ROANOKE, Va. – A group all the way from New Jersey is the Roanoke Community Tuesday night. For the past seven years students and their parents have made it a mission to help the local Habitat for Humanity organization build homes. For the first time, the volunteers want to give thanks to neighbors by throwing a free block party for the community.
At Kennedy Park, community members got to enjoy games, music and free food that was donated by New Jersey diners. Church members who traveled from Metuchen, New Jersey, says the purpose of the event is to get to know the community members they’re helping.
For seven years, members of the First Presbyterian Church in Metuchen, New Jersey, have driven about eight hours down to the Star City. "We just feel really honored that they choose here in our community to do so much good," Jenny Lee, development director for Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley said.
Their commitment and service goes a long way for the Habitat of Humanity in Roanoke. "You wouldn't believe how much work they've gotten done at this site alone between this time yesterday and now, and that's multiplied by four or five different sites," Lee said.
From Loudon Avenue to Hanover, Fairfax and up the hill to 17th street, bonds are created. “Our high school teens that come when they're freshmen and then continue and nobody wants to miss a year 'cause we just love it." Christine Young, a church member and volunteer said.
But what keeps these people coming back? "We have such a large group and it was difficult to find a [an] affiliate that could work with such a big group. We came here and just loved being here," Young said.
Laura Draper also a volunteer and chaperone adds, "That's what I heard from other chaperones was how great Roanoke the community was how welcoming the community was to us. My son would say they're out working and people would come by, honk their horns and wave and say 'Thank you.'"
The church members are appreciative of the community they’re helping. It’s weeklong projects like these, they say, is the least they can do. "A lot of mission work you don't always necessarily see who is going to benefit from what you're doing. And they really see that hands on work and how it's going to directly impact this specific family. That's very powerful,” Draper said.
Habitat for Humanity says the homes the church members are working on all week are expected to open by December.