Hazardville United Methodist Church, 330 Hazard Avenue in Enfield will dedicate its new elevator on Sunday, September 13, during the 10 a.m. worship service. The project--which includes a three floor, four stop elevator, two handicapped accessible restrooms, and a hospitality kitchenette—has taken more than a year from its inception, and makes the church complex fully accessible to those with mobility issues.
While the elevator makes it easier for members who have difficulty doing steps to attend worship, the real goal of the project is much more far reaching. “The real goal of this project,” according to the Rev. David Williams, “is to make our building a place that can be used by groups and organizations throughout the Hazardville area of Enfield. We already host Here Wee Grow, a nationally accredited pre-school, but we want to do more. We want to become a neighborhood partner with groups seeking to improve the lives of people in our community. That is why we went beyond a simple elevator and added the other components.” Key among those components is the Hospitality Suite; a small kitchenette off of the church’s Betty Wightman Room. The suite—which houses refrigerator, sink, and microwave—opens the room to use for a variety of purposes. It is especially attractive to groups that are too large to fit into a classroom, but not big enough to require the space of the church’s Fellowship Hall.
“September 13 is an important day for us,” Rev. Williams said. “That is the day we officially say to the community that we are ‘open for business. We want to partner with you to make a difference in our community.’” To that end, the church is inviting people to drop in and check out the results of the project. Everyone is welcome to attend the consecration service on the 13th or to call the church office (860-749-7098) to arrange a tour.
