A Foundation of Peace

For Doug and Leslie, volunteers serving with ICCF Community Homes, peace isn’t just a feeling it’s something they build, one wall, one brushstroke, one family at a time. They began volunteering with ICCF by sorting clothing and cleaning units at Family Haven, ICCF’s family shelter, and recently completed renovations at a neighborhood home through ICCF’s Community Homes Initiative.

“We find this really an interesting opportunity for us,” one shared. “There are so many issues in the world, and you wonder, What can I do about it? But this is something we can actually do.”

In the midst of drywalling, painting, or caulking, they always remember to think about the family who will eventually move in. “This is somebody’s new home. We’re not doing it for us. We’re doing it for them.” Doug and Leslie have come to believe that peace (shalom) is built one household at a time.

The volunteers describe their work as God at work, a chance to restore not only walls but lives. Upon completed a home restoration, one recalled, “The transformation was amazing. It felt so warm and welcoming. I was excited for whoever would live there, that they’d feel safe and secure.”

For them, peace (shalom) begins at home. “The core of having shalom in our community starts in someone’s home,” one said. “When families feel secure, that changes our city and move us toward shalom.”

In every nail hammered and every brush lifted, they see the quiet work of peace taking shape. “We’ve been blessed with homes that are safe and secure,” a volunteer reflected. “We’d like the same peace for others.”

Through their diligent work, peace becomes more than a word, it becomes a home for a neighbor.

← Give the Gift of Home today!