Springfield as a city and Forest Park as a neighborhood are changing. The mayor brought media attention to the large number of immigrants and refugees who are living in our city recently. Many of them are living in the Forest Park area.
In keeping with the vision of the founding fathers of Trinity who wanted the building to be available for the community, Trinity is currently attempting to meet the ever-changing needs of the neighborhood. Many of our neighbors in the Forest Park area are recent immigrants and refugees so Trinity has forged partnerships with two groups to help meet the needs of these newest residents of Springfield.
One of the groups bringing refugees into the Springfield area is Jewish Family Service. A few years ago they approached Trinity and asked for space to help their sponsored refugees learn English as a Second Language, participate in driver training classes, and generally learn to assimilate into their new home and culture. JFS also offers Citizenship Classes for any immigrant wishing to participate. Trinity agreed to this partnership and has made space available.
Last year Trinity became home to twice monthly legal clinics sponsored by JFON (Justice for Our Neighbors) to assist all immigrants find help for navigating the system. The local chapter of JFON is sponsored by the national organization and provides legal services for all sorts of issues from obtaining a green card to applying for citizenship.
Currently Trinity is maxed out for the amount of space it can provide for these programs. The addition of a new handicapped accessible community room would allow space for additional ESL, GED, and other adult education classes. There is a great need in the community for these services and the new room would help Trinity fill this void.
Trinity believes that it is important to minister to any and all members of the community. As we examine the changing demographics of the city and neighborhood, we are creating programs and services to help meet the needs of our neighbors. Your donation to Trinity on Valley Gives Day, December 12, will help expedite the construction of the new handicapped accessible community room and make the expansion of these essential programs a reality.
Please mark your calendars to donate on Dec. 12. If you are not available then, you can schedule a donation in advance. You can also learn more about Trinity's story and why we're asking for donations, by going to their website VALLEY GIVES DAY.
In the 1920s when Trinity was planned and built, the church leaders had a vision that it would be an integral part of the community. For that reason, they built a large community hall and also included a swimming pool and a gymnasium, both of which were unheard of in a church in those days. The pool served the church and the community well for over 70 years. One doesn't have to search long to find someone who says they learned to swim in the Trinity pool.
Approximately eight years ago maintaining this ancient pool became an impossible financial task. At that time church leaders reluctantly decided to close the pool. It has been an unused space since that time.
Current church leaders also have a vision. Their vision is to build a handicapped accessible community room with adjoining accessible restrooms in the space where the pool used to be. The plans for this room are a part of the current Capital Campaign. It is estimated that the total cost for this room will be approximately $400,000. To date, we have raised about $100,000 and are in the process of applying for grants to complete the project. We are seeking funding through Valley Gives 2013 to expedite this process and help make this vision a reality sooner rather than later.
A part of this vision is that future generations will say they attended an after school program, or learned English as a Second Language, or sang in the Children's Chorus of Springfield, or participated in citizenship classes at Trinity. All of these programs are currently happening at Trinity, but the new community room will expand the possibilities for these programs and will enable the creation of new opportunities as a part of Trinity's on-going urban ministry. Our neighborhood is undergoing change and in order to be a viable part of ministering to the the needs of the community, Trinity needs to grow and change. The addition of this handicapped accessible community room and the creation of new programs are two ways we are attempting to meet the needs of our neighbors.
Details of our current outreach programs, the impact they are having, and our visions for them in the future will be the subject of future postings over the next couple weeks.
To contribute to this campaign, click HERE.
Last year Trinity became home to twice monthly legal clinics sponsored by JFON (Justice for Our Neighbors) to assist all immigrants find help for navigating the system. The local chapter of JFON is sponsored by the national organization and provides legal services for all sorts of issues from obtaining a green card to applying for citizenship. 
