Volunteers Pitch In To Help Tornado Victims

Monday, May 2, 2011

Special Photo Henry County Emergency Management Director Don Ash helped to clear fallen trees and other debris from a home in Spalding County, during a clean-up effort in the aftermath of recent tornadoes in the area.
By Jason A. Smith
jsmith@henryherald.com

More than 40 Henry residents gathered in a neighboring community over the weekend, to assist victims of storms that ripped through portions of the Southeast, including the Southern Crescent area.


Local volunteers went to School Road in Spalding County Saturday, to clear debris left by the recent tornadoes. Henry Commission Chairman Elizabeth "B.J." Mathis, spearheaded the endeavor. The team of volunteers she took to the area worked for about six hours, she said.

"The house we spent the most time on, was a couple who had no homeowner's insurance," Mathis said. "We were able to completely clear all the trees from their yard, and put them along the roadway for Spalding County Public Works to pick up later. Some of them were so large, you couldn't reach your arms around them."

Mathis said the volunteers were split among different areas in Spalding County, as well as Lamar County, which was also affected by the tornadoes.

"The bulk of the volunteers were on Old Hwy 3, in Sunnyside," she said. "Some were over on School Road, at the Christian Women's Center. Additional volunteers were at other homes on the same street, doing similar work. Thanks to three volunteers, we had three Bobcats working on [one] street, and were able to get a lot more accomplished."

Don Dunlap, a business teacher at Patrick Henry High School, was among those who volunteered for the clean-up. He and other members of the Henry team, loaded Bobcats full of heavy equipment, to be hauled away from the site.

There were lots of trees on houses," said Dunlap. "It was amazing, the amount of damage that was done to these homes."

Dunlap said the volunteers' eagerness to help the Spalding community carried over into Sunday. Some of them returned to continue their efforts.

Mathis said Henry's relief effort was sparked by a telephone conversation she had Thursday with Spalding County Commission Chairman Eddie Freeman. "He said the damage was massive, and they couldn't respond to all the areas as quickly as they wanted to," Mathis said.




The tornado entered the southwest corner of Spalding County around midnight Wednesday, heading northeast, said Freeman, in an interview with the Henry Daily Herald last Friday.

Freeman said the destruction was "tremendous," and that an elderly man and his caregiver perished in the storm.

"We have 400 homes that are either, damaged or destroyed, and 14 businesses that are damaged or destroyed," said Freeman.

He added that firefighters from Clayton County came to Spalding to provide assistance, in the wake of the tornado.

Elsewhere in the Atlanta area, Kroger grocery stores are encouraging customers and employees to contribute to tornado-relief efforts, by making donations to the American Red Cross. Customers can round up their purchases to the nearest whole dollar at all Atlanta Division Kroger locations, which include stores in Georgia, South Carolina, northern Alabama and eastern Tennessee.

"Our hearts are with our friends and neighbors in north Georgia, Huntsville, [Ala.], and across the Southeast, who have been devastated by this horrendous natural disaster," said Glynn Jenkins, director of communications and public relations for Kroger's Atlanta Division. "Our customers and communities come together during times such as these, and we are so appreciative. Their generosity truly makes a difference in the lives of so many people."

Students get lessons in citizenship, service

Article Courtesy Of Clayton News Daily©

Photo by Johnny Jackson
Joni Barlow gives a presentation, using a projector slideshow, as she shares with classmates her experiences in the community service learning course at Patrick Henry High School.

By Johnny Jackson

jjackson@henryherald.com

Joni Barlow was visibly emotional as she shared the lessons she had learned over the past semester at Patrick Henry High School, in Stockbridge.

"Even though you think you don't deserve it, because of the bad things you did," said Barlow. "God believes you do."

This, the student said, is what she takes away from the school's community service learning class. The class is now two semesters old, and has graduated roughly two dozen students, who are progressing toward becoming active citizens and community leaders, according to the school's community service learning instructor, Don Dunlap.

Some did not make it this year, but most did, said Dunlap. He said a dozen of the 18 students who signed up this semester for Patrick Henry's community service learning class, will graduate Wednesday, April 27.

"It's much greater than the sum of its parts," he said. "They really have been transformed in learning about the opportunities in the community for them to give of themselves."

Dunlap said the community service learning class is built on national standards, so students earn academic course credit for taking it. However, it was born out of a collaboration between the school and the Turning Point Church, an 8-year-old, 700-member McDonough congregation.

"It was just an open door," said Turning Point Pastor Michael Turner, as he recalled the process of partnering with the school to provide no-cost mentoring, and volunteer opportunities, to students at the alternative school.

The partnership to build community leaders at Patrick Henry began with a challenge Turner said he posed to his youth minister, Brad Post.

"I sent Brad on an assignment to find out what are the needs of our community," Turner said. "A common thread was a need for teen mentoring. We call it 'Dream Builders' at our church.

"What's cool is that I was this kid in high school," he added. "I came from a single-parent home, and almost every young man here does not have that relationship with their father."

The partnership began during the 2010 Spring Semester at Patrick Henry. Students voluntarily met after school with members of Turning Point and volunteered on weekends for various community service projects.

Dunlap said the school began to implement the class during the 2010 Fall Semester. The Patrick Henry instructor said he has seen some students transform from apathetic individuals, into community-oriented citizens who value and care for other people in need. For those students, he said, the community's needy become less like distant objects, and more like three-dimensional people worth being helped.

"I talk about our students graduating and becoming good, contributing members of our community. I think that's the goal of education," said Dunlap, of his motivation to create the partnership.

Some students, like Jon Wilson, Trey Johnson, and Kameron Thacker, acknowledged the obstacles they were asked to overcome in order to become better citizens. Many of them related to the community leaders who were invited to speak to the class this semester.

"Everyone has a purpose in life, even though you don't see it at the moment," said Thacker.

Henry County Board of Commissioners Chairman Elizabeth 'B.J.' Mathis and Stockbridge Mayor Lee Stuart spoke of their respective pasts in the youth ministry and the military, and what inspired them to become public servants.

"We learned that the choices you make now affect your future. And if you're passionate about something, you'll do it for free," noted student, Brandi Hargis.

Students freely volunteered their Wednesday afternoons to listen to the community leaders. On weekends, they helped to repair homes through the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing.

"It's more than a community service class," declared student, Ashley Swint. "You learn a lot more than that."

Meet "Big Red"...

Trailer Donated to the HCFC by Ms. Joyce

A few weeks ago I was carrying on business as usual, and as I walked over to Ms. Joyce's desk (she volunteers over at Connecting Henry), she looked up from her computer and said to me in her sweet southern voice, "I noticed that y'all were looking for a Trailer for the Fuller Center......it's not an enclosed one but I believe I have a 4x8 in the garage that y'all can have. It's just been sitting there for God knows how long."  - I almost spilled my coffee!


Thanks to the wonderful and generous Ms. Joyce Rodgers, the Henry County Fuller Center now has a small trailer that we can use to load up with tools and building materials as we head over to our next project(s).  In the short time that I have lived in Henry County, I have met some of the most passionate & caring people who are always looking out for you and always looking to make a difference in their own way.  And if you know this family, you know that the apple does not fall far from the tree! Both Ms. Joyce  and Denese have been the HCFC's biggest supporters and cheerleaders from Day One. We would like to say THANK YOU to the Rodgers, from the bottom of our hearts!

For more information about Fuller Center and the Henry County Fuller Center, please visit www.fullercenter.org and www.hcfullercenter.org.

Shane A. Persaud
(678) 699-2308 or info@hcfullercenter.org
President/Volunteer, Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc.

Stockbridge teen benefits from Henry County Fuller For Housing, Inc.Center

Article courtesy of Henry County Times©

Jacob Adams with 4-year-old sister Avery enjoy a day out at Stone Mountain.

By Cristy Smith
Staff writer

Most all of us know what it is like to be a teenager eager for more independence and so badly wanting to inch further and further away from the nest. But what if you were a teenager unable to walk?

Jacob Adams, 14, was diagnosed before birth, with Spina Bifida, a condition where the backbone and spinal canal do not close, and he has never known that independence.

“He is unable to go outside by himself, and he has to crawl to get to his bathroom,” explained Carrie Adams, Jacob’s mom.

But thanks to the Henry County Fuller Center, a non-profit housing organization, and the employees from the True Value Regional Distribution Center in Jonesboro, Jacob now has a direct route from his bedroom to his bathroom. A wheelchair friendly door was added to Jacob’s bathroom entrance from his bedroom, handicap bars were added to the bathroom, and a wall-hung sink in the kitchen that he can access easily, and a 10’ by 10’ deck with ramp were constructed on the rear of the Adams’ home.

Henry County Fuller Center volunteers partnered with the True Value employees this past weekend to upgrade Jacob’s home to American Disability Act (ADA) standards.

Not only does Jacob have to go through extreme measures to do what most would consider being simple tasks, but it has also been taking a toll on his body and even more importantly, his spine, making this project that much more urgent. These additions will give Jacob more independence and lessen the stress on his spine.

“Jacob has scoliosis and has had a complete spinal fusion where they straighten the vertebrae and insert a rod and wiring which is tough on his spine… usually it’s just a portion of someone’s spine that this is done to, but this had to be done to his entire backbone,” said Carrie. “I really worried about him crawling from his bedroom to the bathroom.”

Now that Jacob is able to get himself around, his 4-year-old sister Avery will not have as much fun pushing him around in his wheelchair inside the house.

“Avery really enjoys pushing her big brother around and helping him out,” said Carrie. “Even though they’re 10 years apart they are very close.”

The modifications made to his room and bathroom have Jacob enjoying his teenage independence and has allowed him more time to do activities like watching wrestling, listening to music, playing guitar and drums, playing on his PlayStation and facebooking.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

“Jacob keeps telling me he loves his new bachelor pad,” laughed Carrie. “It really is quite amazing what they did. It’s perfect.”

According to Shane Persaud, President of the Henry County Fuller Center, anyone living in substandard housing is eligible to apply for assistance from the organization.

For more information on The Henry County Fuller Center, to inquire about a housing application, or to become a volunteer, visit their website at http://www.fullercenter.org or http://www.hcfullercenter.org.

True Value regional distribution center gives Henry County a big boost in volunteers

Fuller Center for Housing Henry County is helping 13-year-old Jacob, right, become more independent with its work at Jacob's home this Saturday.



The Fuller Center for Housing Henry County already had big plans this weekend – a roof repair in McDonough, Ga., and a project to make a Stockbridge home more accessible for a wheelchair-bound 13-year-old named Jacob.

Shane Persaud, director of the Henry County covenant partner, said Tuesday he is still drumming up funds for the two projects. But Persaud doesn't expect to expend a lot of effort trying to find volunteers to work this weekend.

The volunteers found him.

The True Value regional distribution center in nearby Jonesboro, Ga., contacted the Henry County FCH and said they were looking to do some volunteer work as part of the company's Day of Caring.

They called the right place.

“It's a huge deal,” Persaud said. “They are going to send 40 volunteers our way Saturday. So we're gonna split them up – send 20 to the roofing project and 20 to the ADA project.”

Persaud made that statement about 4 p.m. By 5 p.m., the number of volunteers looked to be around 45, according to Tony Carver, warehouse superintendent at the distribution center.

"The company has had the Day of Caring for a while, and we've been looking to get the distribution centers involved," said Carver, noting that other efforts to find volunteer projects garnered little response before someone told him they had heard UPS had enjoyed good working experiences with the Fuller Center. "So we called the Fuller Center, and they were very responsive."

Carver said that Persaud seemed overwhelmingly delighted with the volunteerism offered by the True Value RDC.

"I think Shane was expecting maybe 25 or 30," Carver said with a chuckle. "I've been pleasantly surprised with the participation. It looks like we'll have around 45, which is almost 50 percent of our workforce here. Coming out on a Saturday in the heat with kids starting school and some employees having to take kids off to college and such, I'm just real happy with the participation rate."

The family partnering to have the roofing work has informed Persaud that they would have family and friends do the work of tearing off the old roof Friday so that volunteers can get straight to work putting on the new roof Saturday.

“I got a good quote today (on the shingles),” Persaud said. “And I'd think with 20 volunteers and maybe 10 on the roof and an air compressor gun that we ought to be able to get that new roof on in two or three hours.”

As for the ADA project in Stockbridge, the team will be tackling three tasks: adding a kitchen sink at wheelchair height, widening a bathroom doorway and refitting the toilet, and building a wooden deck that is level with the hohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifuse and has a ramp.

“At 13, he's becoming more independent,” Persaud said of Jacob, who suffers from a fused spine and was supposed to be undergoing surgery Tuesday. “They have a concrete back deck now with about a 12-inch dropoff. We're going to replace it with a wooden deck flush with the main floor so that he can more easily get outside.”

Headquartered in Chicago, True Value Company is one of thhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife world's largest retailer-owned hardware cooperatives with more than 5,000 independent retailers. The Fuller Center for Housing would like to thank the company and its generous team in Jonesboro for their outstanding support.

For more information about True Value, click here.

Want to get involved with Shane Persaud and FCH Henry County or donate to this weekend's work? Click here.

Group helps family rebuild

Article Courtesy Of Griffin Daily News©

by Ray Lightner
07.16.11 - 05:54 pm
Bobby and Anita Simpson were able to move back into their Sunny Side home last Saturday, thanks to a lot of help from a group of volunteers from Henry County.

The Simpsons’ home was damaged in the April 28 tornado. Volunteers from the Fuller Center of Henry County came in that weekend to help clean up. Board member B.J. Mathis, the Henry County Commission chairperson, had called her counterpart in Spalding County to offer help.

That started cleaning up debris in Sunny Side and at the Patterson Road mobile home park.

“We came over and were cleaning up yards. Bobby almost ran them off,” said Fuller Center Board member Don Dunlap. “He didn’t know who they were.”

After meeting the family, the group took on the Simpsons’ home as a project, beginning work on the house May 14. Working every Saturday since then, volunteers with varying levels of expertise helped clean up and repair the home enough so the family could move back in July 9.

Volunteers included experienced and working contractors as well as students.

The project is still not completed, said Fuller Center of Henry County President Shane Persaud, “but the family can move back in. That is our goal.”

Volunteers turned out Saturday to work some more and dedicate the house back to the Simpsons. As part of the ceremony, as is their tradition, Persaud presented the family with a Bible signed by many of the volunteers and a “greater blessings box,” made from wood from the Fuller farm in Americus. The box contains envelopes to make donations when they can.

The Fuller Center for Housing was founded by Millard Fuller, who also founded Habitat for Humanity.

The Simpsons thanked the volunteers for their work.

“This is a blessing we don’t deserve,” said Bobby Simpson. “We moved back in this past Saturday. It would would been months more without your help.”

Anita Simpson said, “the Lord brought us all together for a reason. Not sure what it is yet, but once we’re back up, we’ll be helping too,”

The house has been in their family for a some time. The Simpsons bought it from Anita’s parents, who bought in from her uncle in 1994. Her mother, Becky Channell said, “The lumber in the attic of the home came from granddaddy’s property.”

Shane A. Persaud, Volunteer & President of Henry County Fuller Center For Housing, Inc*. presents an overjoyed Bobby & Anita Simpson with their Bible & Greater Blessing Box on Dedication Day-July 16, 2011

*Over 50 home repair projects have been done, at this date, by the Henry County Fuller Center For Housing, Inc. for Georgia residents, since it's inception.

Local agency needs utility trailer donation

Article courtesy of Johnny Jackson, Henry Daily Herald Staff Reporter©

Posted: 9:30 PM Jul 15, 2011http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Local agency needs utility trailer donation
Volunteers working with the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., are calling on community members to help the local organization in providing for the area’s needy in home repairs.

By Johnny Jackson
jjackson@henryherald.com

Volunteers working with the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., are calling on community members to help the local organization in providing for the area’s needy in home repairs.

The non-profit affiliate of the Fuller Center for Housing is in need of a two-axle enclosed utility trailer, according to organization officials.

Volunteer John Quinn said the needed trailer dimensions measure 6-by-12 feet. It would be used to store and haul tools and building materials for various area home repair projects.

“We would possibly like to have a new one donated,” said Quinn.

The volunteer said a new mobile utility trailer would cohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifst about $3,195.

Quinn acknowledged it has been a challenge finding an affordable trailer to house the tools and materials. He said it also has been a challenge for volunteers to transport construction materials from site to site for the more than 50 home repair projects since 2010.

“We always need sponsors and volunteers and donations as there are always people in need of home repairs,” he said.

To learn more, visit the Henry County Fuller Center web page at http://www.fullercenter.org/henrycountymcdonoughga.




Please click photo to enlarge picture

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