Renovations tie community

Published 4:00 pm Friday, July 26, 2019

By George Waters

Special to The Farmville Herald

By the community, for the community. That’s the mentality for those behind the block beautification project that took place on South Bridge Street. From July 22-26, the Farmville United Methodist Church Youth Group and Fresh Boys Club teamed up with the help of Habitat for Humanity to beautify three houses located along South Bridge Street.

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The groups came together to work toward their common goals: doing what is right and helping their neighbor. The groups’ similarities brought them together to do something for the area they care so much about. Residents in the houses on and around South Bridge Street are talented and eager to help the organizations recreate some of the good-natured atmosphere that many of them grew up in.

While both the Fresh Boys Club and the Farmville UMC Youth Group are made up of mostly children and students, they raised over $600 in fundraising. They are going to be there from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day working on bettering people’s homes. Habitat for Humanity will provide assistance and guidance where they can, but all three organizations wanted it to be known that this is a project built from the ground up by the people of Farmville.

Lyndsie Blakely, administrator of youth for the UMC Youth Group, had thought of doing something like this for the organization’s annual mission trip, “Instead of traveling away from our community, why not help our literal neighbors?”

Louis Gould III, head of the Fresh Boys Club, had voiced a similar sentiment, “I’m always preaching to them about volunteering y’know, always lend a helping hand.” While both groups knew that they wanted to actively make their community a better place, they still needed a project and a connecting force.

Alanna Rivera, with Habitat For Humanity, was that connecting force.

Having worked with both groups before and recognizing their noble desire to impact the area, she connected them and provided the resources and knowledge to make this project a reality. With the three organizations ready to start and the residents ready to assist, all that is left is to complete the project.

All are welcome to join the communal effort, with no experience required. Volunteers are doing landscaping, lawn care and minor construction based on the homeowners needs. Individuals from all over the area have already begun pledging support for the project, and more are sure to join. Those looking to support can volunteer themselves, but if you are unable, they are accepting donations by funding, water or mulch. Any help they receive goes a long way.

As a community, those working on South Bridge Street hope to act as one to do a lot of good in the neighborhood, and more is sure to come.

Rivera summed up the spirit of the project best, “You can make a difference any day, at any age.”