The Blessing of Building Together: St. Joseph Housing Initiative
What began as one fence-building day has grown into a volunteer tradition of service, connection, and hope for new homeowners.
“Love thy neighbor.”
That simple mission is the cornerstone of St. Joseph Housing Initiative (SJHI), which transforms vacant houses into affordable, stable homes for first-time buyers of low and moderate income.
And it inspires a growing community of volunteers to roll up their sleeves and help out.
It all began five years ago with a question: Could we get a crew together to build a fence for a family’s new home?
The house was being rehabbed, but the yard needed attention. A new fence could offer more safety, privacy, and a beautiful finishing touch
What started as a simple, one-day project soon showed volunteers how even a fence could uplift a home — and make it feel complete.
That first fence became the start of a tradition. Today, volunteers return month after month to build fences for every new homeowner.
“Anyone can help,” says Annie Purcell, SJHI’s volunteer leader. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a drill — there’s always a place for you.”
No matter their skill level, every volunteer has a role: carrying pickets, measuring posts, or clearing weeds.
And the impact goes far beyond the fences themselves.
“When volunteers bless a house with their service, they don’t just improve the property. They create a stronger, more connected community. It becomes a place of hope and welcome.” - Annie Purcell
More Than A Fence
Annie describes volunteer work as a blessing on each house, infusing it with love and hard work:
F3 (Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith), a men’s group, made fence-building part of their mission, building friendship through service. Joe, an F3 volunteer, shared:
“We put our faith into action through volunteering. Working together on the fence build, we see how much more impact we have together than we ever could alone.” — Joe, volunteer
Church groups from across the diocese roll up their sleeves, like Tom’s parish, St. Margaret of Scotland:
“It was amazing to see people from different backgrounds come together with one goal — creating stability and hope for a family.” — Tom, volunteer
Youth Volunteer Corps wanted to help, too. Skilled volunteers showed middle schoolers how to measure, drill, and build, and they roasted marshmallows together during breaks. The kids were proud of what they accomplished over two days.New homeowners are deeply moved that their fences are built with such care. They often return to help the next family, paying the blessing forward.
Learn about St. Joseph Housing Initiative.
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