Proposed assistance to elderly poor in winter

The Meredith News   September 25th, 2008

LAKES REGION — A local group is working with Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat For Humanity, to field a program in the Lakes Region through which homes of elderly, poor families would be winterized in order to lower their heating costs. This might include cleaning their furnace, re-glazing windows or installing storm windows, or even insulating one or two rooms to provide a warm haven for the winter. The work would be done without cost to the families, but with the request that they give back a donation, monthly according to their ability to do so. The Fuller Center for Housing, established by Millard and Linda Fuller in 2005, has created a program called The Greater Blessings Box founded on the observation of Saint Paul and based on

the words of Jesus “In everything I did, I show you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35. An assisted family would receive the help at no cost or lien on their property. In return they will have a conversation with the Lakes Region Fuller Center about what they are able to contribute back into the fund to help others. Each family would be given a Greater Blessing Box with a limited number of monthly contribution envelopes to share the experience that it is more blessed to give than to receive. The local group seeks to establish a Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing Partnership. To test the waters and discover if there is local support, they are seeking to raise $7500. Miller Lovett and several other local citizens, at their own expense, are considering going to El Salvador from Nov. 17-21 to work with Linda and Millard Fuller to build 16 houses for the poor. Of the money raised locally, $5,500 will pay for one of the El Salvador houses. More volunteers to go to El Salvador are needed. Two thousand dollars of the $7.500 goal will start a revolving loan fund for the Lakes Region winterization project. More will be needed to finance the initial pilot

project of assisting one to six local families this year. The local co-chairs of the Provisional Lakes Region Fuller Center Partnership are Kathie Thorndike and Miller Lovett. The local effort is provisional and dependent upon raising the $7500. For more information, call Kathy Thorndike at 279-4360 or email: bluehill@metrocast.net. Contributions should be sent to Miller Lovett, PO Box 1669, Meredith, NH 03253.

Checks should be made out to the Fuller Center for Housing and are fully tax deductible.

More on the Fuller Center is found at www.fullercenter.org

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