By Sherrie Norris
A large group of youngsters and their leaders converged upon the High Country in mid-July with a mission in mind — and they departed a week later satisfied that they had made a difference.
That’s the word from Boone’s own Daniel and Katie Machon who coordinated a volunteer community service project through the nonprofit organization known as World Changers.
Having been part of World Changers since middle and high school themselves, the Machon couple had long hoped to host the organization in a town they called home. And they were finally able to do just that after living in Boone for the last several years.
Based in Florida, World Changers is all about showing and sharing God’s love to others, while volunteer mission teams visit various towns and help out with unmet needs, the Machons tell us. “We offer youngsters an opportunity to move past their comfort zones and learn how to serve others.”
From July 8-13, the group of about 120 came to the Boone and surrounding areas, representing North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Indiana, providing home repairs and meeting needs that had earlier been identified through WAMY Community Action and Three Forks Baptist Association. There were local participants, too, who joined the Machon’s out-of-town crew.
“Our volunteer teams were focused on serving the High Country, and worked at sites from Boone to Linville to southern Avery County,” Katie Machon said. “We worked on 12 homes with various carpentry repairs — constructing/repairing decks, putting on siding, replacing floors, painting and more.”
And about those home projects, Allison Jennings, WAMY’s Director of Development, told High Country Press, “It was such a great thing for us and the 12 families we were able to help through our partnership with World Changers.”
When the organization first reached out to WAMY and expressed interest in partnering with them, Jennings said, her office looked a little deeper into World Changers.
“We realized immediately that this opportunity had the potential to be the single largest housing project WAMY had in the 60 years we’ve been serving the community.”
Jennings explained, “Our housing team pinpointed the families that we were going to serve, and eventually in the course of four days, we were able to do 12 home repairs in Avery and Watauga counties.”
Something that was really special for Jennings, as a Watauga County resident, she said, was that five of those 12 projects were in the Junaluska community in Boone, “that wonderful, historic neighborhood where WAMY has done so much work in the past, and where such focus has been recently on revitalizing such a great part of our local history.”
The families in both Avery and Watauga counties, Jennings said, were all very appreciative of the help they received.
“And the volunteers worked so hard,” she added. “It’s been really hot here this July, but they were committed to getting the work done and did a wonderful job. We’re already planning for next year!”
It was estimated that at least 107 local individuals were directly impacted by the presence of World Changers.
According to Machon, the group not only offered labor to help meet physical needs, but also prayed with and for dozens of community members, presented the gospel of Jesus Christ at least 32 times and witnessed several individuals make life-changing, salvation-related decisions.
“There were 12 churches that contributed to providing lunches to the worksites,” she added. “Participants slept at Perkinsville Baptist Church and Cornerstone Summit Church, both in Boone, and shower trailers were provided by North Carolina Baptist on Mission.”
And furthermore, she shared, “We are excited to tell you that World Changers will return to the area next year, June 23-28, 2025, —and 150 people have already registered to help us! We will partner again with WAMY for finding the homes we will work on and the materials to complete the projects.”
The largest logistical need already identified for 2025 is a lodging facility that can house all 150 people in the same building, Machon added.
“We are forever grateful to Perkinsville and Cornerstone for their hospitality in this inaugural year of hosting World Changers in Boone, but World Changers’ evening programming would be best accomplished if we can all be in one location.”
Yes, Katie and Daniel admitted, “This week was a dream that actually came true for us. We’ve prayed about World Changers being in the city in which we live for over four years. With two years of the application process and logistics, we finally saw it all come to fruition. We are grateful to the outpouring of support from local churches, various media outlets, and of course, Jesus our Lord, for using us as vessels to do His work.”
World Changers was established in 1990 as part of the North American Mission Board, it is now an independently owned non-profit, she said. “This is the first summer we have served in Boone, but it’s not going to be our last,” said Katie Machon, on behalf of the organization.
The Boone area is just one of 20-plus towns benefitting from the efforts of World Changers during summer ‘24, the Machons explained.
“The volunteers serving our area were among thousands registered this year to participate in dozens of World Changers projects across the United States and paid about $300 each just for the opportunity to participate, in addition to travel expenses.”
Executive Director Wesley Smith of Three Forks Baptist Association, expressed his gratitude for World Changers and
shared that he is thankful for the opportunity to partner together with their organization, as well as with WAMY, to help a few local homeowners receive needed improvements on their homes — and show them the love of Jesus.
Smith said the busy week with World Changers was amazing and served as a “catalyst” to get local volunteers ready for the Association’s participation in ServeNC, happening August 3-10.
“If people want to contribute, they can make donations to World Changers Boone through the Three Forks Baptist Association,” Machon concluded. “Donations for the construction projects can be made to WAMY. They also can save the date to volunteer to provide lunches June 23-28, 2025.”
For more information on how you, your church and/or organization can help with lodging, meals and other needs for the World Changers project in Boone in 2025, contact Daniel and Katie Machon at 704-804-8410 or 919-770-2632 or email drmachon3@gmail.com or kmbradley2014@gmail.com
To reach TFBA, call (828) 264-4482.
To learn more about donating for the construction projects, contact WAMY at : (828) 264-2421.
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