Bishops' spouses take up hammers, paint brushes in local service project

By Janet Kawamoto, July 13, 2009 [Episcopal News Service, Anaheim, California] Some 45 spouses of bishops attending General Convention spent the morning of July 13 painting, nailing, repairing, gardening and even fixing plumbing fixtures during the Spouses' Service Project.

The work project took place at a trailer park in Anaheim, about four miles from the Convention Center, that is mostly occupied by senior citizens. The spouses, who also donated supplies for the project, teamed up with Rebuilding Together -- Orange County, the local branch of a nationwide service organization, to help repair two homes that had been cited by county inspectors. The elderly residents were facing possible fines or even eviction if certain repairs were not made, according the Mary Bruno of Los Angeles, who organized the spouses' program.

"We like to do things that have substance," said Bruno, who is married to Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles. "We don't come here just to play. We've had presentations on 'The Teenage Brain,' on Episcopal Relief and Development, being green, EFM [Education for Ministry] and more."

On July 14, the spouses' group will visit the Getty Museum in Los Angeles to view an exhibit of medieval illustrations of the Psalms, titled "Temptation and Salvation: The Psalms of King David."

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