A group of men from an Ohio based church have been working in Pearl River County to help residents with various needs.
Tuesday, the group of 12 individuals divided and tackled two projects. One of those projects involved replacing the floor of the home of Harold and Judy Ladner.
Judy Ladner said the work was needed due to the floor rotting underneath them. She said she fell through the floor a couple of times, injuring herself.
Harold Ladner then called local churches to see if they could provide some assistance, eventually coming into contact with Charlie Marquette with the First United Methodist Church of Picayune.
Marquette said he contacted the Faith Community United Methodist Church in West Chester, Ohio. They originally had a trip set to visit a South Carolina community but it fell through, leading them back to Pearl River County.
Tuesday, Marquette and Charles Cason of the Picayune church along with Kyle Jones, Scott Meline, Bruce Fisher, John Siebert and Don Meador, of the Ohio church, were working at the Ladner home. The team worked at the Ladner home on Silver Run Road for a day or two to tear out floorboards in the bedroom and bathroom, replacing them with new beams and plywood.
The team arrived at the Picayune church on March 12, and will be heading home this Saturday.
This was not the first trip to this area for the group. Jones said he and other members of the church have been making annual trips to the Gulf Coast region ever since Hurricane Katrina, most of which were to help out in Pearl River County. Some of their work involved helping with construction of four of the Habitat for Humanity homes in Picayune, Jones said.
Other projects the team worked on during this year’s visit included constructing a pump house for a resident, shelves in a shed for another homeowner and sealing a chimney for a third homeowner. Replacing the floor at the Ladner home was the largest project of this visit, Jones said.
Problems with the floor at the Ladner home probably formed due to an improperly installed air conditioner drainage line.
Funding for the trip and supplies came from fundraisers held back in Ohio, such as a spaghetti dinner in conjunction with Olive Branch Methodist Church in Ohio, Jones said. In all, they were able to raise $2,000 to make the trip and conduct the repairs.
Jones said he would like to thank the Picayune Methodist Church for all of their support.
“We’ve made good friendships that make us want to keep coming back,” Jones said.