Lance Smith from Hands of Change and JoEllen Henning, from Habitat from Humanity, recently gave presentations about their organizations to students in Polk Middles service learning group. The students learned how these groups serve the community in order to better its citizens lives.

Hands of Change is a group that includes Smith and a group of volunteers from the UCC Congregational Church who travel to Polk Middle and High Schools on Wednesday afternoons to gather students for service projects. Together they learn the joy of helping others by working on projects with nature preserves, assisted living centers, Harmon Field and the Red Cross.

Habitat for Humanity works on the premise that all people deserve a safe home. The group seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses alongside its homeowner (partner) families. Housing applicants complete volunteer hours and then work together with others to construct their homes. Habitat also helps these families to obtain affordable home loans.

Ms. Henning shared information about the groups resale shop in Landrum, that helps provide funding for the group and serves as a source for clients to fulfill volunteer hours and affordably furnish their homes.