World Changers returning to Louisiana in June for Greater Blessings work

World Changers will return to the Hammond/Ponchatoula, Louisiana, area June 16-21 to partner with the Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center for Housing on 25-30 Greater Blessings projects.

Representing churches from all over the Southeast, youth ranging in age from 7^th to 12^th grade will spend four days serving elderly, low-income and disabled citizens in Tangipahoa and Livingston Parishes. Groups of 8 youth and 2 adults will spend their days primarily on exterior painting and minor repair projects, building wheelchair ramps, doing yard work, and getting to know the homeowners they are serving.

Homeowners will be given a Greater Blessings box at the end of the week and asked to join the Fuller Center’s ministry by paying it forward on terms they can afford so that other people in need can be helped in the future. This is a concept on which the Fuller Center’s Greater Blessings projects are based.

“We are excited to welcome World Changers back to our community” said Tamara Danel, Executive Director of Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center. “They bring lots of energy and enthusiasm for service and they share love and compassion with folks who don’t have the immediate resources to fix up their own houses.”

World Changers is based out of Nashville’s Lifeway Student Ministries. Active since 1990, World Changers provides an opportunity for young people to experience missions by putting their faith into action. After long days on multiple work sites, students spend their evenings in worship and fellowship. The lodging host for World Changers is First Baptist Church of Ponchatoula. Students and their chaperones will sleep there, eat breakfast and supper there, and worship there. Other local churches will help by providing lunches at the work sites each day.

A special mid-week treat will be a community-wide block party and worship service at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Hammond. World Changers will invite the families they are serving and neighbors around their work-sites to join them for food, music, games and a unique multicultural worship experience on Wednesday night, June 18^th at 6 p.m.

“World Changers will help Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center make a tremendous impact in our community this June,” said James Harris, Construction Manager with Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center. “With up to 250 volunteers spending four full days in service, we will be able to help many families improve their living conditions and their property values, which benefits our entire community. I invite area businesses and churches to welcome World Changers with signs, discounts, and treats while they are here because we want them to come back every year!”

Area businesses can help by offering discounted and donated paint and building materials to Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center. Individuals and grantors can help by making tax-deductible contributions specifically for this cause.

“We are trying to raise $25,000 to cover the cost of tools and building supplies for the World Changers event, because our organization will also be in the process of building a new house at the same time which will eat into our annual budget”, noted Tamara Danel. Monetary donations may be sent to Treasurer, Stephen Smith at Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center P.O. Box 96 Hammond, LA 70404-0096.

Homeowners who would like to apply for a Greater Blessings project may pick up an application from the ReUse Store at 955 S. Morrison Blvd. in Hammond or call 985-542-6866. World Changers are not allowed to work on roofs, so The Fuller Center is specifically looking for homes that need exterior painting or wheelchair ramps and which are located within a 20-minute drive of downtown Ponchatoula.