A retired pastor from St. Charles has gathered together civic leaders and members of the arts community for an initiative he’s calling The Gratitude Project.

Dr. C. Alfred Patten, former senior pastor of the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, says the project’s purpose is “to express the community’s gratitude, through the medium of public art, to the volunteers and leaders who have given so much of themselves to and for the city of St. Charles.”

The genesis of the project came from Patten’s core belief that enjoyment, enhancement and engagement with community is central to a meaningful, fulfilling life.

“I am motivated by a desire to create a culture of gratitude in St. Charles.,” he said. “Gratitude is a very powerful emotion. It causes people to want to do things for others and their community. Healthy communities express gratitude in many ways, like the outpouring of gratitude for veterans, such as the (St Charles Arts Council’s) Celebrating Veterans event or businesses offering free meals or haircuts. We have chosen public art as our means of expressing gratitude.”

Patten was the creator and project manager for the reflections public art project, the stated intention of which was to “honor volunteerism, as exemplified by Max and Doris Hunt.” Taking the “mantle” from longtime public-art activists Sharon and Vernon Oie, Patten has put together a fundraising committee and enlisted the St. Charles Arts Council, the Downtown St. Charles Partnership and the River Corridor Foundation for their assistance.

Patten said the community will kick off the project within the next month.

The Gratitude Project hopes to support a new Oie sculpture project as well as sculptures of St. Charles philanthropists Col. Edward J. Baker and Dellora Norris and reflections — all of which share the common bond and motivation of community gratitude.

Larry Maholland, former St. Charles city administrator and presently a volunteer for the River Corridor Foundation and the Oie Sculpture Project Committee, said gratitude and commitment are two of the qualities that make St. Charles special.

“When people value its architecture, history, public art and traditions, a town becomes a community,” he said.

For more information contact, GratitudeProjectSTC@gmail.com.

SOURCE: The Gratitude Project