Warren church plans day of service

Staff report

warren

Central Christian Church, 2051 E. Market St., sponsors its fifth annual Operation Inasmuch (OIAM) service day Saturday. The day begins with breakfast at 7 a.m. and worship service at 7:45. Groups will embark on their projects at 9.

The church’s youth group painted boards that will cover six abandoned homes. The group will partner with Warren’s Weed & Seed Program by boarding up these homes as part of the project.

The church also has joined forces with Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership to paint a house on the city’s southwest side.

The church also will have groups braiding lap blankets for nursing-home residents, assembling care packages for armed forces and coordinating a food drive.

OIAM is a nonprofit organization that motivates church members to serve their communities based on the words of Jesus from Matthew 25:40, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

OIAM has been adopted by 1,600 churches in 21 states, and more than $3 million in labor and material costs was spent servicing communities in 2011 alone.

Central Christian Church began this project in 2008 with the guidance of the Rev. Caroline Bloomfield, who died in 2010.

Since summer 2008, Central Christian has performed community-service projects throughout the city.

These projects include painting and landscaping houses owned by residents who do not have the financial and physical means to do so themselves.

The mission is to improve the community through volunteer service, church officials said in a press release.