Help Wanted - Volunteer Houston Seeking Manpower

A wide range of volunteers gathered on a windy, cool day recently to repair three Denver Harbor area homes - a teenager working towards his schools's community service requirement, men from out of town, women from nearby neighborhoods...all coming together for a good cause.
 
You can help, too.
 
Volunteer Houston is looking for skilled and unskiller workers to lend a hand repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Ike.
 
There are weekend and weekday projects available, as well as half-day or full day. Volunteers must be at least 15-years of age, but accompanied by an adult if under the age of 18. Volunteers are also asked to provide their own protective gear and tools.
 
Jennifer Anderson and her husband Daniel feel fortunate their home was not badly damaged during Hurricane Ike, which is why they found themselves up on somebody else's roof for repairs.
 
"This is the first time I've done anything like this," said Jennifer, sporting pink gloves to protect her hands from debris and cold weather. "When I heard this was happening, I thought this is something we ought to help do…because we can."
 
Or as Rev. Mark Junkans puts it, because "you get to get your hands dirty, serve somebody else, and it's a day that you have purpose in your life beyond just going to the office."
 
Junkans, executive director of LINC Houston (Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition), said the need for skilled volunteers is great - people such as roofers, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC and electricians.
 
"We have a list of roofs that need to be done, houses that need to be sheet-rocked," Junkans said. "The more volunteers that step up, the faster we can get done, and these families won't have to live in moldy and torn up houses." 
 
For now, the list of those who need repairs is much longer than the list of volunteers. 
 
That's why LINC Houston is partnering with a group of other non-profit agencies who are pooling their resources in a “Long Term Recovery” effort organized through United Way.   The goal is to repair 250 homes within Harris, Fort. Bend and Montgomery Counties. 
 

A crew of 13 from Lord of Life Lutheran Church in the Woodlands devoted themselves to repairing a home on Saturday, but for them it's not only a one-time deal .
 
Church members devote alternate Saturdays working on Habitat for Humanity homes. 
 
Don Hynek, the organizer, said some of the crew have construction backgrounds, which is helpful for the rest who have grown to the task with plenty of on-the- job-learning. 
 
"If we could get more crews like this," Junkans said, "we could span the city and do multiple houses in one day."
 
Volunteer Houston has established a hotline for those interested in the rewards of the volunteer experience. To sign up, call 713-964-0299, or email ikevolunteer@volunteerhouston.org
 
For more information, visit www.volunteerhouston.org