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An artfelt sentiment

by Stephen Prudhomme  
9/25/2014 / Christian Living



The students who attended New Ebenezer Bible school in June 2014 didn't know the Robert Clark family. In turn, the family didn't know them.
Artwork formed a connection and brought emotional comfort and financial help following the sudden death of Robert Clark in early 2012. The youngsters' renderings proved to be good works in more ways than one.
Two months later, 80 drawings were sold at $5 apiece at St. John's Lutheran Church in Rincon. Along with $140 donated by two families, that brought the total to $540.
"I was a little disappointed with the total," says Anthony Monopoli, a parishioner at St. John's who is heading up the fundraising effort. "With all the students and families, I thought we'd raise more. Still, I was grateful for what we did."
Monopoli says he had become fairly close to Robert Clark, a fellow parishioner at St. John's; Clark helped Monopoli and other church members with various odd jobs around their homes in an effort to save enough money so he could take a more lucrative position in Jacksonville.
When Clark suddenly died in his 40s, he left behind the mother and two children. Due to subsequent medical problems, the mother was unable to work for 18 to 19 months. As a result, the family, living in Savannah, had to rely on Social Security payments that Monopoli describes as "meager."
To help the family during that difficult financial time, the congregation provided some monetary support. Monopoli, seeking a way to raise some additional money, came up with the idea of children making drawings, or refrigerator art. His inspiration was a card featuring a flower that a young girl had given him for his birthday that he had placed on his refrigerator.
Monopoli went to the Effingham school system with his idea but was unsuccessful. He says they already had a full slate of projects and he didn't want to add another one. It was a different story at New Ebenezer Bible School. "They considered my proposal after I contacted them and said they'd be happy to be involved," Monopoli says.
The youngsters, featuring a wide age range and representing Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and other Christian churches in the area, turned out 216 5X8 drawings; various other young artists from outside the school contributed an additional 14 drawings. Many have religious themes, notes Monopoli, while others feature flowers, animals, baseballs and clouds.
"They were enthusiastic about the project," Monopoli says. "When we told them it would benefit a family, they were energized and enthused with that concept. Many wrote words of encouragement on the drawings such as "Don't Give Up," "Please Help this Family," and "God is with You." They really seemed to enjoy the project."
Monopoli says he hopes to sell some more of the drawings and continue to help the Clark family even though the mother returned to work in November.
"The family is very appreciative and thankful for any assistance they can get and feel very blessed to have it," Monopoli says. "The mother works for the school system in a cafeteria and is probably not making that much. We want to follow through with the family and make sure they keep their heads above water. "
Monopoli has certainly done his part to help the family. He first met them at Robert Clark's funeral and visited them on a monthly basis. Then, this summer, he organized the art fundraiser.
"I felt this was something I could do to honor Robert and my friendship with him," Monopoli says. "We're meeting a need for a family. The congregation has been nice enough to respond."
So, too, were the youngsters whose good works found the canvas as well as helping a family open the door to a new life following a tragedy. In the meantime, there are plenty of refrigerator doors that could use a little embellishment in the form of drawings of flowers, religious themes, animals, baseballs, clouds...

I'm a freelance writer with 25 years of reporting and editing experience with a number of publications. I have a strong faith and enjoy writing inspirational articles that will bring people closer to God. I have a running website at Savannahrunningexaminer.com.

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