Corydon, IA

During the Horizons Study Circles in early 2007 it became obvious that our community in Corydon had many assets that were underutilized for various reasons. A small group of us got together and decided to form a non-profit with the intention of being a place where information could be gathered in a central place and disseminated to anyone who placed a phone call.

We started meeting weekly and assignments were made. We needed a location to house our operation. Virginia Ireland and Belinda Willhite walked around the square in Corydon checking out vacant buildings and identified a few possibilities. The rest of the group looked at one potential site, a recently closed dry cleaners. Finally, we found a cottage just a block off of the square that was for sale. Roberta Chambers, our president and a lawyer, made contact with the real estate agent, John Rider, and made an offer. It was accepted and we were elated. We had a place to operate from.

Then came reality. We began the process of remodeling on a shoestring budget. Members asked where would we get the money? We were so hyped about working to end poverty that we thought everyone would be willing to help. Not so fast. It was summer by the time we had the keys to the building and in a rural community that is a very busy time. In spite of that, a few committed individuals removed old shingles from the building and caulked and painted the exterior. Connie Snook-West, who owns the hardware store in town, donated paint, caulk, brushes and electrical outlets to our cause. John Poston and Shaun Bradberry put insulation in the attic area. Sheet rock was mudded and texturized by another member, Chad Wilson. A new sewer line was dug and we were on our way to having a bathroom. Virginia Ireland donated $1,000 for new windows and Chad and his father-in-law installed them.

Then winter set in and it was too cold to do much so we went back to meeting at the Chambers and Relph Law firm. A rainy and late spring again has slowed us down but we now have flooring ordered and we are closer to moving in to our cottage.

We applied for and recieved two grants from the Wayne County Foundation in the amount of $11,250 for improvements to the building. This money will pay for the materials to build a handicap ramp and to make the bathroom handicap accessible. Volunteers will do the work.

We wanted to be able to move in sooner but, as with any good idea, it sometimes means we had to be realistic and alter our plans. We held fundraisers and slowly watched our bank account increase to allow us to buy the things we needed that weren’t donated. This is something that the community has helped with and during the process we have been given opportunities to increase awareness of poverty in our community. We are looking forward to moving in this year.

Melinda Martley, Virginia Ireland, Marj Pyner, Roberta Chambers and staff, Belinda and JD Willhite and Dee Jones have been helping the Mobile Meals (similar to Meals on Wheels) deliver meals to seniors and the disabled in the Corydon community since the spring of 2007. When there is a shortage of volunteers, the Wayne County Home Health Coordinator  calls Welcome, We Help and we make arrangements to fill in so that there is no interruption in this important nutrition service to our residents in need.

The Snow Angels joined forces with Wayne’s FCCLA class, led by Dorene McCart, to clean up brush around the city of Corydon. The winter ice storms devastated many trees and created a mess for the community. The youth are an incredible source when it comes to volunteering in the community. They enjoy working together and like the opportunity to help others. Welcome, We Help inc. is getting young people involved in working to improve the quality of life in Corydon.
Local citizens joined to help the kids in the clean-up effort. Neely’s Manufacturing donated gas for the trucks that were used and thoughtful citizens purchased pizza for the group. It was a time of community spirit and a time to show the public that when people decide to come together to get things done, much can be accomplished in a short time.

The needs in our community are so diverse. Available services are scattered throughout our county. Sometimes the only thing keeping a need from being met is the unawareness of where to find the right resource. Welcome, We Help, inc. has a vision of becoming a beacon for needy citizens in our community. The organization has a goal of creating a 24-hour hotline that directs callers to the available resources and caters to specific needs. The idea behind this organization is to empower the people to take control of their financial situations and help educate people to become more aware of the sources available in their community. This is no easy task and steps are underway to organize county information and train individuals to operate a help line.

Volunteers know and understand that change will not take place at the twitch of a nose, a tap of a wand, or at the blink of an eye. Change will take time.