Helping hands

A group of about 150 youth from the Collaborative Missionary Network (Southern  Baptist Churches in Marshall and Lafayette counties) recently visited Holly Springs to participate in a cleanup detail.

Gary Adams, pastor of BridgeWay Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant,  said “D-Now” (Discipleship Now) was hosted by the First Baptist Church of Holly Springs. The group helped Mayor Kelvin Buck and street department employees clean out rooms on the old Sims School campus. They then went to Spring Hollow Park and picked up trash.

“This was a weekend mission project, which First Baptist Church hosted and I and the mayor coordinated,” Adams said. “I contacted the mayor and asked him for a priority list of projects. He asked us to assist in cleaning out the historic Sims School in preparation for renovations.”

Larry Miller, supervisor of Buildings, Streets and Grounds, said two roll-off dumpsters, full and packed down,  were pulled out of the Sims building January 21 at 1 p.m. by the D-Now group. They removed old shelves and debris.

“We still have some to clean out. They really helped us out tremendously,” Miller said.

Work on restoring the Sims building awaits some patching of the roof to stop the leaks, he said, and then the building has to dry out.

Afterward the youth went to the Multi-Purpose Building and cleaned the walking trail at Spring Hollow Park all the way to the water works building on Park Avenue, he said.

“I hope these kinds of things catch on,” Miller added.

Also assisting with the project were city employees Glen Bridgeforth, Jimmy Young, and Howard Washington.

Mayor Buck expressed his appreciation for the work the youngsters undertook.

“Thanks to the youth of the Collaborative Missionary Network,” he said. “These young volunteers and their counselors did a dynamic job helping us prepare the historic Sims School for a future of community activities and service. Your ministry has contributed in a huge way to the restoration of this wonderful facility.”