As The Abraham House in Seelyville prepares to open in September, neighbors are wondering what it’s all about.
The First Presbyterian Church (FPCH) of Honesdale bought the building on Maple Avenue, the former Seelyville Union Chapel, for $1 last year.
Their mission? To help people in need.
Beginning Sept. 2, The Abraham House will be open every Thursday evening, 6 to 8 p.m., for “worship, food, fellowship and clothing.”
The ecumenical outreach program came up at Monday night’s Texas Township meeting. Several Seelyville residents wondered about the program, worried about what type of people it might draw.
To the phrase “those people,” the Rev. Michael Lyle, pastor of the FPCh, says, “We are those people. The problem is: We are all broken. We are all struggling. We are all people who have had difficult times in our lives. And the travesty is ... that we focus on that small faction of people who have tainted all of humanity because they add fear to our lives, they cause us to be afraid. And we have to find ways to get beyond that and serve them,” the pastor said.
Lyle says the challenge is to “reach beyond our walls ...and love people where they are.”
Seelyville resident Susan Plunkett worries about her family’s safety, having been victimized by a break-in in past.
“Over the six years that I have owned my home I’ve watched the neighborhood deteriorate,” Plunkett said. “We have had some unsavory people moving in and out.”
A year ago, while Plunkett was at work, “a local drug addict broke into an upstairs bedroom window while my 15-year-old daughter slept in the next room over,” she said.
There are pedophiles in the neighborhood, she said, and a homeless man has looked in her windows.
Since Monday night, Plunkett had sat down with Lyle.
“I met with the Rev. Lyle; he is a great guy. I listened to what his vision was of the church, and I know change is hard for people, but I think this will be a good thing. It’ll be positive for the neighborhood,” Plunkett said. “I think this will be a positive change for us. I’m all for it.”
Growing a big vegetable garden, Plunkett said she’d be more than happy to share some of her vegetables with the program.
Helping struggling families
In tough economic times, plenty of people fall through the cracks, where they don’t qualify for government help but are still having a hard time stretching the family budget.
“One of the struggles that we have in our culture is that there is a line of those that the government helps and those they don’t. And that line if very fine. Basically, a two-family income that makes $30,000 doesn’t qualify for any aid. And how do those people get ahead? Imagine having three kids on a $30,000 annual income ...It’s very challenging, and we recognize that,” Lyle said.
“And so our desire is really to meet the needs of those people. That’s the group we’re really searching for is the young families who are struggling to make ends meet,” Lyle added.
With the capacity to seat 100, Lyle said, “I don’t expect that we’re going to receive 100 people the first week or the second week, or maybe the first year. My goal is between 10 and 20 people by Christmas.”
Carol Welsh, Director of The Abraham House, said they’ll also be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and perhaps Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m., offering free clothing.
“Local businesses in town and people from our parish have given us clothing ...(If) you need clothing, you come and take as much as you need,” Lyle said.
Jill McConnell and Heather Amato, Finders Keepers on Main Street in Honesdale, donated prom dresses and other clothing.
Lyle hopes area parishioners will join will come alongside them in the ecumenical outreach program.
Along with the outreach program, the Seelyville Union Chapel still holds Sunday School Class in the building, and the church’s quilting group gathers there, as do the Boy Scouts.
In the future, Lyle hopes to have some type of after-school tutoring for students. “One of the visions that we have is the opportunity of possibly getting people from corporate Honesdale to meet teenagers that are having problems with academics,” Lyle said.
For more information, contact the First Presbyterian Church at 253-5451 or stop by The Abraham House.
“We’re not asking churches for money, we’ll fund it. We’re asking people to come and serve,” Lyle said.
FPCH thanked Boy Scout Zachary Koberlein for painting and putting up new drywall in the dining room as part of his Eagle Project.
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As The Abraham House in Seelyville prepares to open in September, neighbors are wondering what it’s all about.
The First Presbyterian Church (FPCH) of Honesdale bought the building on Maple Avenue, the former Seelyville Union Chapel, for $1 last year.
Their mission? To help people in need.
Beginning Sept. 2, The Abraham House will be open every Thursday evening, 6 to 8 p.m., for “worship, food, fellowship and clothing.”
The ecumenical outreach program came up at Monday night’s Texas Township meeting. Several Seelyville residents wondered about the program, worried about what type of people it might draw.
To the phrase “those people,” the Rev. Michael Lyle, pastor of the FPCh, says, “We are those people. The problem is: We are all broken. We are all struggling. We are all people who have had difficult times in our lives. And the travesty is ... that we focus on that small faction of people who have tainted all of humanity because they add fear to our lives, they cause us to be afraid. And we have to find ways to get beyond that and serve them,” the pastor said.
Lyle says the challenge is to “reach beyond our walls ...and love people where they are.”
Seelyville resident Susan Plunkett worries about her family’s safety, having been victimized by a break-in in past.
“Over the six years that I have owned my home I’ve watched the neighborhood deteriorate,” Plunkett said. “We have had some unsavory people moving in and out.”
A year ago, while Plunkett was at work, “a local drug addict broke into an upstairs bedroom window while my 15-year-old daughter slept in the next room over,” she said.
There are pedophiles in the neighborhood, she said, and a homeless man has looked in her windows.
Since Monday night, Plunkett had sat down with Lyle.
“I met with the Rev. Lyle; he is a great guy. I listened to what his vision was of the church, and I know change is hard for people, but I think this will be a good thing. It’ll be positive for the neighborhood,” Plunkett said. “I think this will be a positive change for us. I’m all for it.”
Growing a big vegetable garden, Plunkett said she’d be more than happy to share some of her vegetables with the program.
Helping struggling families
In tough economic times, plenty of people fall through the cracks, where they don’t qualify for government help but are still having a hard time stretching the family budget.
“One of the struggles that we have in our culture is that there is a line of those that the government helps and those they don’t. And that line if very fine. Basically, a two-family income that makes $30,000 doesn’t qualify for any aid. And how do those people get ahead? Imagine having three kids on a $30,000 annual income ...It’s very challenging, and we recognize that,” Lyle said.
“And so our desire is really to meet the needs of those people. That’s the group we’re really searching for is the young families who are struggling to make ends meet,” Lyle added.
With the capacity to seat 100, Lyle said, “I don’t expect that we’re going to receive 100 people the first week or the second week, or maybe the first year. My goal is between 10 and 20 people by Christmas.”
Carol Welsh, Director of The Abraham House, said they’ll also be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and perhaps Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m., offering free clothing.
“Local businesses in town and people from our parish have given us clothing ...(If) you need clothing, you come and take as much as you need,” Lyle said.
Jill McConnell and Heather Amato, Finders Keepers on Main Street in Honesdale, donated prom dresses and other clothing.
Lyle hopes area parishioners will join will come alongside them in the ecumenical outreach program.
Along with the outreach program, the Seelyville Union Chapel still holds Sunday School Class in the building, and the church’s quilting group gathers there, as do the Boy Scouts.
In the future, Lyle hopes to have some type of after-school tutoring for students. “One of the visions that we have is the opportunity of possibly getting people from corporate Honesdale to meet teenagers that are having problems with academics,” Lyle said.
For more information, contact the First Presbyterian Church at 253-5451 or stop by The Abraham House.
“We’re not asking churches for money, we’ll fund it. We’re asking people to come and serve,” Lyle said.
FPCH thanked Boy Scout Zachary Koberlein for painting and putting up new drywall in the dining room as part of his Eagle Project.
