Youth volunteers fly into Fresno, Clovis to help repair homes

A gash on his right hand that required stitches didn’t curtail the giving nature of Jared Newcomer as he helped roof a Clovis home in 100-plus degree heat Thursday.

The impact of the roofing injury paled against his desire to be of service. Patched up and ready to go, the 19-year-old from Virginia worked the rest of the day one-handed, helping where he could.

Newcomer was just one of many dedicated teenagers eager to make a difference in Fresno and Clovis through World Changers, a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources. He was among a group of more than 110 volunteers who helped repair 10 properties for low-income residents in the Valley this week.

The volunteers come from eight local churches – Clovis Hills Community, Cornelia Avenue Southern Baptist, Hmong Baptist, Lifeway Baptist, New Beginnings Community Baptist, New Hope Community, Soma Christian and Two Cities – as well as churches in Virginia, New Mexico and Arizona. The out-of-towners flew in Monday and leave Saturday, July 2. World Changers volunteers pay about $270 per person, plus travel expenses, to spend a week of vacation helping people in cities across the country.

Newcomer put money he earned working at Chick-fil-A toward his opportunity to help others.

Steven Dorsey, 18, also of Virginia, asked his parents to fund the trip as his high school graduation gift.

“I just felt a calling to come out here and help people,” Dorsey says. “I could ask for something that was materialistic and enjoy it for a little while, or I could come out here and have a lifelong experience.”

Both helped replace the roof on Terese Flores’ home in Clovis. World Changers ministry receives donations for materials, and volunteers provide the labor. Flores’ old roof was in such bad shape that she had to place buckets in the bedroom and living room to catch water that dripped through the ceiling when it rained.

“It’s a huge blessing. I’m in awe,” Flores says, who lost her job earlier this year. “I’ve lived here pretty much all my life, and it’s hard to come across people like this.”

Across town, other volunteers painted houses, repaired fences and siding, and did yard maintenance. They focused their efforts on several blocks around Jefferson Elementary School near downtown Fresno after speaking with city officials and other community leaders via Clovis Hills Community Church, which was instrumental in bringing World Changers to Clovis more than 10 years ago and, subsequently, to Fresno three years ago.

Police were working to arrest gang members near one of the projects earlier this week, says World Changers project coordinator Jackson Leathem.

“These are areas where there are drugs, there are gangs, prostitution that’s going on. … Those are the areas we really feel the city needs to feel the love of God,” Leathem says.

Brad Beals, a youth leader for Warrenton Baptist Church in Virginia, says he hopes the trip gives participants “a heart for people.”

Dorsey showed that heart while talking about the homeless people who had served him and other volunteers breakfast at the Fresno Rescue Mission, where World Changers participants lodged, earlier in the week.

“You don’t really think like, ‘Oh, they are homeless.’ They are another human being, another person you love,” Dorsey says. “You don’t think, ‘Oh, do they have a house?’ … You don’t think of any of that. It’s just cool that they are helping us because we’re trying to help their community, and it’s just this big circle of love.”

Chaperone and volunteer Stephanie Usrey of Virginia is proud of the work they did this week.

“Jesus came to serve, not to be served,” Usrey says, “and it is our joy to get to do that.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Youth volunteers fly into Fresno, Clovis to help repair homes."