More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress.
But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.

-- Henri Nouwen

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The FRIDAY NIGHT LIFE program is offered to the community each week and is held in the Family Life Center of the The Plains Methodist Church, located on the corner of SR 682 and Johnson Road in The Plains, a small town to the north of Athens. From April to October we host Friday Night Life on our Good Works Luhrig Road property. The Friday Night Life program is designed to bring together the residents of the Timothy House and the residents of southeast Ohio.

For Information on how to sponsor a supper, click here. 

FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER From 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. each Friday a different community group prepares the food and serves each week with the help of community members, sometimes including those staying at the Timothy House. Preparations for the dinner are from 4:00-5:30 pm, and we usually start the supper at 5:30 pm. We are seeking to build a sense of community within the neighborhood, and thus are offering you the opportunity to become involved in helping with the supper by contributing your food and/or time. If you think you might be interested or would like more information, you can contact Sherilyn Weinkauf at (740) 594-3339, or email us.

FRIDAY NIGHT KID'S CLUB, which begins at 6:30 p.m. following the Friday Night Supper, gives kids at the shelter a chance to make friends outside of school, gives former Good Works residents' children the opportunity to stay connected and provides healthy children' s activities for the children of the neighborhood. These activities are held in the Family Life Center of the The Plains Methodist Church during the winter and at the Good Works property on Luhrig Road during the summer, or other places in the neighborhood. There is always plenty of adult supervision, and for some activities we require permission from the children's parents. For more information about this weekly event, you can contact us at (740) 594-3339.

AFTER SUPPER...
Different activities occur following Friday Night Supper each week. These include but are not limited to: an Open Stage, Volleyball at Hannah House, Men’s and Womens’ discussion groups, special visitors and seminars. This program operates during the same time as Kid's Club, and is structured to provide a sense of community between homeless and formerly homeless men and women and the citizens of the greater Athens area. Most activities start at approximately 6:30 p.m. after Friday Night Supper. For more information about these activities, contact Sherilyn Weinkauf at (740) 594-3339.

If you are interested in other ways to serve the SE Ohio community, check out our Volunteer Opportunities page.