Volunteers make a difference

NORWALK — A team of volunteers gave two local homes new life. About 60 volunteers — consisting of students from Huron High School and St. Mary Central Catholic, college leaders and adults — participated in a service project this past week. Youth Elect Service, also known as YES, is a four-day service retreat organized through St. Peter Catholic Church in Huron. The program looks for local residents with homes needing extra help. All of the work completed is done at no cost to the homeowners. The supplies are paid for through donations. The team split into two groups to revitalize the exterior of a home on West Adams Street in Sandusky and a home on Parsons Street in Norwalk. People who haven't been involved with YES before stepped up to help this year. Matt Seifert jumped right into the experience by being the house lead at the Sandusky residence. "The kids worked hard," Seifert said. "We put some new life back in it for the homeowners." He believes the experience provided learning opportunities and instilled good values in the participants. "It teaches them some big life lessons in terms of teamwork and pushing through adversity," Seifert said. "It's not easy scraping and painting a whole house." Ally Murray, a rising junior at Huron High School, also assisted at the West Adams Street house. This was her first year participating in the project. "My brothers and friends have always done it, but I've been busy in the past with dance," Murray said. "I've always wanted to do this and help out. "It's nice to know that it impacts other people," she added. A Norwalk resident who asked not to be identified was on the receiving end of the project. The faded yellow paint on her Parsons Street home needed to be refreshed. The homeowner has lived there for more than 20 years. The homeowner said they had encountered some tough times, but felt blessed to receive the gift of a freshly painted home and a repaired deck. The homeowner chose a shade of black as the siding's new color. "They did more than I could have ever hoped for," the homeowner said. The kids impressed the homeowner by being cordial and hardworking. The homeowner enjoyed talking to everyone as they worked on the home. "Hopefully I can pay it forward back to them one day, so they can help out the next person," the homeowner said. "What they do is great." Youth missionary Joshua Vina thanked the parishioners at St. Peter who supported the project through donations. Werner, a company that makes ladder products, recently made Vina's wish come true by donating 30 new ladders. Vina also appreciated the assistance from Melissa Bowen, store manager at Sandusky's Home Depot, who connected him with Werner. Editor's note: This story has been updated.