Youth Involved in Making a Difference in St. Tammany Parish
Many programs and organizations exist today which teach ordinary people to construct homes and buildings for those less fortunate. Habitat for Humanity has a large organized program in East St. Tammany Parish and conducts projects throughout the Greater New Orleans area. One of the national organizations which focuses entirely on young people is called World Changers. This organization provides youth volunteers who work on the homes of people in need. They learn construction skills such as carpentry, painting, flooring, roofing and much more. The focus of the ministry is to offer service opportunities for young people to become involved in helping people and also, as a side benefit, getting an education in the construction industry.
The projects are chosen based on an application process for low to middle income families in need. The beneficiaries in St. Tammany Parish this year include the elderly and disabled. On June 23, 2014, volunteers for the World Changers organization will come into town in St. Tammany Parish for 5 days to work on the homes of these program beneficiaries.
The materials used in construction, such as wood, paint, caulk, sheetrock, windows, doors, etc. are purchased through a grant called the Community Development Block Grant, which is a federal program. A local company, Kent Design+Build of Mandeville, is sponsoring Adam Martin, the construction coordinator for the project. He will be overseeing the construction of the project as well as the safety and education of the volunteers.
The World Changers is an entity of LifeWay Student Ministries, and this is its third consecutive year of sending students out for a week at a time during the summer to help refurbish the homes of people in need. The students will be housed on the campus of the First Baptist Church of Covington, according to Family Life Pastor Bill Boren. For the grateful applicant recipients as well as the students involved in the ministry, it is a win-win opportunity to benefit those less fortunate in St. Tammany Parish.
