IT'S HERE!!!  The Pavilion is up!!!  Use the link below to see the photo gallery!!!

***Special Update 5/20/09****   SWEET SUCCESS!!...The long anticipated Pavilion is up!!

Glory Hill Welcomes You!!

You probably came here by a recommendation from someone associated with Glory Hill, or if not, welcome…you have stumbled upon a mission to restore the youth in our community and direct them away from the undesirable behaviors that have permeated our local area in the Southern Tier of New York.  

Here’s the short story….  

We, at Glory Hill, have made a resolution to which we are committed – to transform to reality our vision of a brighter future for our community, starting with our own children. To facilitate this resolution and make our vision a reality, we are reaching out to our neighbors, businesses and individuals alike, to support a local program, Operation Restoration, whose impact will be seen and felt right here in our immediate community. Operation Restoration was founded by local community members to support the renewal of a local asset, Glory Hill, and our objective is two-fold:

• to restore a historical community icon;
• to utilize this property to positively influence the character of our local children and young adults and restore a better tomorrow for our community.

The mission of Operation Restoration is to provide local children and teens with a safe and caring, community-oriented place to come together where positive, constructive and respectful behaviors are championed. The hope is to provide our community youth a haven to find a friend, supportive guidance and a sense of belonging to a prolific, nurturing establishment. Operation Restoration aims to re-establish and cultivate an environment where our youth can find fellowship and guidance to become productive adults who can, in turn, impact our community with meaningful contributions and further promote positive behavior right here in the Southern Tier.

We have begun our mission by acquiring several acres of local woodland, Glory Hill, formerly known as Sayre Welles Woods, which was originally donated to be utilized exclusively by non-profit organizations. The property was subsequently used by the “Neighborhood House” of Elmira (now known as the Ernie Davis Community Center). The land was later transferred to the Boy Scouts of America, who have in turn, transferred ownership to the New Hope Baptist Church, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Members of the church have established a separate Board of Directors to oversee the use of Glory Hill, and the Board has initiated this program. While the church holds the deed to the land, the program and property will be administered separately by its own Board of Directors. As such, the program is non-denominational and does not discriminate or align itself to one “religion” – its mission is based on respectful, socially productive guidelines and fellowship. The property will be open to all non-profit youth organizations regardless of their religious affiliation. 

The first order of Operation Restoration is to restore the property, and hopefully the historic buildings, if possible, to a usable state. Over the years, it has fallen into disrepair, but still possesses enormous potential. To accomplish this, we need to:

• Inspect the buildings to see if they can be restored
• Clean the grounds of overgrown brush and shrubs
• Restore electrical service to the property
• Reseed grass in the fields and place landscaping plants
• Obtain equipment and supplies to maintain the fields and landscaping
• Repair the baseball field
• Install an archery range
• Replace picnic tables and firepots
• Replace flag and flag pole
• Build an area for tents and camping activities
• Restore the trails
• Replace birdhouses and feeders to enhance the ornithology and wildlife experience
• Replace log cabins
• Replace a bridge over the creek
• Obtain all-terrain vehicles to facilitate access for handicapped and elderly community members so everyone can enjoy the trails  

As you can imagine, this is no small undertaking. The New Hope Baptist Church is a tiny organization with little financial ability to provide the resources to make this happen. They do, however, have several volunteers with big hearts, a vision and an unwavering commitment to improve our community.

The Board of Directors has been in discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers which has a keen interest in being part of this restoration. The Board is also investigating grants as well as other possible resources to assist in making this vision a reality. In addition, the Board of Directors is reaching out to our local businesses and organizations to give them the opportunity to hold a stake in the future of our community by becoming a sponsor of Operation Restoration. In return, sponsors will be recognized on the Sponsor Wall in the restored headquarters as well as be listed as such in any advertising we may embark upon, upon sponsor’s approval and consent.

Please contact us if you have questions or would like more information.  Our contact information is listed at the top of this page.  

Charles J. Deyo, Pastoral Minister
Chairman, Board of Directors
Glory Hill Youth Community

Lew Baker, Pastor
New Hope Baptist Church
 

Email: info@gloryhill.org 

Updated 4/22/09