Year 6 - 2017

Clearing the Way

She was the kind of woman who gave without asking for anything in return.

As a paraprofessional at the local school, she quietly poured herself into the lives of students who needed a little extra love, a little extra patience, and someone who believed in them. Day after day, she showed up—with compassion, with strength, and with a smile that could calm even the hardest mornings.

But behind that smile was a weight she carried alone.

After losing her husband, everything fell on her shoulders—the grief, the bills, the broken fence, the leaky faucet, the peeling paint. The house they had once built together had become overwhelming. She knew it was time to sell and start fresh, but the to-do list felt impossible.

That’s when Team Holland stepped in.

It was November, and as always, Team Holland was ready to GIVE. LOVE. SERVE. When Cindy Holland heard her story, she knew this was exactly the kind of project that Matt would have jumped into with both feet.

Volunteers showed up early and worked late. Walls were painted, repairs made, floors scrubbed, junk hauled off, and every item on her list—big and small—checked off with care. Some worked with tools. Others cleaned windows or planted fresh flowers out front. But all of them worked with hearts full of love.

Many had never met her before that weekend. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she wasn’t alone anymore.

And when the work was done, the transformation was more than just physical. Her home was ready—and so was she. She listed it shortly after the project ended, and within days, it sold. No haggling. No delays.

With the burden lifted, she stepped into a new season—grateful, hopeful, and free.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

That weekend, Team Holland didn’t just fix up a house.

They built someone up—and cleared the way for her next chapter.