News & Calendar

 

Take a moment to cross Navarro Street and gaze up at the Loring Window on the Youth Building. A crew led by staff member Brian Allison is nearing completion of a large project to replace the aged and cloudy covering of the windows with new Lexan panels. Thanks to a generous donation from the Loring family (and crane truck provided by Ralph Laborde of River City Hydraulics) this window will continue to shine for many years to come.

 

The large stained glass window in the shape of a cross, on the front of the Youth Building facing Navarro Street, was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Porter Loring. At the time of its installation in 1950, the fifty foot window was the tallest in the United States. It is made of 4700 pieces of stained glass from many countries, including England, France, Belgium, Germany, and the US. Architect Henry Steinbomer conceived the idea and the design was done by Joseph Meyer of the Jacoby Stained Glass Studio in St. Louis, Mo. Cost was $10,000, and the steel structure necessary to hold it cost about an equal amount.

 

The theme of the window is the story of creation, man’s fall, and final salvation. At the bottom is a dove, representing the Spirit of God. Directly above the dove is Adam eating fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Hiding behind Adam’s staff, the serpent symbolizes the curse upon man and earth as Adam looks hopefully up to Jesus Christ. The ark of Noah and the rising flood recall the biblical prophecy, “I will destroy corrupt mankind with the earth.” Opposite the ark is the golden calf, symbolizing the corruptness of man. Moses is shown on Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments, and Elijah, loftiest of Old Testament prophets, is shown with Moses. The crowning feature of the window is the picture of Christ with outstretched arms. Above His head appears the symbol of the Trinity, the unit of the Father in the Son and the Holy Spirit. The very size of the glass creation presented a problem in its execution. Scale drawings and transparencies had to be made for use as models. As it stands, the window covers a height of three floors. It is interior lighted. 

 

 

 

 

The number of homeless female military veterans more than doubled from 2006 to 2010, according to new government estimates. ...Homeless female vets numbered 3,328 in 2010, according to a report by the General Accounting Office published on Monday, up from 1,380 in 2006. The report says actions are necessary to ensure homeless female veterans get the housing and services they need...“In reality, the number of homeless women vets is probably much higher, maybe by a factor of one-and-a half times,” Patrick Sherlock, executive director Project Foot, a Florida group that helps homeless   veterans, told msnbc.com on Tuesday.“They don’t count vets who are living in shelters,” Sherlock said. “And they don’t ask homeless people on the streets if they are veterans.” The increase didn’t come as a surprise, Sherlock said, because of the increase in the number of female veterans overall. But he said there is no doubt the problem of homelessness among veterans is "getting worse." "Many returning vets have major psychological issues that leave them on the streets," Sherlock told msnbc.com. "Call it PTSD, shell shock or battle fatigue, they're not right."...

 “Without improved services, women — including those with children and those who have experienced military sexual trauma — remain at risk of homelessness and experiencing further abuse,” the report said....The report also points out that the number of female veterans will continue to rise as service members return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Some of these women veterans, like their male counterparts, face challenges readjusting to civilian life and are at risk of becoming homeless,” the report said. "Such challenges may be particularly pronounced for those women veterans who have disabling psychological conditions resulting from military sexual trauma and for those who are single mothers.” Click here for the full article.

 

    

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