Ortonville- Doris Warren has spent her life giving to others. On April 28, she was on the receiving end.
The 82-year-old former missionary’s Oakwood Road residence was chosen as the project house for Rebuilding Together. About 30 volunteers, led by Ron and Carol Myers, painted Warren’s garage, replaced her back door, caulked and painted around the basement windows, and painted the front of the house, the front porch and the windowsills on the enclosed porch.
‘Bless their hearts,? said Warren. ‘They moved stuff and they fixed my basement walls. I don’t have to worry about them coming down… I was amazed at the distance some of these people came. That’s a lot of time and expense with gas, but I appreciate it from the local folks and those far away.?
Other volunteers cleaned up in Warren’s yard, planting flowers. They were part of a contingent of about 100 volunteers that cleaned up the yards of more than 30 senior citizens in the area, said yard clean-up chairwoman Jeannie McCreery.
Inside Warren’s home, another volunteer washed windows, hung curtains and vacuumed.
‘It’s nice to have clean windows to look out of,? said Warren. ‘It was a big help… I just thank the Lord for his abundant mercy. The crew worked well together. They did more than I expected. I am grateful for the kindness.?
McCreery said the generosity of the community is amazing, but notes that Warren shouldn’t be surprised.
‘All of Doris? life she has helped others and she could never understand why people are always doing nice things for her when she thinks there are more deserving people,? McCreery said. ‘She hates to ask, but she is so appreciative, it’s amazing. People should learn from people like Doris.?
Warren spent 20 years of her life as a missionary in Bolivia, teaching children and adults in a Bible school in La Paz. She began her mission work in 1952 and after forming blood clots from the high altitude, was forced to return to the U.S. in 1961. She cared for her father, ailing with Lou Gehrig’s disease, for five years and returned to Bolivia in 1967. She returned home permanently in 1980 after blood clots formed again and cared for her ailing mother, who died in 1994.
For the past 13 years, Warren has taught Spanish to homeschooled children.
Now, she is being helped and the volunteers are happy to give back.
‘We love doing it,? says Carol Myers, who met husband Ron while working on a home together in 1998. ‘We look forward to it every year. We get a lot out of it, so we keeping doing it.?
For more information on Rebuilding Together, call (248) 889-5450.