Paul Stutseman, on scaffolding, and Ardith Hansel, foreground, paint a house as part of a church project. (Dave Logan/For Peninsula Daily News)

Paul Stutseman, on scaffolding, and Ardith Hansel, foreground, paint a house as part of a church project. (Dave Logan/For Peninsula Daily News)

Volunteers restore home in community project

‘It was miraculous,’ organizer says of church-led effort

PORT ANGELES — A team of people primarily from the First Presbyterian Church painted and renovated a home in Port Angeles after raising funds for the donated work from the congregation.

“People donated money, and it was enough for roofing, too,” which is expected to be done soon, said Vee Canning, who organized the volunteer Critical Care Home Project to help Pat Wesseler, a single woman a fixed income in restoring and preserving her home.

Integral Roofing and Construction provided a discount to reroof the home at 511 E. 10th St., Canning said.

Twenty-two people in all chipped in to paint the exterior and clean up yard waste, Canning said.

“A congregation member had seen the need and approached (Wessler) about it,” she said.

“It was such an easy way to help make an impact in the community and bring the community together,” Canning added, saying she missed the days when volunteers with Paint the Town freshened homes for the elderly and disabled.

Last month, Presbyterian Church volunteers spent days scrapping old paint from the house in preparation for painting it a pale blue color. They also put in a new front sidewalk.

Ross Canning, Vee’s husband, created a back door and back stoop, she said.

That work was finished at the end of August. The roofing work is expected to be done sometime this month.

A cousin of Wessler’s from Sequim is helping to restore areas inside the home.

Money raised for the project came in at $6,650. It was all from the congregation except for $250 from Thrivent, Canning said.

“I was so proud of how everyone came together,” Canning said.

“It was miraculous.”

_________

Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.

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