Every year, it's the same thing- This is our last year doing this, Peter. That is Denis Mulcahy, the founder of an organization called Project Children. Begun forty years ago when "the troubles" were raging in Northern Ireland with Catholic and Protestants blowing each other up. Desiring peace and reconciliation, Denis started bringing high school and college kids to the United States. To date they have hosted over 22,000 children.
     It is an eight week program . All of the adult staff is volunteer and most are of Irish ancestry but all live in the states. Denis is from New York. Pat Kelly and wife Gwen are from Texas. For the first week, about thirty young men and women work with us at Habitat of Tuscaloosa Alabama. They have always come in mid June for the 5 trips. Not sure why. The temperature in Ireland year round is 60 or 70 F. Two years ago it was in triple digits all week. They about melted. I suppose it is one way to make sure they have and unforgettable experience.
    This year, we divided the group in two. About ten worked with Barry on a new home, just coming out of the ground at 108 Juanita drive. The Mennonites worked over there as well. One of the adult leaders of Project Children is another Denis- he is a bit of a wild man- works in the union in NYC running tower cranes- He seems to have loosened up our Mennonite friends a bit. At least they didn't take them out Thursday night to Innnesfree (local Irish pub)
     The rest of the group worked on Nalonza's home on 22nd street . All did great, working together, no complaints and learned a lot. It's great to see this group of thirty who didn't know each other when they came here leave as a family.
     I continued an annual tradition of treating them with shaved ice from Summer Snow. I did the old Millard Fuller "ask" (as opposed to the "don't ask") and Mr. Sammy, owner of summer snow agreed to donate the 50 cups to the cause. I ordered half and half, green apple and orange, which together with the white cup gave them the colors of the flag of Ireland.
     After the first week volunteering with us, they then proceed to various places around the country where they serve a 7 week intership in their fields of study and live with American host families. Great program run by great people.