Paying it forward
Church volunteer says fixing homes is like “coming full circle”By William Kibler, bkibler@altoonamirror.com
Article Photos
Meagan Cook was among the volunteers from Second Avenue United Methodist Church helping paint a house on Sixth Avenue this week as part of Altoona's Gateway renovation project.
She was once a renovation project herself.
At 26, she is thriving with a husband and 3-year-old daughter, but as a kid, Cook moved around with her family a lot.
There was alcohol and abuse, and sometimes they lived in shelters.
A friend introduced her to the church through its vacation Bible school at 14, and she began attending a youth program there called The Rock.
She had to swallow her pride, but she met youth group leaders, the pastor and parents of friends who mentored her, and eventually felt as if she had a dozen parents.
At age 15, she became desperate to get away from her family, realizing by then that the way she was raised was not normal.
Her sister moved away with another family and her mother, stepfather and three younger siblings got evicted from a house that should have been condemned and began "camping out," showering at a local pool.
Cook moved in with a family from church and lived there for the rest of her high school days.
That's how she learned to be an adult and to be a Christian, she said.
By the time she was in 10th or 11th grade, she "dove in" to church life.
"I couldn't get enough," she said.
She began teaching classes, joined a youth group, attended church services and got into "the thick of things."
She learned the pleasures of giving back.
Helping others through church work such as scraping and painting for a low-income family on Sixth Avenue is "like coming full-circle," she said.
"If we have the resources, time and ability, why not?" she said. "It should be a way of life."
Pastor Matt Lake's congregation helped last year on the Gateway project and this year painted three houses in the neighborhood of the church that were not referred as part of the Gateway project.
The group plans to paint at least the front and side most visible from the street of the Gateway house, which is on the 900 block of Sixth Avenue.
The city is providing the paint and some brushes. The congregation is providing the labor and ladders.
The city sent notices of violation to the owners of 38 properties in the code sweep on Sixth and Seventh avenues.
Twenty-four applied for help and proved they were eligible because of low-to-moderate income, project coordinator Maryann Pellegrine said.
Of those, three have completed necessary work with the help of materials provided by the city and paid for by donations from businesses and groups.
Three or four others have begun porch repairs or siding jobs with the help of city-provided materials.
The Blair County Democrats started painting a house that the Second Avenue Church will complete, and the Blair County Republicans plan to paint one in August.
Two other volunteer groups took information enabling them to decide on a manageable project and two owners are waiting for material to begin work themselves, Pellegrine said.
The city is still looking for volunteers, especially those willing to climb ladders.
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orlandobob
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07-23-08 6:20 PM
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GREAT JOB TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, if i lived in Altoona again i help too.
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ferndawg44
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07-23-08 4:26 PM
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This is a great story and special thanks to all of the volunteers who assisted. Perhaps the houses that can't be painted should be bull dozed over and start fresh. 6th ave is still an eye sore no matter what time of day you drive it
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Chuxspringer
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07-23-08 10:20 AM
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GREAT JOB! True citizen.
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mama64
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07-23-08 9:24 AM
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who cares when the mayor is helping. i just think its great that people are taking time to halp others. you go Megan. God is going to do good things for you because you are not afraid to speak of him. i take care of a lady who had this church help her. i was thrilled. the house looks beautiful and if everyone would of seen the smile on her face to see her house look so nice, we wouldnt be worrying where the mayor is. its just awesome that people are helping others.
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RobFan530
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07-23-08 8:44 AM
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I don't have much to comment on about the 'painting projects' going on in Altoona, but I do just want to say,"Bravo" to Meagan Cook for taking control of her own life. No one did it for her, she has worked her way through struggles and she should be an example to many young people who do not have good role models. Good luck to her, I'm sure she has a bright future.
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kathymcburn
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07-23-08 1:28 AM
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When's the mayor going to help with his pet project?
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