Richard Dreissigmayer says worries about his deteriorated roof led to lost sleep, especially when it rained. Not anymore. That’s because he got a new one, a free one.
      This summer, while half a dozen young volunteers were on his roof, within sight of finishing the project, Dreissigmayer said their actions are a blessing. “These guys are great,” he said. “I can’t believe they’re doing so much for me.”
     A new roof is not all Dreissigmayer received. The wrap-around deck was restained and much of the home’s interior got a fresh coat of paint. The entire crew of 15 teens and several adults — who’ve went to the area under the flag of Colorado-based Christian mission organization Reach Workcamps — were at Dreissgmayer’s home, at 168 Bogardus Road, for five days.
     Dreissigmayer, who no longer works as a result of medical problems, explained he’s physically and financially unable to do the work himself. He is awaiting to have surgery on his back; was the victim of a brain aneurysm and suffers from kidney disease. At only 48, he walks with a cane. “I definitely don’t have the money,” he said.
     Dreissigmayer said he learned of Reach Workcamps while reading about it in the newspaper. He said he went to the town hall to pick up an application, but expected he’d be turned down. “I didn’t think I’d get accepted,” he said.
     Abbe Stoltzfus, 20, of Lancaster, Pa., summed up his perspective on why he volunteers his time by saying: “I always thought of it as Christmas. I give a gift and make someone happy.”
     “I just love helping people,” said 18-year-old Cailen Roche of Manassas, Va. “It’s addicting.” Roche, who’s on his eighth Reach-sponsored trip with Buckhall United Methodist Church, is an emergency medical technician back home and just completed training to become a firefighter.
     Here is the link to the full article: http://www.thedailymail.net