Today, we held our first Karis Valentine's Day Shalom project.  We called it "Love Thy Neighbor(hood)."  It was an effort for the Karis family to get away from thinking about self and someone special on this Hallmark holiday and look outward, loving our city.  We were involved in several projects.  Here's a bit of a recap:

1. In south Columbia, we had a group of strong people moving a family who needed help.
2. On the north side of town, a group of volunteers helped an elderly lady pack up her house to move.
3. At the Rainbow House, a group of Karis friends cleaned out some vans, washed some windows, and organized some clothing donations.
4. Three Karis people went and hung out with lonely people at The Arbors nursing care facility.
5. Another group headed over to Paquin Towers to hang out with residents.
6. A large group of men and some really tough ladies served alongside Arthur and Scott Ratliff, cleaning up trees and brush in the yards of two families.

All in all it was a fabulous day.  I tried to hit all of the spots and get video, but unfortunately, my inability to find the second stop made me miss 4 out of 6 projects!  I'll be posting some video, as well as hopefully some of Janelle's photos.

Again, the Columbia Daily Tribune previewed the event here.  The Missourian joined us today, so I look forward to some more media attention soon.