LAWRENCE COUNTY Teens coming to fix homes

The sponsor is still searching for a high school where the campers can stay.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Hundreds of teenagers ready to help needy people with home repairs are planning to converge on Lawrence County this summer.
A Reach Workcamp, a nondenominational Christian camp for junior high and high schoolers meant to service low-income communities and give young people self-esteem and spiritual growth, is planned for June 22 to 28.
Plans for the camp started earlier this fall and representatives from the Colorado-based organization have already visited the area and selected about 20 homes that will be worked on.
Junior and senior high pupils from about a 500-mile radius are planning to spend the week pounding nails, painting walls and doing whatever other home repairs are needed.
So far, about 260 young people have committed to the camp, which each camper pays $340 to attend. There is no cost to the homeowners receiving the repairs.
"We hope the homeowner is warmer, drier and safer when we leave," said Mike Jones, executive director and co-founder of Reach.
'We are ... servants'
While Reach is a Christian-based organization, there are no requirements for the homeowners to participate in any religious services.
"We are called to be servants, regardless of the name of the church. We are very Jesus focused. We are not going to send you a bill or require you to pray. You are invited and welcome to join us at our on-site devotions though," he said.
Reach coordinated its efforts to find needy homeowners through Lawrence County Social Services. That group was able to give Reach a waiting list of 140 people waiting for home repairs through its own home repair program, which is state and federally funded.
Boosting efforts
Deborah Hennon, director of supportive housing services for Lawrence County Social Services, said Reach's workcamp will help the Lawrence County Social Services get to more homeowners in the future.
The local agency is only able to help about 20 to 40 homeowners each year and there are strict requirements about how the money is spent, she said. All homes must meet building code requirements when local money is spent, but only $15,000 can be allocated for each home. Hennon said anything more than $15,000 must be paid for by the homeowner.
Reach, which has no restrictions, will be able to do some of the smaller repairs, freeing up funding to serve more homes locally, she said.
The youngsters will be doing basic home repair, which could include anything from painting and siding to roofing and building ramps to make homes accessible to the physically disabled.
"They are going to be doing work that would have cost us money. Now we will only have to pay for a small part of several jobs," Hennon said.
Uplifting work
The spiritual and physical work of the camp helps all involved.
"It makes a big difference. That's why it's such a powerful thing for adults and teenagers. The teenagers get to impact folks' lives and the adults know the reason they are doing this is because of their faith," said Bob Stanley, youth pastor for Bethel United Presbyterian Church in Enon Valley.
Stanley, who has taken church youth groups to other Reach work camps elsewhere, is helping coordinate this summer's effort.
The organization is now trying to secure a high school where the young people will spend time when not working.
Jones, a former high school teacher, said the organization prefers to house the youngsters in a school because it already has shower and cafeteria facilities. Each evening, after completing work, there are services, dramas and other activities for the young people relating to faith.
Costs
Jones noted that his group will buy most of the materials needed for the home repairs locally and that cost is picked up by the fee the young people pay to participate.
Lawrence County Commissioners have also informally agreed to contribute $20,000 from the county's affordable housing fund, to help pay for supplies, said Commissioner Ed Fosnaught. The money comes from fees paid to the county Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds offices and must be used for local housing needs.
Reach has had similar work camps in Butler, Pa., and Youngstown, Jones said. New Castle was chosen because of Stanley's participation with his youth group and several other local churches that have attended Reach camps, Jones said.