Hamlet church, Habitat project shows help is available – if asked for
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Pastor John Phisterer, of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hamlet, helps put some paint on a Valley Hill Road home Sunday afternoon as part of a Habitat for Humanity project under its Repair Ministry.
By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
ROCKINGHAM — Lakeyia Douglas wants to be a lawyer.
The Richmond Senior High School senior hopes to attend North Carolina Central University next fall. It won’t be easy — the profession requires diligence, dedication and determination. It also might, from time to time, require a little humility and grace by asking for help.
On Sunday, Lakeyia was learning a little more about those characteristics as a team of volunteers from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hamlet came to her mother’s Valley Hill Road home to help with painting and other tasks. The project is a part of the Repair Ministry guided by the Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills.
The volunteers worked to scrape off old layers of paint from the underside of the front porch — so thick that a new coat of paint would bubble and fall off in a short period of time. It was time to start over, said construction supervisor Bill Martin. Martin, a Habitat employee who oversees volunteer work sites, said the Douglas home is a multi-day project that requires a number of repairs to make the home better.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Lakeyia Douglas, 18, helps the crew of volunteers with some work on her mother’s Rockingham home.
Lakeyia said some of the painting was done before “but not correctly.” Thus the need to call in reinforcements that her mother is unable to do herself. The pair has lived in the home for nine years.
Pastor John Phisterer leads the band of volunteers from St. Paul Lutheran Church. He said the local group is part of the national church’s volunteer initiative, “God’s work, our hands.” They were matching yellow shirts to remind themselves of the reason for their help. Phisterer figured there were some 10,000 individuals from the church engaged in service projects across the country.
Phisterer was joined by Svea Strong, Al and Christine Brodack, Mary O’Neal, Lois and James Harrington, along with Martin and Douglas.
The group completed a Habitat repair project last year as well. Phisterer said he hoped it would become an annual endeavor for his church and volunteers.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Mary O’Neal scrapes off old paint to prep the site for primer and new, more lasting look.
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