While some people may spend their summer weekends fishing and hiking, others are busy helping fix someone’s house.

Volunteers from Oak Harbor’s Living Word Fellowship descended on the home of Debbie Fine on a weekend in late July to give it an “extreme makeover.” They began Saturday morning when they ripped out a dilapidated deck and removed trash and unneeded items from the single-wide trailer in Parkwood Manor.

While volunteers, many of whom are members of the Living Word youth group, were loading trash and construction debris for disposal, others were busy cleaning, painting walls and ceilings, fixing cabinets and sprucing up the yard. Volunteers also built a deck and a handicap ramp, erected bunk beds and shelves and installed a new door and frame.

Volunteers worked all day Saturday and again after church on Sunday to finish the renovations to Fine’s home.

Mark Chester, associate pastor at Living Word Fellowship, said the work will help Fine, and the five other people living in the home, organize their lives. In addition to Fine, her mother, Margaret; daughter, Bobbi; and grandchildren, Shawn and Marissa, live in the cramped, three-bedroom trailer.

He said Fine’s home is one of six that volunteers will fix throughout the summer. Five homes are in Oak Harbor and one is in Coupeville. People selected for the makeovers aren’t necessarily members of Living Word Fellowship. Chester said he put the word out and homeowners applied for the makeovers.

He got the idea by watching the popular television show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

“I cry every Sunday,” Chester said, describing his reaction to the popular show.

He was inspired to do something similar in his own community.

Usually, Chester and the youth group take a mission trip every summer. This year they stayed at home, using the $6,000 they raised at a rummage sale to fund the makeovers.

“Why can’t we take that budget and dump it into the community?” Chester said.

He also received donations from church members and local businesses have provided discounts for the materials needed for the makeovers. Including the rummage sale, approximately $10,000 was raised to pay for the makeovers.

For the youth helping with the makeovers, it provides them a chance to help the community.

“It’s just great to come out and help people who are a little less fortunate,” said 17-year-old A.J. Tarasoff while he painted the ceiling of Fine’s home.

Others echoed Tarasoff’s thoughts.

“You know you’re doing something good,” said 16-year-old Megan Hall while she cleaned up Fine’s back yard.

“And it’s a lot of fun and you meet new people,” added 15-year-old Katie Souza, who was also working in Fine’s backyard.

Fine sincerely appreciated the work the volunteers did on her home.

“I’m so excited about this I can’t tell you,” Fine said. “These kids are really focused on helping someone else. It’s awe inspiring.”

As for the volunteers at Living Word, they will work weekends through mid-August, fixing up other people’s homes.

They will help a new family living north of Oak Harbor beginning Saturday, Aug. 6.