Jennifer Allossery loves her home on Cornhill Street in Chatham, but since suffering a back injury in 2014, she hasn’t been able to take care of it like she once could.
Enter the Backyard Mission Project. An army of volunteers descended upon Allossery’s home Friday and Saturday, scraping and repainting the house, repairing the deck and staining that, erecting a fence and shed, and doing a lot of landscaping.
“They pulled out everything in front of the house. It was all overgrown tall bushes I couldn’t cut anymore,” she said.
Allossery has been off work since 2014 with her back injury. She’s lived in the home since 1998.
To receive the help lifted Allossery’s spirits.
“Three people nominated me. I was shocked. I’m so lucky,” she said.
Upwards of 40 volunteers were on site at one time, performing the bevvy of tasks, even ripping out a large wasp nest in the front garden.
Volunteers from First Presbyterian Church and First Christian Reformed Church in Chatham teamed up to do the work at no cost.
This is the eighth year for the local Backyard Mission Project.
The project idea stemmed from a group of youth deciding to stay “in their own backyard” to do mission work. The annual project has grown to be an inter-generational project including onsite volunteers as well as a number of volunteers behind the scenes making the necessary plans in advance and preparing meals during the event.
