Church student group from Minden, Louisiana serves in Millard Fuller’s hometown of Lanett, Alabama

Church student group from Minden, Louisiana serves in Millard Fuller’s hometown of Lanett, Alabama

LANETT, Alabama — About 45 teen volunteers from Minden, Louisiana’s First Baptist Church student group who call themselves the “3rd Floor Crew” are building wall sections this week in the parking lot of the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project’s ReUse Store in Lanett — hometown of Fuller Center for Housing founder Millard Fuller.

The walls will help jump-start construction of CFCP’s 66th home build, which will take place during the Oct. 4-8 Millard Fuller Legacy Build.

“You can just stand the walls up, and your house is framed in,” CFCP Executive Director Kim Roberts said in noting the importance of the work the teens are doing in the parking lot as traffic roared by on Millard Fuller Memorial Highway. “It’s pretty amazing, and the walls go up really quick.”

“I’m grateful, and I’m appreciative,” Latrisha Finley, who is disabled and raising a daughter with special needs, said as she rolled her wheelchair around the lot and dabbed at tears of joy with a tissue. “Their parents must be wonderful to let them come out here and do for others. Blessings are in store for them. This right here is going to go on for them for a lifetime. This is an experience — not only for me but for them.

“I just want them to know that when they do go home that I love them for all that they’ve done — from building the walls, from the speaking, encouraging my baby to work with them and feel like she’s being a part of something,” Finley added. “It’s a great feeling.”

“I probably shouldn’t be the person trusted to be building a house, but I love how God is using me for that,” student volunteer Mallory Pesnell said. “I’m seeing how God can use me in ways I never imagined and seeing He can work through us, just a bunch of teenagers.”

“We’ve got a group that just loves to serve,” youth pastor Chad Parks said. “They don’t complain. Their hearts are in it. They just want to help out.”

Parks was particularly impressed with the complete operation of the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project, led by Roberts and Robin Pierre.

“We have spots on the bus going back for Ms. Kim and Robin if they just want to stay with us,” Parks said jokingly as Lanett Fire Department Chief Jamie Heard and Tyler Sheridan began grilling burgers for the entire group. “Or there may be an extra spot because I may stay here for a couple of weeks and just learn from them and just get the wisdom that they have. They are awesome. I love what they’ve got going here.

“We’re going to take a lot of what we learned this week about reaching out into the community, about being bold and thinking really big, and we’re gonna take that back with us,” Parks added. “We’ve only known them for three days, but they’re inspiring. They’re changing what we’re gonna do when we get home.” 

Learn more about or register for the Legacy Build

For much more from the wall build in Lanett, see the video and gallery below.