Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / June 21, 2007, edition 1 / Page 2
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2A©00 NEWS^^e Charlotte Thursday, June 21,2007 Changing world 1 home at a time Continued from page 1A One of the most vocal and hardest working members of the group on Williams’s roof, Jake Fryar, of Chattanooga, Tenn., has participated in World Changers for four years. “I’m sometimes the comic relief," joked Fryar, “ but I get everybody motivated and we just try to help each other along." In addition to learning how to take off and put on a roof, Fryar has also painted houses, done car pentry work, and remodeled a bathroom. "This is what I do," explained Fryar, who runs his own lawn mowing business. "I love to come out and do this, ‘cause I’m not really good in the class room, so 1 like to show my colors out here." “They’ve worked tirelessly since 8 a.m.,’’ explained Dawn Hill, the city of Charlotte's outreach coordi nator. Like Fryar, many of the students are returning to Charlotte for a second year, "They’ve been involved for multiple years, and we’ve been privileged to work with them," said Hill, “It’s amaz ing." What’s even more amaz ing is that the students pay to be part of the program. For between $250- $280 the students are lodged at Waddell High School, receive breakfast and din ner, a t-shirt, accident insur ance, and project prepara tion materials. In exchange they are given the chance to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily - and they love it, "This is my second time in Charlotte, and my second year in the program,” said Brittney Perry, 15 from Dublin, Ga. “I had never been on a mission trip, and 1 thought it would be awe some!” Perry joined a group that worked in hurricane-rav aged New Orleans last year. Though she wants to be a professional fashion designer. Perry's face lights up when she talks about electrical work, windows, doors and insulation she’s installed. "I like helping people," she said. “It just makes me feel good on the inside." Despite the 90-plus degree weather, one would think the volunteers were at an amusement park or pool instead of putting on a roof. Their enthusiasm is appre ciated by the homeowners whose lives they are chang ing, "I wish I could explain it, it's more than exciting, it’s a blessing," said Williams' daughter, Jackie. “It’s such a weight lifted to have something like this done for you. It gives you strength and reinforces the belief that God is real; to have something like this happen to someone like us." The Williamses are not alone. Throughout the Lincoln Heights and Washington Heights com munities, volunteers fixed 25 homes, some desperate ly in need of repairs. "There’s just as much need here as there is any where," said David Suddreth, construction coordinator for the Charlotte project. Suddreth has been all over the south in his 18 years of mission ary work, but as a native Charlottean he asked why go anywhere else? In addi tion to the students, skilled adults work on the houses that need more than patch- work, like a house on Gilbert Street, where owner Ronald Neal said the roof has been leaking for at least five years. "He said they haven't had repairs done to this house in 30 years,” added Suddreth. City officials started accepting applications last November. “We convey all applications to the World Changers coordinators, they look at the community, and who put in applications, and take that and couple it with who is in the program,” explained Hill. Students have to be at least high school level to go on the roof, but middle schoolers are able to paint and clean yards. “If we get 11 crews that can do roofs, then we know we can fix 11 roofs." Lowe's Home Improvement and Lowe's Heroes also partnered with the city and provided a grant, along with a volun teer base to assist with installing smoke, carbon monoxide, and motion detectors in the homes. “It truly takes a village,” said HUl, '“and we show that, because it takes the city of Charlotte to come up with the finds for the projects, and it takes community leaders to identify residents that need services and their homes repaired. But the real stars are the World Changers, they are the labor force." “Kids from my school say, ‘You’re crazy for giving up your summer," said Hannah Claxton, 15, of Dublin, Ga., as she took a break with the Williams family. "(They say) 'You pay to work, that’s crazy,’ but it’s not. I like helping people. God Inspires me. I came last year and I’m going to keep doing this." Breaking bed news is now available online www.thecharlottepost.com e! )ring 'Chiropractic i/SaMfApfmrmAvam ,/AmtieCseMMsirivitmid Df. Daphne Mill Or. Brent MaxmS Cfe/yBcfcPft)OT lOatS-AHicKORYWoODKiuAveHuntersville KC 2807S 704.947.2902 The Charlotte Post 704-376-0496 unity Nevui you^re Invited to Join Us Sunday June 24th CHRISTIAN 3:00 p.m. EPHESIANS 214 for our annual ^^Pastor^s Appreciation^^ Service "NO Join us Weekly n. Service the Casual Dress Encouraged - 10 a.ni. Sunday Worship • Children's Church • 7 p..m. Wednesday- Mid-Week Bible Study 610 W. 7th St. (First Ward Recreation Center) 704-651-9898 • www.inasterpeacechristiancenter.com Dr. James R. Samuel, Pastor Dr. Maya Angelou, Carol Lilly anti Stacy Gibbs (Committee Co-Chairs) and Marilyn Baldwin Richards North Carolina Director A UnttedNegro ^ College Fund "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."* Cordially Invite You To Attend The 5th Anniversai vmen/ A fanraiser and signature special event benefiting the United Negro College Fund, which honors women who are leaders in their respective fields and have brought positive recognition locally, statewide and nationally. Saturday, June 23, 2007 • The Westin Hotel • 10:00 a.m. ~ 2:00 p.m. xPVP -/Friday, June 15, 2007 • email: ncinfo@uncf.org • (704)377-8625 2007 Honorees P.J. Benton CEO PJJD Enterprise.s Come and enjoy the HATITUDE HAT COMPETITION Judging is from 10AM - 12PM $125.00 per person Georgette Dixon Senior Vice President. National Partnei-ships Wachovia Corporation All donations arc tax-dcductible to the full extent all owed by law /V. Cama McNamara Publisher Today's Charlotte Woman Sarah Belk Gambrell Philanthropist and Community Volunteer Miitiiiii Mil
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