Various church members and citizens gathered together Saturday morning at First Baptist Church in Seymour for The Alley’s annual Thousand Ten Project. Teams go into the community to provide assistance for those in need.
Team members gathered in a circle for a quick prayer before heading out into the community for the Thousand Ten Project on Saturday. From left is Bob Prather, Teresa Poole, Paige Ingalsbe, Jennifer Kwasneiski, Melinda Elliott and Sarah Bowling.
Tammy Anderson, left, sits with Patty Prather before the team heads out to buy her $200 worth of groceries Saturday during the Thousand Ten Project.
Tina Fleetwood picks out some hamburger for a family in need of groceries Saturday during the Thousand Ten Project.
Tina Fleetwood, left, with her granddaughter Colbi Stark in arms talk with Barbie Huber during the start of the 1010 Project at Seymour First Baptist Church.
Patty Prather, left and Paul Schaeffer, right, pick out laundry detergent for Tammy Anderson on Saturday during the Thousand Ten Project.
Seymour resident Tammy Anderson was looking forward to another year aiding struggling families for The Alley’s Thousand Ten Project, however, this year she found herself needing assistance.
After her husband of 39 years, Ronnie Anderson, was arrested for a 1982 murder in October of last year, Tammy and her two sons have been struggling to make ends meet. As active members of The Alley, a nondenominational Christian church housed in First Baptist Church, Tammy knew she had people in her corner who could help.
“It’s been hard,” she said. “I don’t know if I am coming or going, but I thank God there are people out there that want to help. The Alley is amazing and the Thousand Ten Project has saved my life.”
In teams of 10, people from various churches and community members take money that has been collected and disperse it into the community to help those in need. From buying groceries, clothing, paying utility bills, mowing lawns or buying fuel, the mission is to help people where they are in life.
Tammy and her husband started getting involved with the Thousand Ten Project three years ago. Now, seven years sober from a meth addiction, Tammy said she wouldn’t be here today without The Alley and the Thousand Ten Project.
The first time Tammy encountered the Thousand Ten Project was the day she decided to turn her life around and trust in God.
“My husband and I were on our way to our drug dealers house when our car died,” she said. “After trying to push it up a hump to the gas station and failing I started to cry and said ‘God, I can’t do this anymore’.”
In a moment of serendipity, Tammy said 15 people in white shirts, who were part of that year’s Thousand Ten Project, pulled up next to her to help push the car into a pump station.
“They prayed with me and afterwards I started to tell my drug dealer what happened,” she said. “He said, ‘Tammy you are going to think I am crazy for telling you this, but you were blessed by the Holy Spirit.”
As a team of Bob and Patty Prather and Paul Schaeffer showed up at her home Saturday afternoon and offered to purchase $200 worth of groceries for her, Tammy smiled from ear-to-ear.
“Every now and then you just have to ask for help, and I am glad they are here,” she said. “I don’t know whether to jump for joy or cry.”
The Thousand Ten Project is an annual event that occurs on the second Saturday in September, and this was the 13th year for it.
One of the organizers, Sara Bowling, has been involved with The Alley and the Thousand Ten Project since 2015.
“It changed my life, and it gave me something to feel good about,” she said.
After leaving incarceration for the last time in 2014, Bowling began attending services at The Alley while she was pregnant with her daughter, Nora. She and her daughter have been actively involved ever since.
“It’s given me something to do with my time and has kept me grounded,” she said. “It has really opened up my heart to do something for someone for no other reason than just to help them.”
State Rep. District 69 candidate Trish Whitcomb heard about the project through another individual in her neighborhood that received help from the project. This year, Whitcomb decided to get involved.
“I love this,” she said. “We need more of this, and we give our time and a small amount of money to help people who can’t make that bill or need a little help on groceries. We are doing it with a heart full of compassion.”
The groups were able to serve all 21 families that signed up for assistance and team leader Tina Fleetwood hopes the volunteerism will grow in the future.
“Several churches have always been involved in this and we are not here to get the praise, we are here to give God all the praise,” she said.
The Alley offers a feeding ministry and provides food from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. They also offer Celebrate Recovery meetings at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and a food pantry day twice a month.
“We are always looking for more help,” Fleetwood said.