"I made the widow's heart sing,
I was a father to the fatherless.
I took up the case of the stranger"
(Job 29:12-17)

Since 1981, Good Works has sought to serve the vulnerable, the voiceless and the powerless in rural Appalachia. Our vision is to create a loving COMMUNITY OF HOPE where those struggling with homelessness, poverty and recovery issues can experience God’s LOVE, identify their FAITH and develop HOPE: the ability to see beyond their circumstances, crisis and emotions and the moral strength to persevere into the future of possibilities. We seek to improve the quality of life of those we serve by helping each person make connections with people, programs, services and opportunities in our community.

IN THE BEGINNING…
Good Works began by providing shelter for the rural homeless when Keith Wasserman had a vision to reach out to those struggling with homelessness and poverty in rural Appalachian, Ohio. During his last year at Ohio University, Keith remodeled the basement of his home at #3 Elliott Street in Athens, Ohio into a two-bedroom apartment. There he opened a shelter for the homeless with the help of friends and supporters. The ministry operated out of this makeshift facility from 1981-84, during which time Keith and his wife Darlene were the only staff members. In 1982, a board of directors was formed, and in 1984 the organization was incorporated with tax-exempt 501(c) 3 status. In 1985, the Good Works Emergency Shelter moved out of Keith’s home and into its present facility on Central Avenue which we re-named The Timothy House in 1998.

As a Christian community, we are compelled by the biblical vision to love the stranger, defend the widow and care for the fatherless (Deuteronomy 10:18, Psalm 67:5-6, Matthew 25:31-46 & James 1:26-27). Good Works is focused on these population groups with two over-riding values: to love God and to love our neighbor. Our vision is to extend ourselves to others in sacrificial love and to provide an avenue though which the community can participate with us. Together, we can really bring HOPE to those who feel lonely, forgotten, rejected and helpless in our community.

THE TIMOTHY HOUSE
The Timothy House is more than just a homeless shelter. Residents who come to the Timothy House become a part of a community. Building trust and teaching responsibility are core values. Promoting education, meeting felt needs, and strengthening each person’s identity and value are all part of our ministry emphasis. A significant part of our role is advocacy—speaking on behalf of the homeless to those who have the power and resources to assist them. Another important aspect of our role is helping each person identify the underlying problems that led to the situation they are in; helping them discover a starting place and empowering them with the courage to take responsibility for those matters that they can do something about. In an environment where we strive to balance compassion and tough love, we have structured the Timothy House to allow each person to do as much for themselves as possible. Our goal is to help our residents propel their personal growth through loving accountability which comes from participating in a community where each person makes a significant contribution. Residents are responsible for cleaning the house, fixing meals, doing laundry and yard work. The Timothy House, located on the west side of Athens currently has four bedrooms with 15 beds, a living room, a kitchen, two bathrooms, two offices, and a large eating/meeting room. The Timothy House is staffed by Good Works full-time staff who work together with an average of 50 volunteers. Covering a geographical area of 9 counties in SE Ohio, we provide almost 200 homeless people each year a safe, clean and stable place to stay.

THE GOOD WORKS LUHRIG ROAD PROPERTY
Purchased in 1994, this property supports two thirds of the Good Works’ ministry. The center of this property, The Hannah House, is where we provide Life in Transition, a long term transitional housing opportunity intended to give homeless single men and women an extended period of stability in their lives that will enable them to move toward independence and self-sufficiency. Hannah House is also home to the Appalachian Immersion Interns who provide leadership to various Good Works programs. In addition to providing offices for some of the Good Works staff, Hannah House also provides a temporary home to many visiting work groups who come from all over the US and Canada and stay in our 30 bed dorm for a few days to a full week. Also located on the wooded 35 acres of the Good Works Luhrig Road property are the Administrative Offices for Good Works, Good Gifts (a retail gift store), Country Bed & Breakfast, The Solitude Retreat Cabin, The Transformation Station, the Good Works community garden and various hiking and walking trails. Finally, the Luhrig Road property is the location of our newest initiative called Hope and Possibilities, a new outreach to assist anyone in crisis on a daily basis. The vision of H&P is to meet face to face with persons struggling with poverty and provide them with information, assistance, support and connections to services and resources.

THE TRANSFORMATION STATION
Completed in 2004, the Transformation Station is a resource center where people struggling with poverty can receive the following items in exchange for sharing their time, skills and abilities: automobiles, furniture, appliances and food. Good Works receives the donations of these items and provides them to our friends struggling with poverty in rural Appalachia through ‘bartering’ concept where citizens share their time in exchange for each item. This opportunity is not designed for anyone in crisis.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIFE
Since 1992, Good Works has provided a community sit-down family style supper—we call it Friday Night Life—every Friday night for the homeless, recovering homeless and others struggling with poverty in rural Appalachian Ohio. Sponsored by churches and community groups, this “soup-kitchen” is held six months of the year on the Good Works Luhrig Road property picnic style and six months in partnership with The Plains United Methodist Church. Following the supper, staff and volunteers provide a wide range of activities for an estimated 100 adults as well as a Friday Night Kids Club for about 35 kids. Through its various programs, Good Works provides an estimated 17,000 meals to the poor and homeless each year—all on the donations from individuals and community groups.

SOLITUDE RETREAT CABIN
This special place of solitude is designed for anyone who wants a time of rest, reflection and solitude in a very quiet and private setting. The Solitude Retreat Cabin is located on the Good Works Luhrig Road property and the use of this cabin is available at no charge to anyone. To reserve time at the cabin call us at 740/594-3336.

SUMMER SERVICE PROGRAM
Each year, Good Works welcomes 200-250 adults and teens to participate in our Summer Service Program. These volunteer work groups stay in our 30 bed dorm at The Hannah House and participate in five different areas. These include visiting widows at their homes, serving with Samaritan Projects, volunteering at The Timothy House, working on different projects on Good Works property and using the Solitude Retreat Cabin. Good Works also provides a one week summer internship experience for anyone 16 or older who would like to participate in our WEEK OF SERVICE program.

TRAINING FOR LIFE COMPUTER CLASS
Begun in 2003, this computer training course is designed to assist the homeless and others from our community to obtain the computer skills which will give them a “leg up” over the employment fence. Located at The Timothy House, this course provides hands-on computer training 3-4 days a week for those society considers hardest to employ.

NEIGHBORING 101
Neighboring 101 is a class offered by the Good Works staff to the community in which local neighbors, professionals and members of local congregations come together once a week to study a different issue related to poverty. For more information on meeting days and times, e-mail us or contact Andrea Horsch at 740-594-3333.

HOPE and POSSIBILITIES
Hope and Possibilities is a new initiative developed by Good Works to meet the immediate needs of those struggling with the crisis of poverty in our community. H&P will have three major aspects: (1.) To be available every week day to meet face-to-face with those in emergency situations with the goal to connect them with local congregations and other local agencies who can assist them. (2.) To support local Pastors and pastoral leadership as they seek to distribute financial support to citizens in need. (3.) To encourage local congregations to advance their local outreach to those in need.

Every aspect of H&P is rooted in two beliefs: assisting people face-to-face is always best and connecting people to communities who care is the base long-term solution to addressing each person’s situation.

As we meet with individuals in need each day, we will examine the issues they are facing and investigate the situation they are in, and serve as advocates when possible. An essential part of H&P is providing information, education and spiritual support to individauls facing the crisis of poverty. By “spiritual support” we mean listening and prayer. Additionally, the program provides local pastors and lay leaders with a sounding board as they discern how best to provide assistance. This role of coach to local church leaders extends to opening up dialogue with church members on ways they can assist the poor and needy in our community. The dialogue with local congrgations involves Bible study, prayer, discernment and communication among the members. The purpose of the dialogue is not to “reinvent the wheel” so to speak, but to build upon what has already been developed by each local congregation.

SAMARITAN PROJECTS and SENIOR CARE
Samaritan Projects was created in 1999 to provide another opportunity for youth and adults to serve seniors and the disabled of rural Appalachia. Through Samaritan Projects, summer and weekend work groups are directed to serve needy citizens at their homes. This outreach has an estimated 500 participants each year.

Senior Care –“I made the widow’s heart sing”—is intended to pair up seniors who desire volunteers to visit them regularly with area volunteers who desire to learn from and benefit from their relationships with widows, widowers and the disabled.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
It is the philosophy of Good Works that the era of the hand-out is over and that the era of the hand-up is upon us. Therefore, Good Works is committed to developing people in the character and skills they need to succeed in obtaining, maintaining and increasing in their employment goals. Our small businesses are intended primarily as a training opportunity and a context where our staff, volunteers and interns can provide practical experience for people in our community who would benefit from “on-the-job” training in several areas.

COUNTRY BED AND BREAKFAST
We now provide private accommodations to anyone visiting Athens and Ohio University. In addition to providing guest accommodations, this project is intended to provide job-training experience for people in the Athens community moving from welfare to work. If you are visiting the area, you are welcome to stay with us. Please call us at 740/594-3336 to make a reservation or click here for information, photos and rates.

GOOD GIFTS
Developed in 1998, Good Gifts is the first Good Works small business and is intended help the poor both locally and globally. Through two international organizations (Ten Thousand Villages and Servv International), we purchase hand-crafted gift items made by people who live in developing nations and then sell these items locally. The profits made from this business go towards providing a training-wage for someone struggling with poverty in our community. Would you invite Good Gifts to sell products at your organization, church or business? Call us at 740/594-3336 to make arrangements.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Good Works has developed a beautiful recreation area and picnic shelter (located on the Good Works property on Luhrig Road) that can be rented by community groups. The fee for renting the shelter includes access to the kitchen and bathroom facilities, as well as volleyball, basketball and playground areas. There are also nature trails on the property. If you would like to rent these facilities, call us at 740/594-3336. For current rates, please click here.

THE ANNUAL WALK FOR THE HOMELESS
Good Works' Annual Walk for the Homeless is intended to do two things: educate the public about the recurrent and pervasive issues that homeless people face, and raise money to fund Good Works' Timothy House, our shelter for the rural homeless. Click here for more information, as well as some materials for participating in the Walk. It is fun, as well as informative.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Our vision to establish a COMMUNITY OF HOPE is completely dependent upon others willing to “step up to the plate” and participate with us helping transform the lives of those who are struggling with poverty and homelessness. Good Works has established a wide range of creative opportunities for volunteers to have hands-on, face-to-face contact with those we serve. If you'd like to learn how you can love and serve your neighbors through Good Works, contact us at 740/594-3339 or click here.