Carol Duncan's lifelong passion is honored
Carol Duncan, a longtime member, leader and deacon of St. Paul's, will be honored Wednesday with the dedication of new housing for people with mental health issues.
Deacon Carol, whose deep commitment to people with mental illnesses led to the founding of the nonprofit ICAN Housing in 1988, was executive director of the agency until she retired and moved to Philadelphia in 2011.
The new complex in her name, Duncan Square, at 3320 35th St. NE will be dedicated on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Across Harmont Avenue from Walmart, the complex consists of 12, one-story units, and will include wrap-around services and case management.
The $2.4 million project, built on about 1.5 acres, was funded through the city with federal American Rescue Plan funds and private foundations including Sisters of Charity, Timken, Stark, Lemon and Deuble foundations. Residents will come from the Homeless Hotline's central intake list, based on the greatest need.
Carol, with her ever-present smile, came up at St. Paul's and was mentored by the Rev. Whit Dennison, eventually becoming an Episcopal deacon. She's kept a close eye on and heart with us in the years since her move to Philadelphia.
Please join Carol and those celebrating the extention of her ministry Wednesday afternoon.
Deacon Carol, whose deep commitment to people with mental illnesses led to the founding of the nonprofit ICAN Housing in 1988, was executive director of the agency until she retired and moved to Philadelphia in 2011.
The new complex in her name, Duncan Square, at 3320 35th St. NE will be dedicated on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Across Harmont Avenue from Walmart, the complex consists of 12, one-story units, and will include wrap-around services and case management.
The $2.4 million project, built on about 1.5 acres, was funded through the city with federal American Rescue Plan funds and private foundations including Sisters of Charity, Timken, Stark, Lemon and Deuble foundations. Residents will come from the Homeless Hotline's central intake list, based on the greatest need.
Carol, with her ever-present smile, came up at St. Paul's and was mentored by the Rev. Whit Dennison, eventually becoming an Episcopal deacon. She's kept a close eye on and heart with us in the years since her move to Philadelphia.
Please join Carol and those celebrating the extention of her ministry Wednesday afternoon.
Meals on Wheels
now being distributed from St. Paul's.
We are so excited and blessed to share in this ministry!
now being distributed from St. Paul's.
We are so excited and blessed to share in this ministry!
Heritage House Lives On
Heritage House, the blond-brick apartment building northwest of St. Paul’s, is no longer the “ecumenical witness of churches working together for the good of the community” as it was designed to be when it was built in the 1960s. A private company bought it two years ago.
But indirectly, Heritage House is a key reason Tomeka Cundiff and her 9- and 4-year-old children – as well as two other families -- moved into new homes on Canton’s northeast end two weeks ago.
Here’s how the two connect:
The new houses are this year’s interdenominational “Faith Build” by Habitat for Humanity’s East Central Ohio chapter. The chapter (“unapologetically Christian but radically inclusive”) is a little over 30 years old and one of the busiest in the country. It has built and rehabbed nearly 600 homes under a nonprofit model that combines donations, volunteer labor, sweat equity from would-be homeowners and payments that current Habitat homeowners make on zero-interest mortgages.
Back in late 2019, everything looked like it was a go for three more homes to be built. For $1, Canton City Schools had donated a piece of land on 23rd Street NE that once housed a school. The designs for the homes -- with open floor plans, natural light, porches across the fronts and spacious yards out back – got the OK. Three families, each headed by working mothers, had been screened, enrolled in homeowner education classes, set up escrow accounts to save for taxes and insurance and prepared to invest their own time with volunteer crews.
Then came 2020. And Covid 19.
With the pandemic came doubts about the safety of volunteer crews working together, the ability of struggling businesses to make in-kind donations, even the ability of prospective homeowners – many of whom are essential workers – to have the time to put in their sweat equity.
By the time those concerns eased, it was early 2021. And that’s when the cost of construction materials soared. Habitat Director Beth Lechner remembers a panel of structural wood called OSB that had cost $4.50 shot up to $53.
“But the pandemic didn’t stop us. The money didn’t stop us,” she said as she guided a tour of one of the homes. “These families work so hard.”
And that brings us to Heritage House.
“It really spearheaded the resurgence,” said Lechner.
Here’s why.
When the apartment building sold in 2019 for about $1.5 million, the eight churches that had overseen the building for more than 50 years divided the proceeds. Three – St. Paul’s, Christ Presbyterian and St. Stephen’s Lutheran – decided to pool their shares totaling about $600,000 with the Stark County Community Foundation. Each year, about $32,000 could be disbursed from that to help reduce homelessness and meet other community needs.
A few months ago, the first distribution was OK’s for three programs: Legal Aid eviction relief, Hammer and Nails rehabs and Habitat.
The money helped ease the unexpected crises. And the mission of Heritage House – an interfaith effort to provide housing and hope -- lives on.
Heritage House, the blond-brick apartment building northwest of St. Paul’s, is no longer the “ecumenical witness of churches working together for the good of the community” as it was designed to be when it was built in the 1960s. A private company bought it two years ago.
But indirectly, Heritage House is a key reason Tomeka Cundiff and her 9- and 4-year-old children – as well as two other families -- moved into new homes on Canton’s northeast end two weeks ago.
Here’s how the two connect:
The new houses are this year’s interdenominational “Faith Build” by Habitat for Humanity’s East Central Ohio chapter. The chapter (“unapologetically Christian but radically inclusive”) is a little over 30 years old and one of the busiest in the country. It has built and rehabbed nearly 600 homes under a nonprofit model that combines donations, volunteer labor, sweat equity from would-be homeowners and payments that current Habitat homeowners make on zero-interest mortgages.
Back in late 2019, everything looked like it was a go for three more homes to be built. For $1, Canton City Schools had donated a piece of land on 23rd Street NE that once housed a school. The designs for the homes -- with open floor plans, natural light, porches across the fronts and spacious yards out back – got the OK. Three families, each headed by working mothers, had been screened, enrolled in homeowner education classes, set up escrow accounts to save for taxes and insurance and prepared to invest their own time with volunteer crews.
Then came 2020. And Covid 19.
With the pandemic came doubts about the safety of volunteer crews working together, the ability of struggling businesses to make in-kind donations, even the ability of prospective homeowners – many of whom are essential workers – to have the time to put in their sweat equity.
By the time those concerns eased, it was early 2021. And that’s when the cost of construction materials soared. Habitat Director Beth Lechner remembers a panel of structural wood called OSB that had cost $4.50 shot up to $53.
“But the pandemic didn’t stop us. The money didn’t stop us,” she said as she guided a tour of one of the homes. “These families work so hard.”
And that brings us to Heritage House.
“It really spearheaded the resurgence,” said Lechner.
Here’s why.
When the apartment building sold in 2019 for about $1.5 million, the eight churches that had overseen the building for more than 50 years divided the proceeds. Three – St. Paul’s, Christ Presbyterian and St. Stephen’s Lutheran – decided to pool their shares totaling about $600,000 with the Stark County Community Foundation. Each year, about $32,000 could be disbursed from that to help reduce homelessness and meet other community needs.
A few months ago, the first distribution was OK’s for three programs: Legal Aid eviction relief, Hammer and Nails rehabs and Habitat.
The money helped ease the unexpected crises. And the mission of Heritage House – an interfaith effort to provide housing and hope -- lives on.
Thanksgiving Baskets Downtown
Together with other religious, academic and community organizations we
provide food for those less fortunate during the Thanksgiving season. In 2018 we distributed "baskets" to nearly 1200 Stark County families.
www.thanksgivingbasketscanton.org
provide food for those less fortunate during the Thanksgiving season. In 2018 we distributed "baskets" to nearly 1200 Stark County families.
www.thanksgivingbasketscanton.org
HOT Lunch at St. Paul's
feeds on average 100 guests each third Saturday of the month
feeds on average 100 guests each third Saturday of the month
