From July 31 through Aug. 2, more than 30 volunteers spent three days prepping and painting the interior and exterior of the house.

MORGANTON, N.C. – The last thing Melody wanted to worry about was painting and repairing her house.

After submitting more than 30 job applications with no response, the single mother was discouraged and didn't have time to focus on the condition of her home.

Functioning on $37 a week in child support money for her 7-year-old son, Dorian, didn't stretch too far and Melody was getting desperate.

Fortunately, some help was on the way in the form of a paint donation and a team of volunteers.
Melody was one of several families assisted by The Outreach Center of N.C., an OBI-supported ministry that supplies food, clothing and educational assistance to those in need.

When the center received a large paint donation from a California-based company, they pooled together some area high school students and started work on Melody's home.

Melody and her son Dorian are one of thousands being helped each week by The Outreach Center.

From July 31 through Aug. 2, more than 30 volunteers spent three days prepping and painting the interior and exterior of the house. The group also built stairs so the family could enter and exit through their front door, which was formally too high off the ground to use.

"Now they're not going to say it's ugly anymore," said Dorian, referring to the children at school who would tease him about the condition of his house.

Melody and her family have owned the home for more than 45 years. After her mother died of a stroke and her father died of cancer 15 years ago, Melody took over care of the home.

She and her son also receive food, hygiene products, and household cleaners from The Outreach Center. The duo were also given back-to-school items as well as clothes and shoes.

In addition to special projects like these,The Outreach Center, which was founded in 2000, gives food to more than 1,200 families a week and works with 65 local agencies. Since February, Operation Blessing's Hunger Strike Force has delivered nearly 300,000 pounds of food and product to the Outreach Center.

 

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