By Father Gerald Peterson

A $4,5000 grant from the Apostolic Fund of the Glenmary Home Missioners was received early in December by Father Gerald Peterson, pastor of St. Luke’s Church in Dahlonega. The grant is to pay the salary of a dentist and dental assistant for one year, making it possible for the Lumpkin County Public Health Center to offer free dental care one day each week to low-income families. The Dental Clinic opened on December 4.

Within the past few months, Father Peterson received four grants totaling over $21,000 for community projects that serve the poor. To supplement the work of the free dental clinic, a grant of $4,235 is allocated to help low-income families purchase denture plates and to receive eye examinations and glasses, if needed. Those benefiting from this program are expected to pay ten to 25 percent, according to their income.

Another $900 is to aid unwed mothers in a special pre-natal care program. No public assistance is available for such. Young ladies from low-income families often neglect such care both to the detriment of themselves and their babies, according to workers from the Department of Family and Children Services.

By mid-December two Glenmary Brothers, Terrence O’Rourke and Paul Wilhelm, will be starting a self-help, low-income housing project. A special grant of $11,750 is to pay their upkeep for one year and to hire the services of a home decorator. The goal of the brothers is to help six families obtain a low-interest loan from the Farmers Home Administration (FHA) and, while building six homes for the families, to train six young men in aspects of the carpentry trade. The Glenmary Brothers will serve as the lead carpenters. At least three of the homes will be built under the self-help concept, where families bind together to help each other, thus greatly reducing the cost of the homes.

The Apostolic Fund of the Glenmary Home Missioners has made up for a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the former headquarters property in Cincinnati. The General Assembly of the rural mission society agreed to set aside part of the funds for aiding the poor and furthering the work of the Church in areas where the Glenmary Missioners are working. The four projects aiding the people of North Georgia are some of the community charitable works funded during the past year.

One in every eight families in the rural areas of North Georgia has no indoor plumbing in their homes. Father Peterson, hopes to find funds during the coming year to hire a lead carpenter to work with low-income families in making necessary home repairs. It is hoped that the families will qualify for a repair loan under FHA.