For the first time in months a Dothan church is having its services in an actual building, thanks to $100,000 in donations from a Wiregrass business and volunteers.
Last year, the Clio Community Church was under construction when a storm and strong winds came through the town, destroying the entire structure. During the construction and after the heartbreaking setback, the congregation continued to hold their services under tents that hardly sheltered them from the sweltering southern heat.
Service professionals from the restoration and cleaning company Rainbow International® and other volunteers have spent more than two months building the congregation a brand new church.
Jason Cheshire, Jeff Mills and Justin Tolbert, co-owners of Rainbow International of the Wiregrass, saw their story in the news and wanted to help. Cheshire contacted Pastor Melvin White about reconstructing the church and enlisted more than 30 volunteers to take the remnants of the old church down and build it back.
“Pastor White just broke down in tears,” Cheshire said. “He couldn’t even continue the conversation on the phone.”
The pastor was in awe of the people who came to his church’s rescue.
“They didn’t even know us, and they came to help,” White said. “Numerous volunteers just showed up with saws, hammers, nails and other materials. They worked as long as we could come up with the material, and even donated some of it themselves.”
The crew worked sun up to sun down 10 Saturdays in a row without any pay for their manual labor. While most of the materials and supplies were resourced through insurance, the donated time and labor from Rainbow International and other volunteers would have cost more than $100,000 dollars.
“I know God had his hand in it, but if it weren’t for Jason I don’t know what we would have done,” White said. “I was almost ready to give up. We are so blessed to be where we are.”
While the congregation is having services in their new building, the inside is not yet finished. More donations and materials are needed for air conditioning, bathrooms and sheetrock.
The church is accepting donations, which can be sent to Clio Community Church P.O. Box 9941 Dothan, AL. 36304.
