January 07, 2008 11:27 pm
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With media’s help, we can promote city
As lifelong residents of Kokomo and members of the Pioneer Auto Club, my wife and I have been involved in many automotive heritage-related events and projects over the years. We’ve been supportive of many community events and have never hesitated to bring our cars out in support of any worthy cause.
This year, with the celebration of Elwood Haynes’ 150th birthday, our community’s automotive heritage became “alive” again. In an age where it appears the youth of today care little about or take for granted our automotive heritage, it is nice to see such wonderful coverage by the media of these events. Nowhere was this more evident than the Kokomo Tribune’s attention to automotive heritage this year. The most notable was the 150th birthday celebration at the Elwood Haynes Museum. In the week prior, the Tribune published a special section detailing Mr. Haynes’ contributions to society. They followed it up with daily features on Mr. Haynes’ life and accomplishments and the effort our community is making to call attention to his legacy. It is this kind of media coverage that will help education today’s youth, as well as all of our citizens, about how the city of Kokomo helped develop and mold the automobile industry in its early years. It’s going to take this kind of support to put Kokomo back on the map as the home of “America’s First Car.”
As citizens of Kokomo, we should hold our heads high in knowing things like stainless steel, stellite, the automobile and other inventions that we take for granted in our lives each day originated in Kokomo at the hands of our founding forefathers. With the media’s help (like the effort put forth by the Tribune), we can continue our work in the promotion and preservation of this rich automotive heritage knowing we can easily get the word out to the community with the assistance and cooperation of the local media.
Bob, Rosalie Gollner
Kokomo
Consider donation to CAM ministries
To begin, thank you for your continued support of CAM. In the years of 2006 and 2007, CAM has been greatly blessed. We appreciate Oakbrook Community Church becoming involved at CAM in 2006, by remodeling both kitchens and initiating the annual fundraiser, Run for Shelter.
It has been a continual joy to see clients of CAM find jobs and families restored with a roof over their heads. Recently, one client even finished paying off her Habitat home through our Representative Payee Ministry.
In year 2007, we were blessed by two Leadership Kokomo teams: the Spring Team helped set up the Bill Hudson Project, along with a group from First Presbyterian who cleared the space and organized CAM files. The second Leadership Kokomo team “saved our building” with a new roof, major repairs to the soffits (the pigeons were quite unhappy about this), new appliances, attic made usable, and major “fix-ups.”
Year 2007 was the year of new projects. The first major project CAM began in March 2007 with the opening of our Bill Hudson Project – “provide affordable, safe housing and safe haven for the homeless and those recovering from an alcohol or drug addiction.” At this time, BHP serves only males in this residency program. We have assisted 34 men in these first nine months.
Part of the mission statement of CAM is “meet needs not being met by community agencies,” and we have been concerned about homeless families. At the present time, there is no “family shelter” in Howard County. For a family to stay together, we have been transporting them to Logansport or Lafayette. Our second major project is the Family Hope Center, operated by CAM and to be at 320 E. Walnut St., with facility being donated by Family Worship Center and Transitions of Kokomo LLC.
Other projects begun this year are Table Top Discussion Groups – bringing in community leaders twice each day to CAM and partnering with Ivy Tech on job initiatives.
As for the financial needs of CAM – we had a significant shortfall in our Nickel Mile fundraiser this year. Historically, January through March are the most difficult months financially, without fundraisers. Working with our clientele requires many hours of individual attention, however, the estimated cost of CAM’s expenses to aid the 1,055 clients we assisted in 2006 was about $99 per client.
Please consider CAM in your giving. All contributions are tax deductible.
We are blessed to work in God’s ministry of moving the homeless off the streets and into stable living. Only by the help of the Lord and many good people like you is this ministry possible.
The Rev. Ruth Lawson
CAM director
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