It’s easy to point at a problem, but it’s another thing to roll your sleeves up and fix the issue.

Luckily for many residents of Baldwin County, a small group of people did more than roll up their sleeves three years ago when they started Repair Baldwin – a collaboration of local non-profit organizations and churches formed to address critical home repairs in the homes of elderly and low-income residents.

In late July, Repair Baldwin celebrated the completion of the organization’s 200th project.

To an outside observer, the installation of a wheelchair ramp and a new roof might not seem like much, but to those who benefit directly from the work, these kinds of projects mean more than words can ever convey.

The blood, sweat, tears and time organizers and volunteers at Repair Baldwin put into their work not only extends the life of a structure, but more importantly, it helps improves the lives of people that call those buildings home.

Looking on as volunteers installed a plywood wheelchair ramp in front of his mother’s Bay Minette home recently, Robert Williams said it would greatly improve her quality of life.

“This is a big deal for my mother because it will let her get in and out of her home whenever she wants to,” Williams said. “It will be a big deal for her.”

Days later, volunteers also removed the house’s old roof and installed a new one.

Williams acknowledged his mother was now one of the many people who had benefitted from the hardwork and charity of others through Repair Baldwin.

 “I’m glad somebody is out here doing this for the older people, because a lot of the time, these people are on a budget and they can’t pay to do the things they need to,” Williams said. “It’s really something special.”

Rev. William Brown, who was among Repair Baldwin’s organizers three years ago, said he hadn’t considered how many lives the organization had affected until days before the hammer hit work actually started on the 200th project.

“I really never thought about hitting this milestone until recently, but you have to stand back and say ‘wow’ when you consider what we have accomplished in just three years with just donations and grants,” Brown said.

As volunteers worked to improve the home of a woman they likely had never met, Brown said their act was much more than just laboring on a project.

“This is the church right here,” he said. “This is what God meant when he told us to take care of each other.”

I cannot thank the volunteers and organizers at Repair Baldwin enough for the commendable job they do to improve the lives of people across Baldwin County.

It is easy to look at a problem and talk about what needs to be done, so it’s important to recognize the people who actually work on fixing the issue at hand.

Jay Sowers is the photo editor for Gulf Coast Media. To reach him, please email jay@gulfcoastmedia.com