Henry Daily Herald

Members of a local non-profit gathered at a local eatery recently to celebrate the contributions of one of the group’s founding members and resolved to make an upcoming all-volunteer event a success.

Beau Kelley, of Buddy Kelley Properties, Inc., recently stepped down as vice president of the non-profit Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc.

“It was a new cause, and it interested me,” said Kelley, a founding member of the McDonough-based organization. “It was a new challenge. And I thought there was a need for it definitely, [because] there are a lot of people living in substandard housing.”

Kelley has served on the group’s board of directors since its inception in November 2010. He said that, while he leaves his executive post, he plans to continue to contribute to the organization.

“I will always be a volunteer for the Fuller Center,” he said.

Kelley may return to volunteer with dozens of others in the Fourth Annual Millard Fuller Legacy Build, being hosted this September by the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc.

The local organization is a covenant partner with The Fuller Center for Housing, a Christian charity based in Americus, and founded in 2005 by Habitat for Humanity co-founder Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda.

Henry’s covenant partnership with the Fuller Center officially began in 2010, under the leadership and direction of Kelley and Henry County Fuller Center President Shane Persaud. The local non-profit group will be the official host of this year’s Legacy Build, which is a week-long series of projects in which volunteers help rebuild and renovate houses for those in need.

The Legacy Build — to be observed worldwide the week of Sept. 9-14 — will feature five major renovation projects in McDonough, and many others worldwide, said Persaud, who added that Fuller Center covenant partners worldwide have set a collective goal to renovate and dedicate 100 homes for that week.

Persaud said the five homes in Henry County are located near downtown McDonough. Three of them are situated on Ward Drive, while the other two are on George W. Lemon Blvd. He said he believes the homes — all two-bedroom, single-bathroom houses — were built were built in the 1950s

The domiciles typically need roof replacement, he said. Volunteers also will be replacing damaged floors, increasing energy efficiency by adding insulation and replacing windows, and making bathrooms ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible.

Persaud said the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., needs to raise as much money as possible heading into the late summer months. He estimates renovations on the five Legacy Build homes in McDonough will cost about $50,000.

An anticipated 150 volunteers nationwide will participate in the week’s worth of projects, said the Henry County Fuller Center president, adding his hopes for local churches to participate in some way during the Legacy Build.

However, the organization is still in need of sponsorships and donations as well as volunteers. He said the group is looking for churches that can provide volunteers to help with construction-related work, as well as restaurants that can offer or donate food for volunteers. The group also is seeking volunteers to serve in hospitality functions.

Persaud said volunteer teams for construction-related tasks generally start at 8 o’clock in the morning, wrapping up around 3 p.m. Dinner time is around 6 p.m., with fellowship likely taking place at a local church.

To learn more about the local partnership, visit the Henry County Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., web site at www.hcfullercenter.org, call (678) 551-0800, or e-mail info@hcfullercenter.org. For more about the Legacy Build, visit the Fuller Center web site at www.fullercenter.org.