The Vinton Baptist Church was filled to the brim with community members curious about the progress of the FOHCC project. Those in attendance enjoyed a barbecue dinner and a briefing on the status of the ambitious project.
John Jones, superintendent of building and grounds for the FOHCC, took interested community members on a guided tour of the old North Gallia High School, which is being transformed into a multifaceted community center.
Dwayne Caldwell, manager and mechanic with the Wheels of Hope auto repair center, talks to community members about the mission of the FOHCC program and his part in making it a reality.
Five chapters of the Modern Woodmen of America covering Gallia, Meigs, Jackson and Athens counties pooled their resources to donate 32 Cleveland pear trees that will be planted around the Field of Hope campus. Local greenhouse Bob’s Market helped make this possible. Modern Woodmen also donated 200 tons of driveway limestone to FOHCC.
BIDWELL — The community came out in droves Tuesday night to tour the Field of Hope Community Campus (FOHCC) and celebrate the tremendous amount of hard work and dedication that has gone into the project so far.
A community celebration was held at FOHCC, located between Bidwell and Vinton on Ohio 160, at the site of the former North Gallia High School. Guided tours were conducted to view the new roof on the gymnasium, the asbestos-free former school building, the Wheels of Hope vehicle repair shop and new “Sinners to Saints” custom weld shop. A barbecue dinner was served at no charge to the public, compliments of the Modern Woodmen of America and the FOHCC.
As part of the celebration, Modern Woodmen of America donated 200 tons of driveway limestone and 32 Cleveland pear trees, most of which have already been planted around the campus. The trees were provided at a discount by Bob’s Market. Modern Woodmen also announced that they were planning to contribute to the FOHCC food pantry in the near future.
The 47-acre site is already home to the Wheels of Hope, a vehicle repair shop where community members can get quality repairs at a reasonable cost to their vehicles. Free oil changes are offered twice a year to the community. As campus revitalization proceeds, next steps for the FOHCC include transferring and expanding the current Vinton Baptist Food Pantry, a youth center and ultimately life skills training, job traning and residential rehabilitation for those who are ready to be delivered from substance abuse. Support is proposed to come from a variety of sources although at present, the Brownfield grants and Vinton Baptist provide the majority of the project’s backing.
If you have any questions or would like more information on the FOHCC, a 501(c)3 faith based nonprofit organization, please call Chester Hess, Heath Jenkins, or Debbie Eleam at 740-388-8454, John Jones at 740-645-2003, or Kevin Dennis at 740-794-1027.
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