This IS a very special
award. The United Methodist Relief Center is a volunteer organization
that assists people living below 30% of the median income level. These
people have barely enough money for daily needs, let alone the funds to
repair housing that may have been in existence for several generations.
The challenges in every project they undertake are first to find funding
for the needed materials, second to find the volunteers to work on the
project, and third to organize and manage the efforts of volunteers.
In this case, Ms. Alexine Way and her three young children (ages 6, 3,
and six months) moved back to the area she grew up in to be close to her
family after her husband deserted them. The home she was able to secure
was in such poor condition that its assessed value for tax purposes was
0. She had made some progress in rehabilitating the home, but the needs
were beyond her physical and financial capabilities.
The home was completely rewired and new plumbing installed. The bathroom
was enlarged and new fixtures installed. New flooring, a new deck,
extensive sheetrock repairs, new cabinets, new siding…you name it.
Through the help of the United Methodist Relief Center a mother and her
three young children now live in a warm, safe and secure home … and the
volunteers who assisted in this renovatin experienced the sense of
accomplishment that can only come from helping others in need.
