Day of Hope projects seek to promote love

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Firefighter Jack Tipping carries his son's remains out of Ground Zero in Spring 2002. | Gary Marlon Suson /Ground Zero Museum Workshop

Updated: November 4, 2011 6:33PM

The congregations of four North Shore Methodist churches will come together Sunday to turn the remembrance of an horrific tragedy into a Day of Hope.

Christ United Methodist Church of Deerfield, Glenview Methodist Church, Northbrook Methodist Church and North Shore Methodist Church in Glencoe will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon with a day of volunteer effort in their communities.

During the event, called “A Day of Hope,” each church will hold a 15-minute service starting at 10 a.m., and for most projects, volunteers then will go to various work sites.

The idea of doing a day of service in the community instead of worshipping has actually been around for several years, said the Rev. Brian Roots, pastor of Christ United Methodist Church.

But he thought it was especially fitting for the congregations to observe the 10th anniversary of the disaster in this way.

“It is saying that if we’re going to undo the hatred and violence that was perpetrated on that day, it will be through acts of compassion, love and service,” Roots said. “The only way to counteract an act of terrorism isn’t by fighting back with more violence, it’s by doing the opposite - being kind and loving.”

Ethel Doyle, a member of Glenview United Methodist Church and a leader of Day of Hope activities at the church, said Methodist churches have been clustering to provide community service for the last three years, but up to now have only done the service projects on Martin Luther King Day.

“Also, for the last two years, our former pastor, Rob Hamilton, led us through ‘Faith in Action’ during which we worked on similar activities on the last Sunday of the month,” Doyle said.

“Because we’ve being doing this already, this will be easy for us,” she added.

Sharon Noha, Northbrook United Methodist Church’s missions chair, said she expects 80 percent of the congregation to participate in the day’s service.

“Ten years ago, 9/11 affected all of us,” Noha said. “Doing something meaningful can’t erase the tragedy, but it can turn its remembrance into something positive. And there are so many activities people can do. There is something for children and seniors, as well as for the active and not-so-active.”

Activities include: cleaning various parks; clearing invasive brush in the Lake County Forest Preserve District; singing at a nursing home; cleaning and organizing local food pantries; collecting nonperishable food items for an Evanston battered women’s shelter; providing homemade treats for local police and fire departments; making Linus blankets for hospitalized children; fellowship through bingo and board games with residents of a Deerfield retirement home; cooking, cleaning, painting and making repairs at several facilities that serve the poor or homeless; and joining together in a prayer group.

The Rev. Jenny Weber, pastor of North Shore United Methodist Church, said more than 100 people already have signed up.

“Our goal is 300, but we’re not hoping to get that number from only from our congregation, but also by getting other volunteers from our communities,” Weber said. “Nursery care will be provided at most of the churches and everyone is welcome.”

Volunteers may sign up by going to www.tinyurl.com/9/11/2011, e-mail karenwhisler@sbcglobal.net or call Christ United Methodist Church of Deerfield at (847) 945-3040.