Eric H. Doss

Head Greeter

The Head Greeter is a new volunteer position that keeps an extra set of eyes on the downstairs while we are upstairs during service. The Head Greeter can direct newcomers to the sanctuary, the bathroom facilities or a hot cup of coffee.  These are just some of the ways that we can show our hospitality to the visitors at Eliot.

The Head Greeter can also be an extra set of eyes and hands helping our nursery, but all children should be supervised when coming downstairs during service. Children older than nursery age should be in church or at Sunday School.

If you would like to help out and volunteer as the Head Greeter one Sunday, please talk to Joyce Hughes or Eric Doss.

Nursery

We now have a fully staffed nursery. There are two people each Sunday who can care for our youngest members while you are upstairs.

Brenna Gosselin is 24 and has an associates degree in Early Childhood Education. She works for Build-a-Bear Workshop and she is a pet sitter. For fun, she watches documentaries and movies with her friends. She is a Disney and Harry Potter person and likes to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Yahira Torres is a full-time mother to two boys, 4 and 8. She is also a full-time student at U-Mass Lowell working on her Bachelor’s degree in Art. Her goal is to become a museum curator or an art teacher. She works part time at Wicked Cool for Kids as a Supply Coordinator. The company runs STEAM-based programs all throughout New England. She enjoys crafts, painting, printmaking, graphic design and traveling.

Brenna and Yahira join Mablean and Chelsey Ntoro to take turns making sure the Nursery has two workers each Sunday.

Our busy summer of 2017 has been replaced with a busy winter in 2018.

Phase one of the kitchen floor replacement is complete. Charly expects to start on phase two in the spring. This is no small project in scope and how to best fix the floor problem. We thank Charly for taking on this difficult task.

A new art and picture hanging system has been installed in the library to display paintings and photos. The system includes tracks, cables, and tamper-proof hooks. The display area includes four walls in the room. Look carefully and you can see the tracks installed abutting the ceiling. Our first use of the new system has been the exhibit Images of Haiti through the Canvas and the Lens in March.

Two pot-cover racks have been installed in the kitchen to reduce the clutter in our storage areas for pots and pans. Let us know your opinion as to how well they work.

The handicap bathroom has previously had a vent fan and light which were individually switched, and as a result the fan was rarely used and/or was left on. The light and fan are now on a single switch which will turn both on or off. This will hopefully improve the ventilation in the room.

Chair tips are being installed on all of our folding chairs to cut down wear on floors and carpets, especially on the recently refinished floors on the first floor. About 80 chairs remain to have new tips installed.

Our flags of nations have been moved to the Olney hall to make the hallways less cluttered and more attractive. Thanks to Lori for flag ID labels under each flag, and for creating a great display, which includes a map with country locations indicated and a few facts about each nation. The display is located on a bulletin board outside the kitchen area. If you know some better information about your own country that can be put on the display, send a note to the office and an update will be made.
You have probably heard about the significant problem we have had recently with the handicap bathroom toilet being clogged. Charly has used his power cable and tips several times to clear the pipe, but with no long-lasting solution. We finally called Roto Rooter in to insert a camera in the pipe, which found a tampon stuck in an elbow. This was removed, and the problem solved. The importance of not flushing foreign material down any toilet cannot be overemphasized. Rose and Walter Bronk have provided us with a new receptacle for used tampons, which has been installed in the bathroom. Hopefully, this will significantly reduce the toilet clogging.

Thanks to all who participated in our activities and helped out in any way. It is much appreciated in caring for This Old Church.