The summer months are some of the busiest for our volunteer program. Throngs of young people from across the country join us during their summer break from classes to help put the homes and lives of the poor families we serve back together.

Much has been accomplished this summer: Roofs and floors, windows and doors, kitchens and bathrooms—all manners of emergency repairs have been done to help people struggling with financial hardships. People like Warrick and Gloria.

Warrick and Gloria struggle with the day-to-day hurdles ofchronic illness and physical disabilities. Their problems are compounded by limited financial resources, which have prevented them from making necessary repairs to their home.

Some months ago, their home's heat and air unit developed a leak. By the time the leak was discovered, major damage had already been done to the beams supporting the hallway and one of the bedrooms—causing the floors to sink several inches. With nowhere else to turn and desperate, the couple reached out to Sacred Heart Southern Missions for help.

The couple was added to our ever-growing list of emergency repairs. Recently, our staff and one of our volunteer groups replaced all of the broken support joists, along with the flooring in the bedroom and hallway.

Warrick watched the crew from the shade of his carport as they carried piles of rotted wood to the street. Delighted, the elderly man shared his gratitude for the hard work and for the contributions that made the repairs to his home possible. “We could never have afforded to have these repairs done never.”

Tears of relief rolled down Warrick's face. Gently grasping the hand of one of our staff, he said, “You have no idea what a blessing this is for me and my wife. We have been blessed by your presence and your hard work. If everyone was like the people at Sacred Heart Southern Missions, the world would be a beautiful place.”

Time after time, generous gifts from compassionate donors enable our skilled volunteer staff to round up the materials they need, and gather teams of volunteers to make the necessary repairs to the homes of the poor, elderly and disabled. Without those repairs, they could have become homeless. On behalf of all of them, thank you!