Rebuild calls on churches
Source: Pensacola News Journal | Release Date: 5/3/2005
Congregations can 'adopt' families for recovery
Jillian Stone didn't hesitate when asked what she thought of the work Olive Baptist Church volunteers did on her Pace home over the weekend.
"Wow!" she said.
Stone and her 8-year-old daughter, Taylor, were the first recipients of the Adopt a Family program set up by Rebuild Northwest Florida. The nonprofit organization hopes to partner with area churches in a joint effort to repair some of the thousands of low-income homes damaged by Hurricane Ivan.
"Words can't express how grateful I am," Stone said. "I'm very overwhelmed and feel very blessed. Every one of these people went out of their way this weekend to help me."
Olive Baptist was the first faith-based group to step forward for the Adopt a Family program.
Kathy Strader, Rebuild's volunteers coordinator, said she hopes at least a small percentage of the hundreds of faith-based organizations in the two-county area will follow Olive Baptist's lead and join the effort.
If we could get just 5 percent involved, that would be between 20 and 30 churches," Strader said. "And if we had 30 churches doing one house a month, that could make a big difference."
Stan Lollar, an Olive Baptist member who led about 40 people who worked on Stone's home, said his fellow parishioners "will absolutely work" with other churches or faith-based organizations, regardless of denomination, to help get the Adopt a Family program in full swing.
Hurricane Ivan severely damaged Stone's roof, ripped off the chimney and knocked down several trees in her back yard. Leaking rain water ruined the ceiling in her kitchen.
Stone said she simply couldn't afford the cost of a new roof and didn't know what to do.
Her good fortune began when she contacted the Red Cross, which passed on her story and the scope of her repair needs to Rebuild.
"One day Rebuild knocked on my door, and here we are," Stone said.
After determining Stone qualified for help, Rebuild contacted Olive Baptist and arranged for an assessment of what repairs were needed.
An Olive Baptist crew arrived Friday and began tearing off Stone's damaged roof.
Despite a ferocious thunderstorm that halted work for most of Saturday, the volunteers had installed Stone's new roof and completed all repairs, including painting and removal of downed trees, by late Sunday.
"I would like to see us (Olive Baptist Church) get to the point where we have four or five teams of workers and have a different team working on a house a month," Lollar said. "That's just a dream of mine."
Strader said Rebuild has a variety of repair jobs to match the size and skills of any church congregation.
"Some houses only need repair to a front porch, and others need major repairs, like a new roof," Strader said.
Strader stressed that churches committing to Adopt a Family are asked to donate only people power. Rebuild has all the materials and equipment necessary to carry out the home repair job, regardless of extent of damages.
Want to help?
All churches and faith-based organizations in Northwest Florida and lower Alabama are invited to join Rebuild Northwest Florida's Adopt a Family program. To learn more, call 497-7024 and ask for the Volunteers Department.
Churches are asked to commit people power only. All repair costs, including building materials, tools and equipment, as well as vehicles, will be provided by Rebuild.
Jobs range from simple painting to repair of porches or exterior buildings, to larger jobs involving new roofs and exterior and interior repairs.
Churches can opt for a one-time repair of a single home. Or they can commit to a more extensive repair schedule of one home a month or as many as an individual faith-based group chooses.
ŠThe Pensacola News Journal
May 3, 2005
