By Monty Siekerman
ReStore Community Center celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday evening with more than 100 people in attendance for dinner, birthday cake, and to hear several speakers who have been involved with the effort from Day One or who are among today's leaders.
A slide show of people and activities, current and in the past, showed on a screen during dinner.
ReStore began a decade ago as the idea and inspiration of Rev. Vern and Joyce LaSalla. He is a retired ONU chaplain. Vern received a lot of encouragement and assistance from the Ada First United Methodist Church. The LaSallas now live in Florida and visit ReStore on their trips North. The church continues its support, as well.
Karen Ward, one of the members of the founding team, was one of those who spoke at Tuesday's dinner. She recalled, "It didn't matter that the floor was uneven, that the furniture didn't match, or the clothes for sale were not always the right size for what you were looking for."
What mattered, she said, was that from the beginning ReStore was a place offering hospitality and Christian love to all who entered...and it remains so today.
"This place is important to this community and this area," she said. "It offers warmth, food, clothing and assistance to help people live through the month with heat, water, or housing."
She, and many others present, felt that the community center's success will continue into the future.
PHOTOS
• ReStore core team from left, Sheila Hughes, Mark White and Karen Ward
• Linda Dearth, ReStore general manager; Mary Jo Yeakel, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Robert Kanzig, ReStore executive director.
