donate it to someone who could never afford a home.

Talk about restoration!  A home gets new life as well as its stunned recipient.

What a novel approach to being “the church” — go out into the community, fix up a home and donate it to someone who selflessly served his country.

Rock County Church is truly trying to be the hands and feet of Christ.

From The Baltimore Sun:

Leon Ralph Noel went to a block party in East Baltimore on Saturday and ended up with a house.

Noel, a veteran who has always rented, learned Saturday afternoon that he would be given a newly renovated rowhouse, which was cordoned off for a party with a band, hot dogs and a bounce house.

The block party effort and house giveaways have succeeded because of many partnerships, with city churches, neighborhood groups and area businesses, said Wayman Hicks, a staff pastor at Rock City Church and director of the Adopt-A-Block program.

“We’re just looking to build a relationship. … A lot of it is about can we connect with the adults to get to the kids. And say hey, we’re here to really walk with you and what is it we can help with?” Hicks said.

The full story can be found at the Baltimore Sun.