“We cannot express how thankful we are for this help. It’s truly incredible,” said owner of the Home Depot Project, Ian Stoffel.
The youth group of Shelby Alliance Church offered helping hands to local homeowners, Ian and Angel Stoffel of Shelby. “We went on a trip to Chicago and worked in homeless shelters and soup kitchens. We offered help to a number of places and the kids told me that we can do all of these activities in Shelby,” said Youth Pastor Matt Peyton.
The Home Depot Project is located on South Gamble in Shelby. A complete renovation of the home is being performed by volunteers from around the county and beyond, and the youth group of Shelby Alliance Church joined in to help.
Peyton said, “We have never done anything this extensive before. I have had to teach them a lot of construction tips.”
Home Depot provides tools that are needed for the renovation. Home Depots from Mansfield, Ashland, and Akron-Canton have all offered assistance to this project. And all of the help that has been given to the project has been free of charge. The youth group from Alliance has about 18 volunteers helping out with the project.
Peyton said, “Shelby Alliance is committed to finishing the project, which will be on going.”
The youth group has been working on both the exterior and interior of the home. “We have been working on getting the vinyl siding placed and working on painting and drywall on the inside,” he explained. Along with the youth group helping, Miss Ohio contestants and Core Community Church have offered help.
The Stoffel’s purchased their home in December 2012. The two began working on small projects, but then realized it was going to be an extensive renovation. Angel Stoffel said, “The Richland County Auditor has this home listed as being built in 1900, but it could be older than that.”
The project began in January 2013, when a friend of the Stoffel family suggested that they should look into the Home Depot Foundation. This foundation offers assistance for home renovations that require a great deal of attention.
Since early Spring, many volunteers have offered helping hands to complete the project. “It’s an ongoing process to finish everything because there is so much, but we are seeing more developments every day. We are so grateful to all that have helped,” said Ian Stoffel. The Stoffel’s are hoping that the project will be completed by the end of summer.
