The Sanctuary is Accessible!

A long- awaited day arrived on Sunday, April 20 when we were able to open the sanctuary doors once more. Construction of the accessible ramp at the front of the church is complete!


The ramps, steps and plaza at the top are now protected by sturdy and attractive railings. Still to be completed, the planter along the sidewalk needs to be cleaned and filled for planting.


On Saturday we received more good news about our fund raising. The Bridgeton Fund of the South East Gateway Area awarded our project a grant of $6,500. This will pay for part of the unexpected expenses to fix the drainage systems on the north and south sides of the church. As soon as the check arrives, we will update the totals in the expenses and funds raised column. We are so grateful for this grant, which recognizes the amazing commitment of the congregation to ministry in the city!

Railings Are Here!

Whenever we talk about an access- ibility project, most people probably think of a ramp to get into the building. Compton Cares IS about the construction of a ramp in addition to the interior renovations that gave us accessible restrooms and the bonus of a new kitchenette. Last week, the new iron railings for the ramps were installed. The project is almost complete. A landscaper will add dirt to the planter boxes, and a little more finish work is needed outside and inside.

The top view is from the Grand Boulevard sidewalk looking south, toward our commer- cial neighbor, Jack in the Box. This view is from the south side, looking toward our yard and garden that borders Flora Place. Hardy, sun-loving perennials will populate this front planter box. We are taking suggestions from all of you gardeners out there.


The new plaza at the top of the ramp has a sturdy railing that can prevent falls and roll- aways. Next up: a plan to give the sanctuary front doors a fresh coat of paint, and to add a sign that will identify our building to passerby as a church, since it is sometimes lost in the visual "noise" of our commercial surroundings. Soon we will have a dedication and a major fundraising project will be unveiled later this week.

Waiting for Railings

We are still waiting for the new railings for the front ramp and steps. When those are installed, we will be able to use the front entrance to the sanctuary again. We also are looking into landscaping choices for this area, and a group of Compton volunteers recently cleaned up the lawn and gardens so that when the weather stabilizes a little more, we can plant!

Coming soon: information about our fundraising activities, including a vintage quilt sale. Be sure to check back often. Also upcoming: dedication and gala opening of the accessible ramp and other features of the remodeling project. As always, thanks to everyone for your use of Good Search, Good Shop, Escrip, and for saving those cans and coins!

Easter, Ramps and Recycling

Easter Sunday was cold and snowy, but everyone had directions on how to enter the sanctuary, thanks to a sign that our Doug and Matt donated to Compton when they moved to Florida.
It was a happy Easter indeed with many new faces as well as returning folks who hadn't been able to attend in a while.


Our renovation and disability access project is almost complete. Inside, a new door provides easy access to the sanctuary from the hallway. The hallway was painted and new signs proclaim, Peace to All Who Enter.










Outside, the concrete work for the ramps is finished and facing brick has been applied to the front surfaces, as the city Landmarks commission requested.

At this point, all we need are the railings, and the project will be complete. On March 28, Dave took the old railings to a recylcer, since we had no luck finding a rehabber who wanted to use them. Another $198 for the project! Next up: the gardens and figuring out what to put in the new planters on this front plaza.

Scrap Metal, Aluminum Cans Boost Donations

For over a year, Dave has been saving scrap metal from remodeling projects he has worked on, plus scrap from our renovations at the church. And he has amassed 17 impressive 50-gallon trash bags filled with aluminum cans brought in for recycling. Yesterday, he emptied the pastoral residence basement and overstuffed his little red truck and took off to the scrap metal dealer. He came away with $243.05 for Compton Cares. That included $128 for the 160 pounds of cans alone. Way to go, Dave! And thanks to all who have gathered those cans. Let's start picking them up again!

New photos of the brickwork on the ramps and finished work inside are coming soon. The site has been down because of a computer crash, but we are up and running again. Thanks for your patience, and check in again soon.

Ramps Take Shape

Today before a storm blew in, I walked around to the front of the church and admired the concrete work that has happened in between snowstorms. The support walls, ramp surfaces, plaza level cap and part of the new stairs are all in place. The next step will be re-facing the brickwork.



This photo was taken two weeks ago, when forms were in place but the concrete had not yet been poured. You can compare it to earlier posts to see how the ramps have taken shape.

The contractor has brought brick samples for matching to the church exterior. None of the old facing brick on the plaza could be saved and used; it had started to disintegrate. Soon we will see the bricklayers, we hope, if the weather co-operates.

Closer to the Finish Line

The indoor phase of Compton Cares is almost complete! The new kitchen- ette is fully furnished with appliances and ready to use. The stove, counter top, and several of the cabinets were donated by members or friends of Compton. Remember what this looked like last September? It's beautiful.


The new accesssible bathrooms are easy to access from the hallway. The signs make them easy to find.













By January 28 the new restrooms were open for business. The sink, mirror and one of the dividers in the women's room are shown here.








Yes, it's OK to flush. These new restrooms provide comfort and privacy that the previous facilities on this level sorely lacked!




Meanwhile, concrete work goes on outside when the weather permits. These photos were taken on January 20, when the forms were in place to begin the ramp to the sanctuary door.




Since these photos were taken, support walls for the ramps have been poured, but on Feb. 3 everything was swaddled in tarps and covered with 8 inches of snow that fell on Feb. 1. This week is milder, but wet. We hope to have an unveiling of the ramp progress soon.


Anyone who has ever tripped over the uneven pavement through the north garden to Flora Place can rejoice, because the sidewalk has been repaired as part of the project.











The main indoor project remaining is to create a new doorway from the hallway into the sanctuary for easier wheelchair access. More dust, noise and disruption, but the contractor says it will be done between Monday and Friday and all will be cleaned up for worship. We will keep our fingers crossed and our prayer caps on!