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By Dena Wood
The Times 

'Second Saturday' Group Serves Community in Many Ways

Birdhouse-building day, with adults and kids, was a big success last Saturday

 

Dena Wood

Little Nick Reger proudly showed off his completed birdhouse at Robbie Johnson's shop on Saturday morning. The Christian Church Second Saturday group hosted a pancake breakfast and helped kids of all ages build birdhouses during the last weekend of spring break.

WAITSBURG – When former Waitsburg School Superintendent Robbie Johnson watched kids at Home Depot learning to make birdhouses one Saturday morning, he realized most kids from Waitsburg wouldn't be able to take part in those types of projects. He also knew just what group could make it happen locally.

Men from the Waitsburg Christian Church started a "Second Saturday" group several months ago, and invited local men and boys to join them monthly for a hearty breakfast, good company, and often, a service project of some sort.

Dan Leathers and Randy Farley organized the group. Leathers said Pam Conover approached them with the idea after learning of a model group at another church.

"We just want to be of some benefit to the community. It's not necessarily church-oriented," Leathers said.

Leathers said the group's first project was also held in Johnson's shop, where guys spent the morning cutting out wooden mittens that were going to be used as a kid's craft project during Christmas vacation.

"Sometimes we work on projects around the church, like hanging a door or fixing the plumbing in the baptistry. And sometimes we just have breakfast," he said.

Last Saturday, the group invited local kids to join them for pancakes and birdhouse building in Johnson's Maple Street shop. Turnout was surprisingly large for 8 a.m. on a spring break Saturday morning, and included girls and boys of all ages, parents, and neighborhood adults.

Dena Wood

Ethan Watson (l) and Julio Mercado chow down on pancakes before getting to work building birdhouses.

Leathers bought the boards, Johnson provided the space and equipment, and a half-dozen or more men worked hand-in-hand with kids to craft a plank of wood into a birdhouse they could be proud to take home.

"We had a great turnout. It was a lot of fun," Johnson said.

Leathers said the group is always open to suggestions from the community for projects they can tackle on a Saturday morning.

"Everyone is invited to join us," he said. "We normally meet at the Christian Church at 8 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. It's a great way to get to know other guys better, build relationships, and hopefully, be a beacon to the community," said Leathers.

To learn more about Second Saturday, or to suggest a project, contact Robbie Johnson at (509) 520-9154.

 

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