Wow, St. John’s! Amazing!

Over three years ago, I met Kendra Heimbuck, former Executive Director of Teton Habitat over a sandwich at the New York City Sub Shop on the corner of Broadway. I was getting to know the community and Kendra was kind enough to meet for lunch and fill me in on Habitat. I already had a sense that housing was a huge problem for so many here. Kendra filled me in on a big dream of Habitat’s—The Grove—a 24-unit housing complex in the town of Jackson. It just didn’t seem like St. John’s could sit on the sidelines of that one! And we haven’t.

Just this past week the Foundation for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming granted us the final $50,000 grant—number three of three! Along with $150,000 from the Foundation, St. John’s has well exceeded its goal of raising another $100,000 for the project totaling well over a quarter of a million dollars for The Grove. Way to go, St. John’s. With all the financial support you’ve given, you’ve also given countless hours of volunteer work, made lunches, picked families, supported families, and supervised some of the more technical aspects of construction.

I feel like I often say things like, “wow, St. John’s! Amazing!”

And, y’all’s response is simply, “all in a day’s work!” You’ve funded a unit of housing in The Grove Project and then some. And, while you were doing that, you’ve done an awful lot more for folks!

My hope is for our partnership with Teton Habitat to continue. Of course, there are more wonderful and strategic partnerships to create in this valley, too. There’s a bit more work at the Grove before we move on to the next house for the next family.

Church, I think it’s working—this love-spreading, difference-making thing! Keep it up!

Love, Jimmy

p.s. We have nearly 13,500 hours of volunteer work to date on this project.