Spencer, IA – SYP – June 14-19, 2026

At the Spencer, Iowa SYP project for the week of June 14-19, most of our leadership team continued from the first week.  A new project director and a new crew leader arrived on Thursday from Nebraska to receive the handoff from outgoing leadership volunteers who were here for project set-up and our first two operational weeks.  Our cooking staff also transitioned at the end of this week.  We are blessed to have three year-long volunteers at Spencer, all working as crew leaders this month.  This week’s weekly volunteers were 18 young adults, half men and half women, who came by bus from the Meyersville, PA area.  Our four work crews made fast progress at seven different project sites.

One crew leader worked a whole day operating a floor grinding machine, smoothing out a basement floor that had a rough surface from dried carpet glue – so much concrete dust!  But now the floor is ready for paint or other finish surface to be applied.  Nearly all the project homes have flood damage in their basements.  Volunteers worked hanging and finishing drywall on basement walls and ceilings, door and window trim and painting.  One job card was signed off as completed – our first at the Spencer project.

At the new-build house, nine volunteers worked to bring the job from just a deck and two outer walls in place at the end of last week to all walls up, roof shingled, siding 95% complete, windows and outer doors installed, porch framed ready for decking at the end of this week.  On Wednesday evening, the homeowner of the new house joined us for our evening meal, with her daughter and two grandchildren, and told her flood story.   Damage to her home was extensive enough to require it to be replaced.

Most evenings, the young adult volunteers still had enough energy to play long games of volleyball until dark.  We look forward to welcoming our first actual summer youth program group who are scheduled to arrive this Sunday evening from Indiana.