An ‘impact’ful anniversary gift

Impact Daily Progress 2014

Jaycen Creasy (left) of Culpeper works with other Impact Virginia volunteers to rehab the roof of a home on Sperryville Pike Tuesday. About 220 Impact Virginia volunteers are staying at Eastern View High School this week while they work on upgrading 14 different houses in the area. [Vincent Vala/Star-Exponent]

originally posted on June 27, 2014

By Jeff Say, Daily Progress

Diane and Richard Banks received a fourth wedding anniversary gift they’ll never forget.

Crews from Impact Virginia swarmed the Banks’ house putting a new roof and a new deck on the home just off Sperryville Pike in the town of Culpeper Tuesday.

“This is the best anniversary present I could have ever gotten,” Diane Banks said.

One of several projects taking place through the county sponsored by the Shiloh Baptist Association and the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, Impact Virginia is a program where youth, ages 14 through 18, perform needed construction projects under the supervision of a qualified contractor.

Karen Butcher, of Impact, was the assistant crew chief while her husband Paul directed the volunteers. She said all materials are bought by contributions provided by the more than 200 volunteers or is donated by local businesses.

Each volunteer pays $275 during the week-long mission trip. Butcher said there are 168 kids involved and, with adults, the number is around 220 people.

“It is our way of giving back,” Karen Butcher said. “We’ve all been so blessed. It’s so rewarding and it’s good for the kids. Our teenagers are learning to help others, to get involved with missions and to get involved with the community. They need to learn that and be taught that.”

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