A Lakewood Ranch village builds a home

When River Reach’s Bob Feller heard about Vietnam veteran William Perkins and his plight, he thought back to his time growing up in Ohio.

“My father, Earl Feller, was building our house at the same time as someone else down the street,” Feller said. “One day, a lightning bolt struck his neighbor’s house and burned it down. I remember he got everyone in the neighborhood to come together and help build his neighbor’s house.”

He saw the power of his community coming together to help someone in need.

Now that person in need is Bradenton’s Perkins, who lives in a mobile home badly in need of renovation. Feller, who represents Lakewood Ranch’s Harvest United Methodist Church, remembered the lesson he learned as a child.

“It makes me emotional because I go back now and I read articles about what he did,” Feller said of his father’s humanitarian efforts. “Now it gives me faith to know that there are still good people in the world. I want this generation to see what we’re doing and hope they might help somebody who needs it.”

Members of Harvest United Methodist joined with members of Manasota Operation Troop Support and the U.S. Air Force  Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol cadets and employees of Home Depot to volunteer their services to do the renovation.

The budget for the project, which included gutting the bathroom and installing a new roof, included a $3,000 donation from MOTS, while Home Depot donated supplies. The work started Sept. 11 and is scheduled to be finished Sept. 22.

Perkins, who lost his leg in action during the Vietnam War, purchased the home at 112 Third St. W., five years ago. He said he didn’t know the roof was bad. He wanted to renovate his home slowly0 but was moved by the volunteers who showed up to help.

Lakewood Ranch’s Terry Byce, who also was representing Harvest United Methodist, said he wanted to give back by helping a veteran.

“We didn’t plan for (the construction) to start on Sept. 11,” Byce said. “But it’s amazing to do something for someone who stood up for our country.”

Riverwalk’s Nancy Castro, a veteran and member of Harvest United Methodist, was one of the volunteers.

“We’re getting it done together, and we’re showing people when there’s someone in your community who is down, you help them up,” Castro said.