A three-peat for both groups this past week. Project Children is a non-profit group founded by Denis Mulcahy nearly forty years ago. Denis is a man that wanted to do something to help resolve the difficulties between Catholic and Protestants fighting it out in Northern Ireland back in the 70's. Denis is of Irish descent and is a former NYC cop and worked specifically on the bomb squad. He raised all of the funds and started bringing young folks from both sides of the conflct to the USA to live and work together for eight weeks. The first week of the trip the whole group works with a Habitat affiliate learning how to build a house while at the same time learning to get along and see that we are all not that different. The next eight weeks, the group divides up throughout the US and they are placed in internships in their fields of study. They are generally college and HS students. Project Children places them in host families around the country, so they also have a chance to taste a bit of American lifestyles.
     This is the third year that Project Children has worked with Habitat Tuscaloosa . Denis and about six adult leaders or chaperones are the only returnees, all of the students only come to participate once. Pat and Gwen Kelly, an American couple from Texas have been helping for many years and are the advance team, helping with logistics. Pat, Brendan, Gene and Sam are all of Irish descent as well and help lead the teams while here with us in Tuscaloosa.   The adults had a mini reunion with Mr. Bishop, a veteran whose house the group helped rehab while they were here last year.
     We were graced with not-so-bad Alabama summer weather for the week. Some drizzly rainy days with cloud cover to keep things cool.   Nice breezes every once in a while. Most of the kids are quite fair skinned and prone to sunburn something fierce if not careful.
     The majority of the 25 students worked on installing siding and caulking and painting a new home for Jennifer Miles, a single veteran of the Iraq war. Jennifer has been a model homeowner who really gets the importance of the sweat equity hours required prior to her taking ownership of a zero percent mortgage home . At the end of the week we had a mini-builders blessing (not quite a dedication) for all of the volunteers. Jennifer gave a heartfelt speech for the crowd and we saw some tears of gratitude on her which then caused more tears in the audience. Moments like that make all of what we do make sense.
     The other group, led by Pastor Bill, from Spruce Pines Presbyterian in North Carolina are also on their third annual visit with us. One young man, Noah, I swayyuh, grew one foot since his last visit! They were working building a storage building, soup to nuts, for most of the week and finished it up nicely.   Especially the custom door made by Boomeranger Bob for the building. Dadoed and all.
We love it when the groups come back and bring their friends with them.
      Finally, this week we say two goodbyes, kind of. The first is for our NCCC AmeriCorps team. They have been a great partner and asset to us this past 5 weeks. They have great work ethic and arrive early with staff to help get things ready for the volunteers ..    Generally quick studies and also good at teaching the others on their team what they have just learned. They live, work and travel together for the 11 month program and survive on a small stipend and a generous food allowance of $4.60 per person for 3 meals a day!
    The other kind-of-goodbye is for Ms. Nancy McDaniel who has been with Habitat Tuscaloosa as an unpaid volunteer and then 2 terms as almost-unpaid AmeriCorps National working with us. Nancy also worked with me in Port Sulphur, La before this and was a great help in both missions. She just finished leading the Women's Build home here (dangerously close). Nancy was always quick on the draw when asked, "Anyone have a Sharpie?"  Mine are usually on the dresser at home, but Nancy never failed to have one at the ready. She has taken a position at the Mercedes plant nearby and will be working in logistics, which is good because that's what she sparkled at with us hear. She plans to save up for the next year and then will travel where the Lord leads her.
     On Saturday, a group drove down from Nashville to work with us for a day.   They are a group of talent agents with an organization called CAA. Sorry I don't remember what it stands for. Worked hard all day and almost completed the storage building at new house at 46 Juanita. and insulated the walls at Jennifers house..Also a return group.
      That's all for this week. Off to the pool/pizza party with Capstoners. See ya next week..Love to all.   Peter