Meet Lee

Continuing our celebration of Creators of Hope’s awesome volunteers, today we feature our volunteer Lee, who joined us on our January mission trip.
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Lee has been a repeat team member on our mission trips. Like our volunteer Ashley, featured in our last post, Lee has enjoyed getting to know fellow team members, and has made firm friendships both in Wisconsin and in Jamaica through his work with Creators of Hope. He’s found it inspiring and satisfying to work together with friends to help the people who need it most. 

His highlight moment from the mission trip, Lee tells us, was seeing “the smiles on the faces of the families when the keys to the house we just built are handed over to them.” If you’re a homeowner, you probably remember the first time you got to hold the keys to a house you’d bought. You remember how exciting it was to unlock that door and step into the space that was now all yours. Now imagine for a second that you’d once thought that home ownership, having any kind of place to call your own, was out of your reach…but then you got to watch your own actual house being built, and you got to help, and then you were presented with those keys. How amazing would that feel?

Building houses has its challenges, we have to admit. Lee remembers the work of “carrying materials up a very steep hill” – if you join us for a trip, you’ll get your exercise! But there are plenty of people there to help, and Lee also remembers watching a physically handicapped man finding tasks he could do on the job site because he was determined to be part of the process. The heart of Creators of Hope’s mission is the idea that everyone, no matter who they are or how much they have, can help out. Everyone can come together to make a difference.

When asked why he thought other people should consider joining a Creators of Hope mission trip, Lee talked about Creators of Hope’s track record in Jamaica and how much the organization has done there for the people who need it. He also stressed that all of us are “called to help,” that we’re all part of a much bigger community of people and we owe it to each other, and ourselves, to make life better for all of us. The feeling of helping out, Lee said, is a huge reward, and he got “as much or more from the trip than the people we are serving in Jamaica.”
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Working with terrific friends. Giving the keys to a new homeowner and making a cherished dream come true. Feeling the joy of knowing you’ve made a difference. Doesn’t this sound like a great adventure? If Lee’s experience inspires you, learn more about our mission and see how you can join us!