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This is an example of what Sally Whittle’s Pipestone home looked like before members of Peace United Methodist Church in Pipestone helped rehabilitate it earlier this summer. Whittle said she wouldn’t have been able to make the repairs herself and that she was thankful for the volunteers’ work on her home. Photo contributed by Sally Whittle
Earlier this summer, members of Peace United Methodist Church in Pipestone helped Pipestone resident Sally Whittle rehabilitate the exterior of her home.
The church’s mission committee was interested in doing a project, and Karen Vaux had driven by Whittle’s home and noticed that it needed some repairs. Whittle said she was shocked and confused when Vaux first spoke to her about volunteers working on her home.
“I locked myself in the bathroom and cried for a little bit,” Whittle said.
Whittle said she grew up in the house, which was purchased by her grandmother in 1986. She said she was very thankful and wouldn’t have been able to do the work by herself, and that it was nice to know that somebody thought of her.
“I was definitely blessed to be granted this mission project, for sure, and then blessed to live in a community that cares about their neighbors and wants to help,” she said.
With Whittle’s approval, a sign up sheet was put out at the church for people interested in helping and about 18 people signed up. Volunteers started working on the house in May and by the end of June they estimate that they had put in hundreds of hours of work. They replaced and painted siding, replaced a window and door, painted the shutters, put a new roof on the garage and made other improvements. Whittle helped with the process.
Along the way people donated items to help with the project. That included a metal roof that was put on the garage, a window that was replaced and a door that was replaced. Others brought in a scissor lift and scaffolding to help with the work.
Members of Peace United Methodist Church in Pipestone recently rehabilitated this home, which belongs to Sally Whittle. The volunteers painted, replaced siding, installed a new door and window, and more. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Those involved referenced scripture when explaining the goal of the project. Joan Walker cited James 2:17, which says “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Pastor Velda Maine referenced Galatians 5:13, which says, “ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Maine also cited these words attributed to John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
“The church is about service,” Maine said. “It’s not about buildings. It’s serving as Christ called us to serve.”
Walker said the plan is for Peace United Methodist Church to continue to do more rehabilitation projects each year. Maine said people have already contacted the church with suggestions for the next project. Those involved said the projects will be based on need and must be within the capabilities of the volunteers, and the homes must be owner occupied. The homeowner does not have to be a member of the church (Whittle was not).
Tom Walker, Joan’s husband, said the group is hopeful that other local churches will take on similar projects and that if people have questions about how to get started they can call the church. Maine is also the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Pipestone and said that church plans to take on a similar project later this year.
“If we all start doing something like this, then it shows the hands and feet of Jesus,” Maine said.