NORTH WATERBORO — In June 2007, a crew of 120 volunteers arrived to help build a home for Lakeside Community Church, which had been meeting in a school. Pastor Barry Murry remembers that at the end of the work effort, the coordinator of Mobile Baptist Builders, Bourben Sullins, looked him in the eye and told him to make sure the church building was used for the community. And it has been ”“ with one event after another.

A telephone call last Thursday night took that “community” piece to a whole new level. The call was from a York County Sheriff’s deputy, who said the Maine Warden Service was looking for space they could use as a command post in the search effort for a missing Waterboro 15-year-old.

“We said, ”˜Of course,’” Murry said of the call a week ago.

Since that time, the building has housed ”“ and the congregation and others have fed ”“ hundreds of people: wardens, members of law enforcement, search and rescue organizations, firefighters and community members from near and far, all of whom have the same goal: bringing Jaden Dremsa home.

The young man, a freshman at Massabesic High School has Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism. He failed to return from a walk Thursday afternoon, May 8. As of press time this morning, he remained missing. Community members held a candlelight vigil Tuesday night.

On Friday, the building was buzzing with activity, inside and out. That continued through the weekend and into this week. During the weekend rain, a call went out for hot soup in slow cookers to feed the searchers. There were requests for insect repellent and other items ”“ pasta, granola, cold drinks.

On Monday, searchers munched on pizza and fries, chicken, or sandwiches, and the grills were running outside. The kitchen was stacked with loaves of bread, cases of soft drinks, boxes of trail mix and much more.

Volunteer searchers waited in the sanctuary for instructions. Outside, people stood in small groups, eating and talking.

Upstairs, on the second floor, there was space for Dremsa’s family members to gather, out of the glare of the public eye. And there was space for wardens, who had been on duty for untold hours, to catch a nap.

“This is unbelievable,” said Maine Warden Service Lt. Kevin Adam. “The amount of work they have been doing for us, and taking care of the food, providing a place for my people and others to sleep … they have a great attitude. I wish I could have them on every search.”

Church member Laurie Coldwell was coordinating efforts inside the church on Monday. As she stood in a hallway between the lobby, dining areas, kitchen and sanctuary, a sea of people walked by, heading one way or another. Besides organizing the meals, there were the cleaning crews who came in at night to tidy up, and folks took home towels and other laundry during the day. There were questions about this or that.

“For us, it’s a neat opportunity,” said Coldwell. “We have a building, and we want to serve the community.”

Murry, the pastor, said the community response to the search for Dremsa has been huge. He said folks at nearby Lakeside Market, and Shaw’s and Hannaford supermarkets, among others, have been generous.

“It’s not just the congregation, it’s the community and the State of Maine,” he said.

Searchers came from far and wide ”“ from all walks of life. Kelsey Cler of Maine Mounted Search and Rescue arrived from Franklin County. The group brought four horses to help in the search ”“ the horse watches for hazards where they are walking, freeing the rider to be able to look around, and the height from the saddle gives a broader perspective on the terrain, she said.

Others came from nearby ”“ local folks wanting to help anyway they could, like Don Baud, who lives at Lake Arrowhead and stopped by Monday.

“I just felt like coming over,” said Baud as he waited for instructions.

On Sunday, the church congregation held services elsewhere ”“ at Friendship Park off Old Alfred Road, so as not to interfere with the base of operations. Murry and Coldwell said the service, which included prayers for Jaden Dremsa, drew others from the community.

The congregation of about 250-275 members is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

“From the beginning, we said, ”˜We want to be a blessing to others,’” Murry said. “It’s not always easy to know how to do that. So when a need comes up, people step up and serve.”

This morning, as the search continues, the Maine Warden Service has returned the church to the congregation. York County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Tom Baran this morning said the agency will continue to work with the Maine Warden Service in the search for Dremsa. The focus of the search has shifted, with local wardens assigned to the area carrying out the search.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.