To celebrate reaching 100,000 volunteer hours, this week we will be highlighting some of the key volunteers that have helped us achieve this milestone. Today we would like to highlight one of our Weekday Crew members, Joe! Joe joined us after a long career in the Sheriff's office and now spends most of his Mondays and Wednesdays serving on our worksites - there's no better man behind a table saw! We have Joe to thank for 800 of TRT's total 100,000 volunteer hours.

A little about Joe's involvement with our mission:

How did you first get involved with The Restoration Team:

During COVID in 2020, I was volunteering at the Fair Haven Church Food Pantry when a fellow volunteer told me about The Restoration Team. Trevor (TRT's Executive Director) was also there at times so I got to talk to him about TRT as well. I joined the TRT crew and have been blessed since.

Do you have a favorite project/client/experience that you remember while serving with The Restoration Team?

I recall a home we worked on where the gentleman pitched in and worked alongside us while his fiancee would make us lunch. They made us feel like a part of their family. As a matter of fact, we were invited and a couple of us attended their marriage at their church later. Sweet people and so grateful. As I type this I am still touched by their generosity and love toward us.

What does this ministry mean to you? Why do you keep coming back to serve?

I really enjoy the challenge of using my skills and assisting in the skills of others to make a house into a home again. Oftentimes we are down to the studs and replacing flooring to literally rebuild a good portion of the home. The gratitude of the owners and the ability to assist in getting someone's life back to a more stable environment fuels my desire to serve. God has blessed my life so it is only right that I pass it forward. We are given to give. I treasure the camaraderie with my fellow TRT coworkers and the friendships I have made. The TRT staff goes above and beyond to make the volunteer and repair experience worth coming back to, I appreciate the care they take in us. As always with God, I am blessed more than I am myself a blessing.

What would you tell someone looking to get involved with our ministry?

If you are looking to invest your time and efforts in a ministry that you will see tangible results in a major portion of a person's life, then TRT is for you. Some volunteers bring a volume of skills; some have little to no skills; no matter, we are all teachable and you cannot beat the challenges and friendships you will make in putting people's houses back into homes. To see the gratitude in someone's eyes when they see their home not just livable again, but oftentimes better, is priceless.

Thank you Joe for coming out week after week to serve our clients. You are a true difference-maker in the community!