Diminishing Hope

His employer decided to move manufacturing operations to China. He got his unemployment checks while he diligently looked for work but nothing was offered. Then the toilet fell through the bathroom floor. He tried to fix it himself but found that termites had caused the floor to become unsafe. What can he do?

“Insurance,” you say? Don’t count on it! Those problems are generally not covered on a homeowner’s policy. He could dip into his savings but his family has been living payday-to-payday for years. Unemployment compensation is good but it’s not nearly enough to cover everyday expenses. He had already emptied the kid’s piggy-banks for milk money.
The equity in his house is his only savings. A second mortgage is out since he has no income. The house will have to wait and he will just have endure it. Fortunately, there is a ministry in Henderson NC who offers hope to struggling homeowners.

Rebuilding Hope

Randolph Wilson took a major step of faith when he resigned from his regular (paying) job as a contractor to begin Rebuilding Hope, a construction ministry serving homeowners like our hypothetical fellow above. Randolph has spent most of his working life in construction and has served as the Cullom Baptist Association Brotherhood director for several years. After invested much of his time rebuilding storm-damaged homes in Mississippi, he was inspired to do the same thing in and around Henderson.
Henderson has seen more than a fair share of economic and social misfortune recently. Textiles and tobacco were the bread-and-butter here for over a century. The textile industry has either moved overseas or folded up shop. Tobacco is way out of favor and only a few farms remain that produce it in large amounts. So many Henderson people must now travel to jobs in Raleigh or Durham.
Then the oil prices made that daily commute even more expensive, along with everything that depends on oil (which is just about everything). A lot of people are struggling as a result. Some of them have lost those scarce jobs and face exactly the situation described previously.

If you are looking for a Christian ministry to support that does something meaningful in the lives of folks who really need a hand up, Rebuilding Hope is a good first choice. Rebuilding Hope needs volunteers as well as funding, materials and supplies. If you want to help or have a group of volunteers, go to the Rebuilding Hope Projects website and look at the projects we already have in progress. There’s a place for you to minister here!