Let the sun shine!

In preparation for Hope Alive's solar energy system installation next week, our project coordinator and faithful volunteer - Dawn Nelson - presented "Solar 101" for our resident moms and children. She brought a small 5 watt solar panel to explain how solar energy works and talked about the system being installed on Hope Alive's roof. She solicited the moms help in serving the volunteer crew during the install. For fun, she brought solar-powered windmill kits for the children to assemble and test.

I was surprised how engaged everyone was - children and moms alike - and how determined they were to put all of the parts of their solar windmills together properly to make sure they would work. When the first windmill was completed and the flood light turned on for power, the "propellers" started to turn and everyone cheered! Soon all the windmills were working. One school-ager took hers to school on Thursday to share with her class and sat with it outside on the Hope Alive sidewalk after school to watch it spin in the sun. What a great learning experience!

Please plan to join us for our solar energy system "unveiling" on Tuesday, April 20 at 2pm. We are especially grateful for the generosity of our project partners - BP Solar, Crum Electric, and Glory Energy Solutions - for their donated time, equipment, materials, and labor! We are excited about the reduction in electric costs that we'll soon realize and the start of a smaller carbon footprint.

My prayer for you this weekend is that you and yours will experience the risen Christ as we celebrate His resurrection and the new life that He gives by faith. May God's Son shine in your lives. Happy Easter!

Until next week ...

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director