Two families are closer than ever to the moment they become homeowners, for the first time in their life! It’s thanks to the hard work of a 19-strong volunteer team from the US, led by Tiffany Ellis, who works as the Global Builders Program Manager for the Fuller Center for Housing in Americus, Georgia.
Aged from 17 to 82 years old, volunteers worked to finish putting up some last bits of drywall, and finished the entire exterior insulation of the house, putting up 4-inch-thick polystyrene boards that will keep the cold outside during Romania’s long winters.
The US team got a chance to meet and exchange stories with future homeowners Ionuț and Patricia, who will call the apartment in duplex 11 their first ever home, as well as their future neighbor Mihaela, who will have a safe place to live after years of insecurity and personal loss.
Tiffany, leading a team for the second time after a 2022 build trip to Peru, choose Romania as the newest location on the Fuller map, and one providing the teams with both engaging, meaningful work, and a diversity of R&R options for those free evenings & weekends.
Before the build days, the group visited Turda Salt Mine, the world’s first and largest underground amusement park, located in the spectacular galleries of a former salt mine, with miles upon miles of corridors, shafts, galleries and even a lake. After the build, the trip discovered the historic region of Maramureș, including UNESCO World Heritage Site “The Merry Cemetery” in Săpânța, and took a ride on the olden narrow-gauge steam train “Mocănița”. In Cluj, the team took some time to discover the beautiful Etnographic Park, showcasing centuries-old original wooden homes and churches saved from Transylvanian villages.
The Fuller Center Cluj team is now gearing up for the next international build – coming in September 23rd, but before that, September seems like it will be the busiest month ever in Jucu, with no less than five local teams coming in to lend a helping hand.
