Hundreds of students learn about service & home repair
By ALEXANDER WEBSTER
alexander@readthereporter.com
“You really do feel good after you do work like this, and I just think it’s really special,” Madeline Ehrenberg said.
Ehrenberg is one of the many teens who has been repairing homes around the county this past week with CrossRoads Church at Westfield and Group Mission Projects.
Madeline Ehrenberg (Reporter photo by Alexander Webster)
One community they’ve gotten the chance to help is Suburban Estates, just north of Noblesville on State Road 19. These teens were able to make a difference in the residents’ lives.
“Currently, we are working on painting the entire body of the mobile home plus the roof trimming,” Teen Volunteer Ania Pytel said. “We painted a metal aluminum paint on the roof.”
Simple painting jobs aren’t the only repairs the teens have made. With the help of adult volunteers, they’re completing more advanced repairs.
“Right now, I’m cutting plastic pieces for skirting around,” Pytel said. “And then they have a deck going on the back.”
Rhonda Eugea & Ania Pytel (Reporter photo by Alexander Webster)
People such as Rhonda Eugea and Paul Harris have spent years working with Group Mission Projects to fix homes throughout the Midwest.
“I’ve been doing these trips for over 20 years,” Eugea said. “Through my youth group when I was younger, and now that’s part of my job.”
Like Eugea, Harris found his way into the program through church connections and stuck with it after retirement.
“This is my fifth year doing work camp,” Harris said. “I’m a carpenter by trade. I retired three years ago. I also drive the bus. My church had a guy that also drove the bus that was getting a little bit older, and he decided five years ago to give me a yell, see if I’d be interested in doing it.”
People with contractor experience have a chance to use their skills, giving back to communities in need while also teaching a younger generation. Harris reflects how this has come into play in previous years.
“I had both the knowledge and the tools to help them finish the job,” Harris said. “And it just, you know, worked out really, really well. I felt like I was supposed to be there, and it was a good experience.”
Olivia Honeycutt (Reporter photo by Alexander Webster)
The teen volunteers have similar stories as to how they’ve become involved in the program.
“This is my second time doing a work camp,” Teen Volunteer Brynn Chesky said. “My mom kinda forced me to do the first one, and then I fell in love with it on the trip.”
The improvements do have an impact on the residents’ lives, whether it’s a simple touchup, new mobile home skirting, or simply seeing their neighbor getting the help they need.
“I’m grateful that my neighbors are able to get these services for free and that the volunteers are willing to help,” resident Britany Tochimani said.
Reporter photos by Alexander Webster