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Mission Statement:
“H.O.T. YOUTH is a non-profit organization paying it forward through community service, for all walks of life, to help better living conditions, for people in need by cleaning, repairing, or renovating their homes, which teaches us by experience about the relationship between sympathy and responsibility, and allows us to try to change the world one day at a time.” |
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Swopes Project
Through many conversations with families in the Midland/Greenwood Community, H.O.T. Youth choose to create a surprise project for the Swopes Family. Wayman
Swopes is a well known Pastor of 22 years at the Greenwood Baptist Church in Greenwood, TX and just recently retired April 25th, 2010. Wayman has been facing many challenges over the past 2 years, he was diagnosed with Mylodisplaysia & just recently was informed it has progressed into full Leukemia. Yes, there are many people unfortunately that are diagnosed with this tragic disease everyday however, here in Greenwood many people have been affected by this simply due to the fact Wayman is family to many of the people here. He has been to their weddings, child births, graduations, birthday parties, funerals & so much more. Unfortunately, many people know things fall apart (houses, cars etc...) when you have to use your income to survive instead of live. Needless to say, the people of this community pulled together with H.O.T. Youth and planned to re-structure the outside of his home. The only catch to this project was to plan this event without Wayman or his wife Leona finding out. THAT WAS DIFFICULT! We planned with Wayman's daughter, Laura Dawn & Son, Jason all of the necessary arrangements to make this project happen. We knew Wayman would be in Houston receiving treatment so we only had to keep Leona away from the home and finish this project in 1 day! The scope of work to this project was tear down privacy fence in back yard, take out broken outside light, door bell & then replace them all, & then landscape the entire yard. We started to plan around December 2009 with what was needed to complete this project. It was arranged with Laura Dawn, Wayman's daughter, to have Leona out of the home all day so this could remain a surprise. Day of the project came there was 60-70 volunteers that showed up in truck loads all day. We tore down that privacy fence and a member of the community hauled it away, plus we salvaged several pieces that went to another home whose privacy fence needed a section or 2 fixed. Recycling is always good. We installed with the help of many great mentors to our youth a new privacy fence, outside light, door bell & new landscaping which included digging holes in the front yard on both sides of the front walk way and put in brand new solar lights that were also donated by a family. End of the day came and Leona, Wayman's
wife was coming home. To her surprise she pulled up to her home with many people and cars in the front yard. She gets out worried something has happened and several volunteers immediately assured her it was a beautiful thing and nothing to worry about. As she walked to the back of the home she broke down crying with joy. We took Leona through the story and walked her around the home. She stated, "Wayman is not going to know what to do when he sees this, but I'm NOT telling him he needs to feel what I am feeling right now!" Wayman was due home the following week of which it came and he had his moment, the tears of joy and the glow that illuminated from his face were priceless! Many people & families contributed to this project physically, mentally,
emotionally & monetarily either through donation or by an item for the project it was absolutely humbling how many people showed a complete form of compassion to wonderful human being and his family. |
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