ROBINSON, Texas — A local church in Robinson, Texas is asking for help keeping its doors open.
Silver Maple Chapel has been a part of the Robinson community for 36 years and is now in need of that community more than ever.
"We’re not asking for money. Just a hand-up is all," said church co-founder Patsy Henry.
She helped found the church in 1987 with her mother Ailene Owens and sister Millie Woods. Members of the congregation spent four months transforming an old dairy barn into the worship sanctuary that it is today. The church has been in the renovated building for the past 28 years.
"Men and women, we all worked on it," Henry said. "We had carpenters, and people that did drywall work that donated their time and effort to making a church that would be their own. So it may look quaint but it’s ours.”
Over the years, the church had a lot of young families and a very active youth program, but as children have grown up and moved away, and as the congregation lost members to COVID-19, it has been harder for the chapel to stay afloat financially.
Woods said the tithes from the dwindling congregation are no longer enough to cover the expenses of things like taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance or even the pastor's salary. In order to help raise money to cover these costs, Silver Maple Chapel will host a fundraiser in September.
"We want to resell it and get some funds to keep the doors open here," Woods said. "It means a lot to me it’s a part of our life and has been for 30-some-odd years so it’s a great little place."
The church is asking for donations of good salable goods that people no longer need or want so that they can be resold at the fundraiser to help raise money to keep the church's doors open. The church will also pick up items left over at garage sales.
"We hope to, to recover enough in the way of these donations to keep the doors open until our prayers will bring in some families with children," Woods said.
Those who wish to donate, or who would like to learn more about the church can call 254-339-1253, or stop by the church, located at 1370 W. Moonlight Dr. in Robinson.
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