Trending
Eight years ago the building where the East Liverpool Community & Learning Center property is now had been going down the path of many other buildings in the City. It had outlived its original purpose as a church. Three local men decided what the community really needed was a place where people of the Tri-State area of all ages could enjoy activities like the Center to the north Salem, Ohio.
They discovered that the Trinity Presbyterian Church on Maine Boulevard near the High School on the North Side wished to find church merger partner. Now they are happy to be part of the Longs Run Presbyterian Church in Calcutta.
It is amazing how things can work out when good people put their minds to work together. This past February the Everyday Church moved into the Center for their Sunday services. The building is back to what it was intended to be for at least a few hours each week.
Things have gone so well for the Everyday Church that for Easter they decided it was necessary to hold two services that day. The sanctuary originally cold hold over three hundred worshipers on a Sunday. There are now 400 seats in the Center Auditorium.
Other than on Sundays, the Everyday Church is limited in use of the Center only to times when there is space not otherwise used for Center activities. Rent paid by the Church has been a great help to the Center for basic costs such as utilities, custodial service and maintaining its eight acres of land.
Last month the Church painted stripes on and added handicapped spaces for parking. This provides more parking spaces for both the Church and for Center activities such as use to benefit neighbors like the High School baseball games and other school functions. With the new income the Center is able to nearly break even in its overall operations.
With around 30 volunteers each week the Center is able to keep the Center open seven days every week. Center activities at the Center may involve about 300 people per week. There are classes taught by volunteers offer a wide variety of programs including Aerobics, Music therapy for children, Narcotics Anonymous support classes, student art classes in the summer for youth and almost daily body massages. Also there are those who use the parking lot to practice for drivers training. This is just a sampling of things that are provided daily at the Community Center.
In March the Area Beautification Committee sponsored and Easter Egg Hunt at the Center. Due to inclement weather the Egg Hunt took place inside the Banquet Hall for the children who enjoyed snack and pictures with the Easter Bunny.
On Monday, April 8 we expect many people gathered in the Center parking lot to view the Total Eclipse. Remember to bring your Solar glasses. On May 2 the Annual Prayer Breakfast will again be held in the Banquet Hall. Tickets are available at the Center or may be purchased from Committee members. Breakfast is served at 7:30 a.m. On Sunday, May 6 at 3 p.m. there will be another John Fitzjohn Talent Show in the Auditorium. Budding young music students will display their talents in hopes of getting financial assistance to further their music education. There is no charge for admission.
Each Saturday afternoon there are free Matinee Matinees in the surround sound, wide-screen Theatre at the Center. The movie room is available at any other times and visitors are a able and do watch videos from the vaster collections of classic movies there. There is even a copy of the Easter Pageant on the Hill that for over 40 years was presented on the hillside on the property.