Last week, a group of about 15 men were out on Gamble Road to work on the house of Ms. Gertrude Gamble.
The project has been listed since Hurricane Helene’s arrival last year. The house was built by her husband, Otis, in 1969. Although the roof sustained minimal damage from the storm, it needed a new facelift.
Christmas in Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that has responded to this initiative for almost 25 years, providing interior repair work and accessibility measures–like wheelchair ramps–for around 15 houses per year. Ten Mile Church has installed 40 of these ramps since 2019. “A lot of the guys took off work, are on vacation, or they’re retired,” says Jimmy Swain.
United Way also contributes $12,000-$15,000 each year to the cause. “We encourage people to give to United Way. If they give it straight to the county, United Way gives it straight to Christmas in Action to stay in-county,” says Swain. “We encourage other churches to put it in their budget every year to keep this going.” Yearly expenses are estimated at around $30,000-$40,000 annually.
Roof work usually requires the help of local construction companies like Stone’s Construction.
Battling drizzly conditions in the early mornings, the group first tarped the roof before installing a frame and replacement. Numerous churches were represented in the effort, including Spring Branch Baptist, Ten Mile Creek Baptist, Baxley Church of God, and St. Johns COGIC.
