Blitz Build ‘08

Over 1300 Willow volunteers spent time hammering, hauling supplies, hanging drywall, painting, praying, and sweating together as part of Blitz Build. For one week, Willow volunteers devoted time to building and rehabbing buildings in Costa Rica, the Gulf Coast and at four locations in the Chicagoland area.

Local Blitz Build Projects

Local projects were:

• A classroom in a school at Circle Urban Ministries in the Austin community of Chicago
• A cabin at Riverwoods Christian Center in St. Charles
• A Habitat for Humanity Home in Elgin
• A Habitat for Humanity Home in Carpentersville

More than Buildings

Blitz Build not only builds physical structures, it deepens relationships with ministry partners as well. Structures that were either built or rehabbed now provide valuable resources so more lives may be impacted in a community.

• The school at Circle Urban Ministries in Chicago will impact the lives of thousands of children by providing a quality education and a stepping stone out of poverty.
• The cabin at Riverwoods Christian Center will impact the lives of 28,000 children through the course of its existence.
• Homes in Elgin and Carpentersville are a haven of safety and peace for the deserving home owners.

It’s Not Over
“Now that it’s over, people are saying they want to do more,” said Anne Rand of Willow Creek’s Extension Ministry. “Even though Blitz Build has come to an end, on several frontiers, it is just the beginning.” Coming face-to-face with issues related to inadequate housing and the need for community development has raised awareness. “People not only want to use their construction skills, but they want to become mentors, tutors and advocates for under-resourced children.