TULSA, Okla. — What appears to be a typical workshop is a place where dreams are built.
"Nobody has helped from a volunteer standpoint more than the miracle workers," said Green Country Habitat for Humanity CEO Cameron Walker.
Inside this workroom, faith and fellowship are ties that bind from the helping hands of seniors.
"They're retirees, and while many of them have had some carpentry experience, there's not a professional carpenter in the group," said Bob Sandborn, co-founder of the group.
They're the Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers, retired volunteers for Green Country Habitat for Humanity — like 92-year-old Bob Sanborn.
"I'm the surviving co-founder. There were three of us who started it in January of 1993," said Sanborn.
Back then, Bob and his friends Bill Yeagle and Jay Briscoe had been working on a remodeling project at their church.
They enjoyed helping the community so much that they decided to approach Green County Habitat for Humanity to see if they could use their help once a week, on, you guessed it — Tuesdays.
"Jim Robinson, the Executive Director then, his response was ‘my prayers have been answered.’ Shortly after that, Jim made the comment, ‘you guys are my Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers’ and the name just stuck," Sanborn said.
Decades later, "the miracle workers" are still at it.
"We started with three, and over 31 years later that we've been together, we've had over 150 different men and women that have been part of the group," he said.
"Not only do they help us build houses out in the field, but they also help us construct cabinets in our cabinet shop and have played a pivotal role in many large-scale projects, like the Joplin 10 homes after the major tornado in the early 2000s," said Walker.
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Kent Powers is the activity coordinator, a job Bob held for 20 years.
"We've built 98 homes since this group began in 1993. That's quite the testimony to our impact on habitat homeowners," Powers said.
"As an organization, we are working toward 600 homes, so when you think about it, they've done over a sixth of all the homes that Green Country Habitat for Humanity has constructed, which is huge," said Walker.
It's a labor of love. They spend about six hours together on Tuesdays. They enjoy it so much that they come back on Thursdays, too.
"Bob is a very knowledgeable and insightful person. When I first joined the group, after filling me in on the details, he said, oh, the other thing you'll find is that being out volunteering with the group on Tuesdays and Thursdays extends your marriage because it gets you out of the house for those two days a week, and my wife would definitely attest to that!" said Powers.
With smiles on their faces, the Tuesday Morning Miracle workers do all of this for free.
"It's a heartwarming experience, especially when it's time to turn over the keys to a new homeowner. That is our reward for everything we do to support the cause. And the other thing is that, as retirees, we enjoy the camaraderie of volunteering for a worthy cause. It's just something that makes our lives more fulfilling," said Powers.
New volunteers keep coming, and you'll find the regulars, like Sanborn here, too.
"I come as often as I can. Yes, I miss them if I'm not around them," said Sanborn.
Because what happens in this workshop is life-changing.
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The brotherhood and sisterhood that have emerged from it are the most treasured things Sanborn has built. "It's far exceeded my expectations when we started, but we've just been blessed," said Sanborn.
Green Country Habitat for Humanity tells Positively Oklahoma in addition to construction, the Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers have also set up an Endowment fund and have raised over $1 Million for the non-profit.
Volunteers are welcome to join the Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers. We've added a contact for Green Country Habitat for Humanity here.
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