Community Christian Church

-

-

Bringing 'Tre' Back Home

Volunteers making Aurora residence accessible for teen paralyzed by gunfire

Published January 25, 2008 - The Beacon News

By Matt Hanley

On Saturday afternoon, the modest one-story home on Aurora's East Side was filled with the grinding of drills, the crash of hammers and the grunts of hard-working men.

It was a clattering symphony of charity.

A dozen volunteers were rebuilding the home of Richard "Tre" Winfrey III -- a young man only a few of the workers had met. No matter.

"This is right where my heart lies," said Bob Gatenby, a Yorkville handyman who was testing the lights. "It's my passion."

Winfrey, an East Aurora honor student and golfer, has only been able to return home briefly since the shooting, which remains under investigation. His electric wheelchair didn't fit through the doors or hallways, so he and his mother have been living in a handicapped-accessible apartment.

That's where Caleb Luper, president of Triple Threat Sports Mentoring, stepped in. Luper, a former missionary, started Triple Threat as a way to work with kids on Aurora's East Side. Of course, most of his work is setting up sports camps, not building houses.

"You don't normally think sports and construction, but we absolutely had to help," Luper said, while watching volunteers add outlets in Winfrey's new bedroom. "They (the Winfrey family) are a blessing to be around."

Luper admits he has no construction experience. His contribution Saturday was using his tall, lanky frame to hold up drywall -- "skilled labor," he joked -- and raising funds to buy supplies.

Many of the volunteers, like Gatenby, were from Community Christian Church. They were looking for a project, and Luper met them at the right time.

Visitors who got to the house after noon Saturday would have assumed the project started days earlier. Walls had already been removed; ceilings and floors ripped out.

"They're doing a great job," said Richard Winfrey I, who started in amazement as three men tore out the kitchen floor. "They're going after it."

While the goal is to finish in two weeks, the work ahead is ample: doors in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom are being widened. The bathroom must be handicapped-accessible. Then there's painting, electrical work ...

Although Luper is still looking for supplies and a corporate partner, he's already envisioning the work as Phase I.

With seemingly endless reserves of enthusiasm, he talked about a Phase II: expanding the house.

Winfrey's mother, Rita, was nearly speechless with gratitude.

"I just can't say 'thank you' enough," she said. "They didn't have to give up their time. There's an overflow of people."