The Grayson County Center for Women’s Ministries (GCCWM) will soon move from rental space on Lilac Road to 216 West Walnut Street.
The first phase of deconstruction of the current structure, located on the corner of West Walnut Street and North Broadway Street, will begin Friday, according to GCCWM office manager Sara Bailey.
Bailey said professionals were hired to dispose of asbestos siding contained in the home, and “once all dangerous materials are removed, Grayson County Center for Women’s Ministries will finalize resources and bids to salvage usable materials before clearing the property for new construction.”
GCCWM is an all-volunteer, donor-funded organization founded in 2013, according to Bailey, and was gifted the property at the end of 2019. Once completed, the site will house both GCCWM’s offices and serve as the organization’s site of operations.
“The West Walnut Street structure has suffered years of abandonment, neglect, and many failed attempts of restoration, yet Center for Women’s Ministries, GCCWM’s parent organization, granted acceptance of the donated property after a two-year prayerful journey,” Bailey stated.
GCCWM Center Director Sandy Kiper said about the project, “This endeavor of building a new center building is so much more than constructing a building. It will be a picture of how God redeems and restores our lives and relationship with Him. That’s one reason this property is so perfect!”
“CWM was founded on Isaiah 61:1,3 which speaks to healing and giving beauty for ashes,” Kiper said, “and these verses continue to be the focus for GCCWM as it aims to provide a path to emotional and spiritual healing to the women in Grayson County while now expanding to fulfill the next verse; as Verse 4 speaks of those who are strengthened by the Lord: They will ‘rebuild ancient ruins … the desolations of many generations.'”
“These verses speak of ruin and have a literal sense for our (future) center on the property that is in ‘ruin,'”Kiper added.
GCCWM’s advisory board and volunteers have expressed their united hope that the new structure, “will be a gathering place, a home-like atmosphere where women can come to receive emotional and spiritual support, and renewed purpose,” Bailey said.
Kiper invites the community to come together to help beautify the neighbor by considering donating materials, services, or monetary donations toward the property’s rehabilitation. She also requests that people positively impacted by the free ministry resources, classes, Bible studies, peer counseling, or crisis intervention to provide their testimonies to encourage on-going community participation and support.
More information as it becomes available may be found on Facebook, through links at cwmhope.org, or via mobile requests to 270-230-9925.
Currently, GCCWM is the Center for Women’s Ministries only Kentucky location.
By Ken Howlett, News Director, and Sara Bailey, GCCWM office manager
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
