Summertime!

Summertime! What a great season. Family reunions, watermelon, baby birds. It’s what those of us who live in cooler climes dream about as we slog through months of snow and cold. It’s an exciting time for the Fuller Center for Housing as well. Covenant Partners are building around the world, Global Builder teams are heading to far-away places, the Bicycle Adventure is underway and the folks in the Chattahoochee Valley are hard at work getting ready to host the Millard Fuller Legacy Build. It’s a great season.

A number of events have already taken place. There are two many to list here, but highlights include The Greater Atlanta FCH hosting 112 young people for their 16 unit extreme makeover, Lenoir County NC completing their first rehab projects, North Central AR weatherizing eight houses, Indianapolis dedicating their first home, and the Disaster ReBuilders firing up in Orange City TX to continue their great hurricane recovery work.

Looking forward there are a number of events, some possibly near you, that are in the works:

• The Bicycle Adventure left Michigan last Sunday on their 1300 mile ride to Florida. They’ll stop at a number of cities along the route to build, including Louisville KY for FullerStock (7/20), Springfield KY (7/22), Winchester KY (7/24), Union City GA (8/3), Lanett AL (8/6), Americus GA (8/9), and Tallahassee FL (8/14). They’re also welcoming riders to join them along the way—learn more at fullercenterbiketrip.com. I’m joining them for the last leg, from Tallahassee to the coast. Should be great fun.

• Global Builder teams are traveling the world. Dianne and Chris Fuller just returned from a trip to El Salvador. Their 26 member team is the largest yet. Another team is just returning from Peru, and a second Peru trip is planned for early August. There’s a team in Armenia right now and another three trips planned for late summer and fall. And our first Africa GB team leaves for Nigeria this weekend. Those who have gone on a Global Builders trip report that they are life changing experiences. Learn more by clicking the Global Builders tag on our web page, fullercenter.org

• For something completely different consider swinging through Cusseta GA on August 1 for their Kiss the Pig event. I’m not really sure what this means, but it is intriguing and the proceeds will help Cusseta FCH build another house!

• The big event this summer will be the Millard Fuller Legacy Build, anchored in the Chattahoochee Valley, where Millard was born and reared, with companion projects around the world. The goal is to dedicate 100 houses during that week. The Chattahoochee Valley project kicks off on Sunday, August 30, with an event celebrating Millard’s life. Building begins on Monday, the 31st and will go through the week. There are still openings for volunteers and sponsors—check it out on our web page fullercenter.org.

On other fronts we have been overwhelmed by the response to the Vada & Ted Stanley match. They agreed to match $500,000 in donations and the goal was to have it met by the time of the Legacy Build, but we got there early! The match has been met! We are so grateful to our many faithful friends for their continuing support. None of this would be possible without those gifts.

So the work goes on. We miss Millard greatly but he built a firm foundation and the work he started continues to grow. The first phase of the Millions for Millard campaign has been reached, with $1,000,000 raised through the generosity of the Stanleys and the many friends who helped meet the match. The next phases will take a little more time—housing a million people and engaging a million volunteers and supporters. But we are on our way!