6/8/04

Town Provides Grant Money to Repair Homes
World Changers Volunteers to Provide Labor, Town to Provide Materials

During the last week of June, middle and high school students from states in the central and eastern sections of the country will be visiting Holly Springs to make improvements on three homes as part of World Changers, an international faith-based mission. The Town of Holly Springs is donating up to $9,400 for supplies for the effort.

The money is part of a $100,000 grant the Town’s Economic Development Department was awarded from the North Carolina Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program, administered by the NC Department of Commerce.

This year, World Changers volunteers will repair three houses on New Hill Road. On one house, a team will fix a leaking roof and construct a front deck. On another house, volunteers will replace rotten trim and repair windows that let in rainwater. Volunteers will paint a carport ceiling and trim on another house, as well.

“It’s great being able to help somebody who may not have the money to do extra work that’s needed on their house,” said Holly Springs Safety Officer Chuck Queen, who is organizing the Town’s portion of the project.

Last year was first year World Changers came to Holly Springs. Queen said that the Town plans to continue working with World Changers in the future.

“It makes me feel good, being able to help these people,” Queen said. “In everyday work, you meet some great people who don’t have everything that some of the more wealthy families do, so it’s nice being able to do everything you can to help them.”

When not at work, the volunteer teams will stay at Fuquay-Varina High School with other World Changers teams from as far away as Mississippi and Buffalo, NY.

“For the Town it’s a great deal,” said Joe Monk, minister of youth at Fuquay-Varina Baptist Church, who is organizing the local mission logistics. “These kids are paying $250 to come sleep on the floor and work in your Town for a week to help people in need. For Holly Springs, it’s great because it will make your money go further.”

Monk said that by having volunteers provide labor, the Town will save 50 to 60 percent of what the projects would have cost if the Town had to hire laborers. While World Changers benefits the Town, Monk said it also benefits the students involved.

“World Changers is a faith-based organization, so (the students) get to exercise faith in a very practical way,” he said.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us