Church group fixing up houses for families
Published 12:00 am Friday, June 25, 2004
Lori Erwin/The Ironton Tribune
Three area families' homes will get makeovers thanks to the efforts of several churches and their teen ministries.
Area Church of Christ organizations - including Rome and South Point - joined forces to create Work Camp, Sacrificing to Serve. The program engages teens to contribute to communities and help families in need.
Church volunteers recently began painting, maintenance, yardwork efforts and other needed work at three family's houses located at Chesapeake, Proctorville and South Point.
This year heralds successful as last year when the program was implemented. Family Life Minister Tim Gainer of Rome Church of Christ said he was thinking about the Habitat for Humanity program and thought, "Why are we (churches) not doing something like that? We wanted to gets kids involved with helping their neighbors," he said.
"We have a lot of work to do right here in our own communities because there is a lot of need here. We do not have to go out of the state or country to help," Gainer said.
Special signs denoting the program are placed in front on the properties just like some local contractors practice -except the "contractors" ages are 12 to 22-years-old.
Blake Davis of South Point said he found out about the program from his preacher and thought it was a great idea. While sitting down to take a water break, the dedicated 19-year-old said, "The sweating part isn't so fun, but the reason we are sweating is for the people who live here … to show them what God has done and how we want to share that with them."
About 13 volunteers will be working four days a week this summer at the South Point location, where the current house with peeling paint will be transformed into a creamy-beige house with coffee trim.
A handicap-accessible ramp, replacement windows and doorframe repairs will complete the home's new look. Lawnwork is also provided.
Kelsey Freeman, 7, visited the site Tuesday and helped teens by picking up paint chips and cleaning paintbrushes.
Mark Tonkery, minister of South Point Church of Christ,
works right along with the kids and young adults.
"We're here to help with anything because they're (the family) having a rough time. We just want to do everything we can to help them out," he said.