CHANGING THE WORLD ONE PAINT BRUSH AT A TIME

FRANK KIMMEL correspondent

Jackie Giglio, right, and Jeremy Wegner, both 15-year-old members of World Changers, paint the eaves Tuesday of a home on Lincoln Street in Fellsmere. Jackie and Jeremy are members of First Baptist Church of Port St. Lucie.

Students show true heart of America

BY ROBIN ROUP
robin.roup@scripps.com

Changers worked in partnership with the Treasure INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Coast Baptist Association to bring these students to the ore than 300 junior area. h igh an d h igh The first project began school students are Saturday in Fellsmere, passing-up lazy days at the where volunteers worked on beach this summer to in- home improvement tasks. s t e a d w o r k i n t w o , Most of the work involves week-long community serv- painting, such as the two ice projects in Fellsmere boys from an Interlachen and Gifford. youth group were doing Students from all around Tuesday afternoon on Linthe southern United States coln Street. are in the area with World Painting the house, havChangers, an organization ing fun with the neighbors, that arranges mission proj- witnessing the people; its ects for youth groups of all a lot of fun, said John-eSouthern Baptist and other ro Rathbun. evangelical churches. World This is the boys third

World Changers trip, with previous trips to Savannah and Baton Rouge. Even though theres less people here than usual, it gives you a chance to meet more people, said John McCrillis. The First Baptist Church of Port St. Lucies youth group was down the street working on another house. As they ate lunch provided by local volunteers, they talked about how much fun they were having, even though they werent too far from home. They were rebuilding a porch, as well as painting. The Gifford area will get 286 volunteers July 12-19. Some volunteers will be

painting houses and others will be performing mission work, including hosting a vacation Bible school for children and working in day-care centers and retirement homes. More than 22,000 students nationwide will forgo summer jobs, instead paying $260, on average, to participate in similar projects in Puerto Rico, Canada and 29 states including Alaska. These students are showing the true heart of America, said John Bailey, team leader for World Changers. I think the people of Indian River County will be touched by their spirit and hard work.