Camper Shey Kyzer and Bill Floyd work on rebuilding the front steps of a house being repaired by volunteers of Salkehatchie Summer Service. South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Instructional Standards Manager Bill Floyd participated June 21 though June 29 in the Salkehatchie Summer Service program in Chester, S.C.

Salkehatchie Summer Service is an outreach ministry of the South Carolina United Methodist Conference. It was founded in 1978 by the Reverend John Wesley Culp, the current Pastor of Virginia Wingard United Methodist Church in Columbia.

Floyd, a certified law enforcement officer and 18- year veteran of the Academy and member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Columbia, joined 70 other volunteers, including his son, Patrick, to take part in the project.

The service ministry encourages high school and college age youth, adult community leaders, and persons of different cultural, religious and racial backgrounds to work together to provide better living conditions for less fortunate individuals.

Seven houses were chosen for repair this year. Each repair site was given a working budget of $1,500.

In past years, some of the houses selected for renovation were possibly "just one step ahead of being condemned by the city or county," Floyd said.

The owner of one such house asked why the mission workers would want to help someone they didn't previously know. Floyd's response to the gentleman was to quote one of his fellow campers, Dan Bilderback, also a member of Main Street United Methodist church, who said Salkehatchie Summer Service Mission is "not about fixing houses. This is about changing lives."

Floyd added, "It is about changing both the lives of the homeowners and the volunteers."

Volunteers give up one or two weeks a year of their time to attend the mission. They bunk in sleeping bags and "bed rolls" in church Sunday School rooms at Bethel UMC in downtown Chester, and they share common restroom facilities. They also eat and worship together as a community.

Four other United Methodist Churches (UMC) from the Chester area provided meals for the participants: Armenia UMC, Capers Chapel UMC, New Hope UMC, and Wesley Memorial UMC.

Floyd also stressed that the Chester Camp would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of codirectors Reverend Chris Snelgrove and his wife, Joy.

Floyd said he was pleased with the outcome of this year's project.

"If the before- and- after pictures (of the house) are compared, it's apparent what the spirit of the Lord can motivate people to do," Floyd said.

As a testament to the groups' efforts, Floyd said by the end of the week, the owner of his team's house announced that he and his own brother- in- law would be volunteering with future mission efforts.