Column: Shorelines

Photos courtesy of Jim Byrnes

Volunteers work together to move a 12-foot-by-12-foot walk-in freezer into its new space after a recent expansion of the LCM warehouse.

Lake Christian Ministries, a nonprofit located in Moneta, is undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion project to accommodate its growing clientele.

"Don't ever question the value of volunteers. Noah's ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals."

That sentiment, posted on Lake Christian Ministries' Facebook page, couldn't be truer these days as a cadre of 40 men continue renovating the nonprofit's facility.

Jim Byrnes, project manager, stayed late one recent Friday night to show a visitor all that's been done since the work started Dec. 6. An area near the warehouse has been expanded and a gigantic 12-foot-by-12-foot walk-in freezer has been heaved into a carved-out section of the new space.

A larger waiting room near the main entrance of the building has been created to give clients shelter from the elements as they wait in line for LCM to open. Nearly 1,300-square-feet of new space has been added while existing areas undergo a makeover.

A framed-out section in the warehouse, where the walk-in freezer is, will soon become LCM's dry storage and pantry. Offices will move to where the existing pantry is today and restrooms will move closer to the waiting area.

Making these changes is a monumental task because the nonprofit cannot close during renovations lest it leave its clients without services.

"This project is a little bit like a Rubik's Cube because this place is always packed," said Byrnes. "We have got to stay operational."

LCM serves 1,800 households, which equates to nearly 6,000 people. Nearly 50 percent of the clientele is under the age of 17 or over 60.

Every facet of the project has been planned and must be executed carefully. And, with the exception of hiring Scott Heath of Heath Home Building to handle the exterior work, the majority of the jobs are being handled by volunteers.

As Byrnes pored over pictures of the progress so far, his enthusiasm for the project, which is estimated to cost between $150,000 and $200,000, was contagious.

Recognizing the need to be highly organized, Byrnes crafted an organizational chart and has subdivided the work into categories. Byrnes has dubbed it The Bent Nail Company.

As project manager of The Bent Nail Company, Byrnes appointed himself as The One to Blame. Other board members include the Junkyard Dog (Barry Baird), the Git R Dun Guy (Steve Dorr) and the Gang Leader (Ray Traen).

Byrnes even went a step further to assign clever names according to the tasks at hand: Mark Koch is the Demo Man, heading up the demolition crew; Rick Carroll is Woody, in charge of carpentry projects; Tom Mignogna is the Zapper, spearheading the electrical crew; Bob Lohmeyer is the Plunger Man, the go-to guy for plumbing projects; Joe Crouch is the Cool Guy, in charge of HVAC; and John O'Neil is the Moneta Mudder, overseeing sheetrock.

Byrnes recruited the lot by visiting area churches including Resurrection Catholic Church, Trinity Ecumenical Parish and Bethlehem United Methodist Church.

"Quite frankly, I got more people than I thought I'd get," said Byrnes. "It's truly an honor to be a part of this crew in every way."

Each volunteer has been placed in a group according to his skills, and many of the volunteers work on multiple crews. What Byrnes is in awe of most is the talent the volunteers bring to the table. Most are retired. Many of them come from a variety of impressive professional backgrounds, but, at LCM, everyone is equal.

"There are no prima donnas here," said Byrnes. "We're all on the same plane. This is a very giving, very talented group of guys."

To date, Byrnes said the renovations are on schedule thanks in part to the crew working extremely well together.

If that determination and dedication were translated into monetary donations for the project, LCM would have no worries. While they're on track with donations, LCM still has more fundraising to do and organizers are planning events over the next several months.

"We're still short; we don't have all the money yet," said Byrnes. "We're ahead of the curve but we're not home-free yet."

To make a donation to LCM's building fund, to see details of the renovations and to check out The Bent Nail Company organization chart, visit lcm-moneta.org.