ANNA, Ill. (WSIL) -- More than 175 people from states like Montana, North Carolina and Texas began work on weeklong project in Union County Monday morning.
The volunteers are with Baptist Church Builders of Texas, a that has built churches and other buildings for churches since 1978.
Each year the group sifts through hundreds of applications looking for their next project according to vice chair Fred Cross. Cross says each applicant must meet a certain criteria including the size of the proposed building.
"One year we did one that was extra large... we didn't want to do that anymore," Cross said. "Size is always important."
Cross says they limit themselves to constructing buildings between 4,000 and 7,000 square feet. The one they're working on now measures 60 x 80, or 4,800 square feet.
The new building at Harvest Church SI will house a youth center along with rooms for recovery programs says lead pastor Matthew Crain. The group builds its projects in five days. Crain predicts it will be 85% done by Friday.
"We could not be able to do this project without their skilled volunteering help," Crain said. "Just an opportunity to be blessed."
The group the area in 2012 when they built First Baptist Church in Cobden. Church Deacon Patrick Staley has spent eight years with the group. His father was in the group before him. His son now builds with him.
"It's our pleasure then to join with them and go to other places in the country to do so," Staley said. "It's not only a family reunion it's a homecoming."
Crain had no words to describe the generosity of those giving their time to help a community thousands of miles away.
"When you see it when you see people roll up from around the nation and say 'Hey I'm here to bless you and I don't want anything in return for it. I just want to give,'" Staley said.
"It changes a person."
