During the week when actual temperatures hit the triple-digit mark, volunteers with Mission Trip Birdsboro & Beyond (MTBB) continued to work, bettering the lives of local homeowners by completing service projects that included painting, repairing decks, installing flooring, replacing siding, repairing stucco walls and doing yard work.

Wearing distinctive green T-shirts bearing the slogan "Blessed to Bless," volunteers worked at 54 sites, including 51 area homes and three community locations. Workdays were held from July 17 to 20. A closing celebration, featuring an ice cream social, was held on July 21 at Immaculate Conception Church in Birdsboro.

According to MTBB board member Stuart Wells, MTBB - now in its 11th year - was even larger this year than in the past. "This year had more new volunteers participating in Mission Trip Birdsboro & Beyond than ever before," he stated. "For 2024, 65 first-time local volunteers have joined the community outreach program, bringing the total number of volunteer participants to 169. Eight local churches have also partnered with MTBB to support the ministry."

Each morning, the crews gathered at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Birdsboro, where church members prepared breakfast for the volunteers, who then departed to the various work sites with provided packed lunches. The days also ended at St. Mark's, where participants took part in a prayer service and ate dinner.

MTBB maintains storage sheds at St. Mark's where building materials and paint are stored for the various projects. St. Mark's was also the location of one of the service projects this year. Volunteers installed refrigeration units outside the church, where people in need will now be able to obtain food items such as meat and fresh produce. The church already has a food sharing box that offers nonperishable food.

"We are putting a structure up on the corner of the building for one refrigerator and one freezer so when we get donations of frozen foods or perishables, whether it be dairy, fruits or vegetables, we can put it in there," explained volunteer and MTBB board member Richie Bowden.

Hopewell Love, a ministry that provides food, community dinners and other services, purchased the units that were installed at St. Mark's. "They are outdoor units, so they are made a little differently; they don't freeze in the winter," Bowden stated. "They will be accessible. (They are) in a shed, but we are not going to put the doors on. It will never be locked."

Bowden, who is also the MTBB site team chair, has been a part of the effort since it began in 2014 at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Birdsboro. It began as an experimental ministry called Mission Trip Birdsboro and then grew and evolved into its own organization in 2022 and was rebranded as MTBB.

Bowden said the effort actually runs from November through late July. "This is all-consuming for leadership. We will have our first meeting in November for (the following) year," said Bowden. "In January, we hit the ground running. In March, all the applications for assistance and volunteers open."

He said a special effort was made this year to encourage students and young adults to volunteer as part of the new Youth Service Team. "It's good for the youth. We desperately want to keep them involved - learning and developing into future leaders to keep (MTBB) going," Bowden added.

On a personal level, Bowden is committed to volunteer work with organizations like MTBB. "I'm retired; I work for God," he stated. "I have been blessed to retire early, so I do as much as can for as many people as I can."

In addition to completing the work projects, Wells reported that the volunteers make an effort to interact with the homeowners. "The purpose of MTBB goes beyond addressing physical needs of maintenance or repairs. It addresses isolation, loneliness and the spiritual care of individuals," Wells commented. "Simple acts of labor often have deeper meaning to the recipient of care."

He said that volunteering is a tangible way of showing God's love in the community. "We have been taught to love our neighbors as ourselves," Wells said. "Volunteers share their blessings through helping others."

To learn more about the ministry and to view photos and videos from the work week, visit www.facebook.com/MissionTripBirdsboro. More details about the ministry, including information for volunteers and homeowners, is available at http://www.missiontripbirdsboro.org.