Reach Mission Trips helping Fayette County homeowners
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Kenny Lambert, left, and Shawn Foster, both of Ohio, measure spots for posts for a ramp that these volunteers from Reach Mission Trips are building at a McClellandtown home.The non-denominational, non-profit is spending two weeks in southern Fayette County to provide free basic repairs to qualifying homeowners.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Volunteers for Reach Mission Trips dig posts for a ramp at a McClellandtown home, including (from left) Emma Farley and Bryan Logan, of Virginia, Elizza Easley, of Illinois, and Ohio residents Shawn Foster, John Cole, Kenny Lambert and Gabby Freshley, working the shovel.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Homeowner Tina Krulock, center, talks with volunteers from Reach Mission Trips who are building a ramp onto her McClellandtown house. Krulock said, 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen such a group of hard workers in my life and I thank God every day for them.鈥欌��
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Dr. Judith Taylor, left, local coordinator from St. Peter鈥檚 Anglican Church in Uniontown, and Mike Jones, founder of Reach Mission Trips, share a smile at Albert Gallatin High School where volunteers are making their base. Taylor allowed the first youth to register for the work camp to select her hair color.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Leo Cardenas, left, and Lexi Ebert, both of Illinois, carry materials to repair a bedroom ceiling at a German Township home. Reach Mission Trips volunteers are performing free basic home repairs for qualified home owners in southern Fayette County in June.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Jim Nagle, of St. Peter鈥檚 Anglican Church in Uniontown, right, shows his daughter, Maura, how to paint a house in German Township as volunteers for Reach Mission Trips. This is Jim鈥檚 third work camp and Maura鈥檚 first. Altogether 500 volunteers from four states are helping qualified Fayette County homeowners in June.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Sirena Benton, of Illinois, paints a German Township house as a volunteer for Reach Mission Trips, which is performing free basic home repairs for qualified home owners in southern Fayette County in June.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Volunteers paint a German Township house as part of Reach Mission Trips, which is performing free basic home repairs for qualified home owners in southern Fayette County in June. Pictured are (from left) Sirena Benton, Nora Hammer, Dave Saam, all of Illinois, and Dr. Judith Taylor, local coordinator from St. Peter鈥檚 Anglican Church in Uniontown, which is host church.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Abby Sinal, of St. Peter鈥檚 Anglican Church in Uniontown, power washes a German Township house before it鈥檚 painted. Volunteers from Reach Mission Trips, a non-denominational, nonprofit, are performing free basic home repairs for qualified Fayette County homeowners in June.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Homeowner Barbara Carafa, of German Township, poses for a photo with Reach Mission Trips volunteers Lexi Ebert, left, and Olivia Thomas, both of Illinois. In addition to providing free basic repairs to qualified homeowners, the work camp is about building relationships. Carafa said, 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 fantastic. They鈥檙e a wonderful group of kids.鈥欌��
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Dr. Judith Taylor, left, and Sean Sweeney, from St. Peter鈥檚 Anglican Church in Uniontown, talk outside Albert Gallatin High School in Georges Township before the start of the work day as volunteers for Reach Mission Trips, which is providing free basic home repairs to qualified Fayette County homeowners in June.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Volunteers from Reach Mission Trips, a non-denominational, nonprofit, are performing free basic home repairs for qualified Fayette County homeowners in June. They are making their base at Albert Gallatin High School in Georges Township.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great day for a work camp!鈥�
The rallying cry rang out at Albert Gallatin High School in Georges Township as volunteers prepared to start their day in southern Fayette County.
Traveling from four states, volunteers are performing free basic home repairs for local elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners through Reach Mission Trips, a non-denominational, nonprofit based in Colorado.
Altogether, about 500 volunteers will help about 40 qualified homeowners in two, back-to-back, week-long camps in late June throughout the AG School District. Youths are painting, replacing flooring, building ramps, porches and steps, adding a second exit and two houses are getting new roofs under the guidance of experienced maintenance and home repair volunteers.
Reach is making the high school their base with Dr. Judith Taylor, of Uniontown, local coordinator, noting appreciation: 鈥淭he school district has been fantastic to work with. They caught the vision that this is a service to the community they鈥檙e in.鈥�
Youths are being taught skills, such as power washing, painting and how to swing a hammer but they are also learning about relationships.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the main purpose of this work camp,鈥� said Taylor, a member of St. Peter鈥檚 Anglican Church in Uniontown, which is serving as host church. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fixing people鈥檚 houses, but they鈥檙e building relationships between the kids, between the kids and the adults, within their church and their relationship with God.鈥�
Mike Jones, Reach founder, visited the work camp, noting communities become more than points on a map as volunteers get to know the people.
鈥淩elationship is one of the pillars of Reach,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淲e鈥檙e about Jesus being our Lord and Savior, and making a long-term impact physically and with relationships.鈥�
This is the third time Reach work camps have visited Fayette County, previously serving Uniontown and Brownsville.
Reach can be fun with events like Tall Sock Tuesday and a chance to explore local attractions on Wednesdays. Taylor has dyed her hair purple, allowing the first youth who registered to pick the color.
But participants realize its importance.
Sean Sweeney, a youth volunteer from St. Peter鈥檚 taking part in his seventh camp, said, 鈥淚 just like coming out to help people.鈥�
At worksites, volunteers kept busy.
Jim Nagle, adult volunteer, showed youth Abby Sinal, both members of St. Peter鈥檚, how to power wash the German Township house of Barbara Carafa before its painted.
Sinal commented, 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun. I like helping people.鈥�
John Burkett, another St. Peter鈥檚 youth who was scraping paint, agreed, 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty fun.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a great camp for kids to interact with others, to serve others and to get some experience doing things they otherwise wouldn鈥檛 do,鈥� said Nagle, participating in his third camp while his daughter, Maura, is here for the first time.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 fantastic. They鈥檙e a wonderful group of kids,鈥� commented Carafa, noting they also repairing her bedroom ceiling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a godsend. Living on Social Security doesn鈥檛 go far. I was very grateful when I found they were going to come do the work.鈥�
In McClellandtown, a high school crew is putting in a handicapped ramp, washing the house and painting the foundation for homeowner Tina Krulock.
鈥淭hese kids are absolutely amazing 鈥� adults included 鈥� I鈥檓 in awe,鈥� said Krulock. 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen such a group of hard workers in my life and I thank God every day for them.鈥�