Hardee County FL – RV – Feb. 4-10, 2024

This week all the volunteers were busy at the Grape Street home.  Ray and Darlene started flooring in the kitchen and then moved on to the living area.  They certainly began their month of volunteering with lots of hard work and happy smiles – they are a great addition to our team!   The rest of the team continued to sand and paint in the living room, bedrooms and master bath; installed a vanity and shelving; did electrical and plumbing work; trimmed doors and installed trim work throughout the house.  The house repair is making great progress and the homeowners are delighted – ready to get back into their home.

On Thursday evening, we grilled hamburgers and Wayne and Delores Yoder joined us for the evening meal.  Wayne is the current MDS Board Chair – he shared about their involvement as volunteers on jobsites and about his current assignment.  It was a good evening of visiting.  On Saturday, our group drove to Babcock Ranch, near Punta Gorda, where we boarded a swamp buggy for an eco tour – saw many alligators, wild hogs, long-horn cattle, wild turkeys, etc.  After lunch, we enjoyed the sunshine and walked in a park by the Peace River in Punta Gorda.  The Peace River runs right behind our campsite and is the reason we are serving in the Zolfo Springs area – it flooded after Hurricane Ian.  It was surprising to see how wide the river is in Punta Gorda as compared to its width here in our campground.

Ruth for the Hardee Co RV team – Fred, Millie, Ray, Mim, Ed, Jim, Eleanor, Dave, Ray and Darlene