Pitching in for others

To Kitty Woods, mother of six and caretaker of her disabled husband, the volunteer workers who arrived at her Airway Heights home early Monday were angels, saints with paint scrapers and brushes.

Their task this week is to give Woods’ electric-blue house a much-needed paint job. It has been 18 years since it was last painted, and this time the Woods opted for white with royal blue trim.

Their five-bedroom, split-level house at Tenth Avenue and King Street no longer would be a colorful landmark, but that was fine by Woods.

“I’m very blessed,” said Woods, 46. “It’s really an answer to our prayers.

“I didn’t know what we were going to do because the house needed an update.”

The home improvement crew of 198 volunteers is from World Changers, a Southern Baptist group in Airway Heights this week fixing up about two dozen homes for low-income owners. For the second straight year, the Airway Heights Baptist Church has partnered with the city of Airway Heights in the cleanup project.

According to City Manager Chuck Freeman, the city budgeted $18,000 for supplies for the project, and another $4,100 was donated by Hayden Enterprise, an Oregon development company building homes in Airway Heights.

“It’s a way to take care of the less fortunate in our neighborhoods,” Freeman said.

Homes were picked based on the financial need of the owners. Jobs involve re-roofing, painting, fixing fences and stairs, and general cleanup.

“The biggest thing about World Changers is that we provide the labor,” said the Rev. Dale Jenkins of Airway Heights Baptist Church.

There are 198 volunteers from Washington, Oregon and California here, all of whom are sleeping at Cheney High School through Friday. The workers are young adults, at least of seventh-grade age, and some adults, with most working as crew chiefs.

There are about 22,000 World Changer volunteers this summer in 93 construction and community service projects nationwide and in Puerto Rico and Canada.

Each volunteer pays $260 to participate, which pays for lodging, meals and coordination of the project. Some volunteers, such as Dee Maytum of Monroe, Wash., use World Changers as a family project. The 46-year-old wife and mother is here with four of her six children, which amounts to a registration fee of $1,300.

Maytum said the family spends a good part of the year raising money for the registration fees.

“That’s what we want to do. We love it,” said Maytum, referring to working with World Changers.

Added Nathan Cecil, a World Changers paid student staff member from Yorktown, Va.: “At the end of the week, you look at a house and are thankful you changed people’s lives. You can’t put a price tag on that.”

Although the city allotted funds for 18 home improvements, the volunteers are working on 22 homes. Jenkins said World Changers is supplying the labor for four additional homes. At the end of the workday, volunteers return to the high school, where they participate in a worship service.

Karen Knowles, also a student staffer, helps lead worships.

“God has blessed me so much, this is an awesome way to give back,” said Knowles, of Pensacola, Fla.

“We believe Jesus lives inside of us. This is how we can show the community Jesus’ service, because we know Jesus would do the same.”