HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2017-05-17, Page 66 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, May 17, 2017
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Chris Hilts from Seaforth holds Jamie from Guatemala. Hills
helped her family build a house to live in through charity work for submitted photos
the Developing World Connections organization. The house in Guatemala finished after it took two weeks to build. The Eco -stove installed.
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Seaforth couple traveled abroad to help Guatemala family build home
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
Several homes across
Canada are built with
vibrant siding and shingles
on top to protect from the
rain; a struggling San Miguel,
Guatemala family is ecstatic
simply from having a low-
priced tin roof sheltering
their newly donated
dwelling.
"It's a very basic house,
people here would consider
it a tool shed," Chris Hills
from Seaforth said in an
exclusive interview with the
Expositor May 1 I .
Hills is locally known for
his volunteer efforts in dis-
tributing bed kits by the
thousands to needy children
forced to live in parts of the
world where poverty is the
norm -most notable being
the Philippines.
The aid -packages
comprised of 38 vital necessi-
ties such as mosquito nets,
toothbrushes, and school
supplies have been a hit for
children in the Philippines.
Hills has made that trip
four times there in associa-
tion to the Sleeping Children
Around the World (SCAW)
charity work.
This time, his decades of
passion in volunteering
landed him and his wife with
two Kamloops B.C. associates
You are invited to attend these area churches
ST. THOMAS ANGLICAN
21 Jarvis St., Seaforth
Church Office
519-527-1522
holyspirit@tcc.on.ca
Rev. Shaun Eaton - Priest -in -Charge
Sunday May 21
Worship at 9:30 am
Everyone Welcome
Council meets
Wed. May 17 at 2 pm
BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH
AnAssociated Gospel Church
126 Main St. Seaforth
519-527-0982
Interim Pastor. Rev. Laurie Morris
May 21 - 11 am
"Christian Certainties"
Sunday School - 9:45 am
May 28-11 am
"An Apostle's Attitude"
Wednesday Evenings:
Youth Group - 6:30 - 9 pm
III EVERYONE WELCOME
EGMONDVILLE UNITED
CHURCH
26 Kippen Road Egmondville
519-527-1991
Rev. Christine Hossack
Rural Life/Rogation Sunday
Worship May 21st 10:30
Youth Sunday School 10:30
Like us on Facebook
Website:
www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
59 Goderich St. W.
Seaforth
519-527-0170
Rev. Dwight Nelson
Lorrie Mann - Organist
Sunday, May 21 11 am
Memorial Concert for
Youth Mental Health Huron/Perth 7pm
Sunday School
Nursery Provided as Needed
ALL WELCOME
ea orthhuronex I ositor.co
from Developing World Con-
nections (DWC) on a couple
of plane layovers en route to
building a place to lay their
head at night for a desperate
Guatemalan family.
DWC have organized 200
trips in the past and sent
roughly 2,000 volunteers to
build homes, schools,
training centres, latrines,
water systems, computer
labs, and numerous other
projects.
From his close involve-
ment with the SCAW, Hills
joined forces with DWC from
April 14 to May 2.
This time, they had the
added help of two experi-
enced construction workers
- local Guatemalan brothers
Anibal and Obed. Now, Juan,
his wife Letica and their two
children have been set up in
a living space equipped with
running water, a sink set on a
concrete pad for washing
clothes and dishes, along
with an Eco -stove that has
been installed in the kitchen
as well.
4-aisuaiI
MANUFACTURERS-
DISTRIBUTORS
DIRECT TO YOU
A COMLPETE LINE OF CASUAL
FURNITURE TO COMPLIMENT
ALL AREAS OF YOUR HOME
For outdoors,
patios, garden
areas, sunrooms.
We also manufacture
cushions & umbrellas.
Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00
Saturday 10:00 - 4:00
/Higlnt•av 83 E. of Grand Bend
519-238-2110
www.gocasual.ca
BEST
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This particular type of
cooking apparatus is unlike
most in San Miguel as it
reduces wood consump-
tion by 70 per cent; Hills
said this is primarily due to
the fact that the vent shoots
the smoke outside.
Seeing as most citizens are
not fortunate enough to own
modern stoves and such,
Hills said it's common for
homes in Guatemala to be
"filled with smoke," and that
many deal with lung prob-
lems as a result.
Lumber is a necessity for
survival Hills stated.
"Everyday we saw women
and children lugging large
piles of wood on their shoul-
ders," Hills said.
As the construction pro-
ceeded from start to finish
involving mostly hands-on
labour, 69 -year-old Hills
admitted to this project as
being one of the most stren-
uous, but rewarding experi-
ences he has ever done.
Using machetes to dig
postholes and having abso-
lutely no power tools availa-
ble, the project had a few
strains with the timing in the
building agenda, however
the two local helpers made
something out of nothing
during the two weeks it took
to complete.
"They had a piece of clear
plastic pipe, about 20 -feet
long, they (Anibal and Obed)
filled it up with water and
made sure there were no
extra bubbles," explained
Hills relating to the home-
made leveller.
"They used that for
everything."
From 9 a.m. to about 4
p.m., Hills and his entourage
worked and once they left for
the day, Juan would take
over after a long day of work
at the local coffee plantation.
This is one of the few jobs
available to him, as he is
missing a better part of his
hand as a result of a birth
defect.
After the home was com-
plete, Juan presented the vol-
unteers with a moving speech
in Spanish; most of the group
cried in happiness.
Juan was in shock that
"somebody cared enough to
make a difference," stated
Hills' wife Gail.
Hills said he "sort of
promised" that they will
comeback next year and do
the project all over again,"
for a different family in
need.
"To see people that
excited, it would be like you
and I getting a house in the
suburbs with a detached
garage;' said Hills. "It's a sim-
ilar excitement"
010141b
41101111I "lbw
MIRIVIMIPM
Celebrate Canada's 150th
by planting a tree.
We have beautiful shrubs,
perennials and annuals.
Lots of reds and whites available.
" Don't forget to spruce up
for the IPM! "
Growing Every Year
• Annuals • Patio Pots • Hanging Baskets • Perennials
• Flowering & Evergreen Shrubs • Trees
• New Planter Pots Available • Bark Mulch
PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNER
F,,
May 22
Spring Howes
Monday -Saturday 9-6
Sunday - Closed
Open Victoria Day 9-6
519-527-0761
43079 Hullett-McKillop Rd.
R.R. # 4 Walton