AMERICUS — Mark Bowen and Shkendra Lewis, two Americus residents, never guessed that a group of college students from Springfield, Ohio, would help change their lives forever.
Bowen and Lewis are two new homeowners selected by the Fuller Center for Housing. Both residents have put in what the organization calls “sweat equity” by working on the homes themselves.
The group from Wittenberg, a small school of 1,900 students, has been supremely pleased with their time in Americus. The Lutheran school requires community service from all of its students — a minimum of 20 hours at one site. The school offers the spring break trip as a community service option.
“Wittenberg service is all about learning and engaging with the local community, because you can’t make a difference without knowing people’s stories and knowing their backgrounds,” said Rachael Fink, a Wittenberg student.
“It’s just been absolutely incredible to see a transformation from when we first started to today; it’s just been an incredible experience,” continued Fink on her Americus experience.
Other student volunteers were all in agreement on one idea: the people they were working with elevated the experience.
“My favorite part has been the staff, Thad and Mark and Kirk and everyone,” said Lucas George on the local Fuller Center staff.
The feeling was mutual, as local Fuller Center director Kirk Lyman-Barner expressed his feeling about the group. “They’re amazing, and we always have great folks from Ohio,” he said. I” don’t know what it is in the water up there.”
If you are interested in organizing a volunteer group with the local Fuller Center, contact Kirk Lyman-Barner at kirk@fullercenter.org.