Homes get facelift in Valdosta this week - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Homes get facelift in Valdosta this week

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By Jade Bulecza - bio | email

VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) –Close to 20 homes in Valdosta are getting a facelift this week.

More than 100 students from all over the country are doing repair work for elderly and disabled folks who physically can't do the work and may not have the money to hire professionals.

Old worn out panels are stripped off a carport and the rotten wood will soon be replaced.

"Oh lord," said Marie Pitchford, Brookwood homeowner.  "I couldn't do these repairs honey. I can't even hardly stand up."

By the end of the week, Marie Pitchford will also have the outside of her Brookwood Drive home repainted by teenagers. She's lived here for 50 years.

"I can't even explain how much it means to have them here doing it," said Pitchford.

Since 2005, the Southern Hospitality Group Workcamp has restored more than 200 homes. These repairs include painting, adding wheelchair ramps, and other minor repairs.

Group Workcamp is a mission trip for adults and teenagers. They're from as far away as Alaska and Minnesota.

"It's pretty cool," said Noah Lindquist, whose from Minnesota. "I like it."

"It's nice being able to help people that need help because there's people who are old and can't do this," said Sawyer Skiba, whose from Alaska.

He's helping some new friends he met through the camp put on a coat of fresh paint on this Bethune Street house, another one of the 18 homes that the teens are working on.

For homeowners like Pitchford these repairs are simply unaffordable. She says the days of painting, herself, are gone.

"I'm very happy to have them here," said Pitchford. "They're incredible. They're very nice people and it just means an awful lot."

The City of Valdosta hosts the event and identifies site that meet certain criteria.

While these teens may only be spending a week in Valdosta away from their homes, they're leaving a lasting impression on the homeowners who otherwise could not make the repairs themselves.

If you want to find out more on the Southern Hospitality Group Workcamp, click here.  


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