(left to right) State Senator Clyde Chambliss Jr., Denise Scarbrough, Pam Persons, Ola Taylor, Patti Pennington and State Representative Mark Tuggle stand at the front of the church during the check presentation. (Photos by Anthony Richards)

Chestnut Creek Heritage Chapel in Verbena received a $4,000 grant from CAWACO RC&D during a ceremony at the chapel on Monday.

The money was provided through the challenge grant program with the non-profit CAWACO organization, which covers Chilton, Shelby, Jefferson, Blount and Walker Counties.

“We typically try to find a project that we know the community is involved in, and are sure that the resources will go forward to help,” said Drayton Cosby with program development at CAWACO. “Our mission is pretty broad, and we just allow the community let us know what they need.”

State Senator Clyde Chambliss Jr. of District 30 and State Representative Mark Tuggle of District 81 were on hand to present the check to Chestnut Creek Heritage Chapel.

Although the presentation was made official on Monday, the grant had already been received by Chestnut Creek and was used in the final completion of adding a new roof to the chapel.

For the past year and a half the process of raising money to restore the chapel has been taking place, with the roof project at the forefront of importance.

The steeple was the last portion of the Chestnut Creek Heritage Chapel roof project that was in need of repair.

The completion of the roof allows for all the other projects that the chapel had mind to follow.

Those projects include painting the outside back portion of the church and installing restrooms that are more handicap accessible.

As the presentation was being made, the final touches were being made to the steeple high above the church.

According to Pam Persons with Chestnut Creek, about $40,000 had been raised during that from community fundraisers.

“The grant definitely pushed us over that last hurdle,” Denise Scarbrough said.

Persons and Scarbrough are accompanied by Ola Taylor and Becky Lamons, as board members of the chapel’s non-profit organization.

“It is a building that was originally built for the community to use, and now is guaranteed to be there,” Scarbrough said.