WARREN — Volunteers with The Movement at the Dream Center in Warren helped transform and enhance God’s Refuge House with various improvements and additions.

Pastor Nathan Pearson referred to the effort as “Hope for the Homeless.” Volunteers added a garden and seating area, built a shed, painted the basement, cleaned under a back porch and repaired and replaced fencing for the women’s shelter.

“We are friends with Pastor Julia Wike and wanted to adopt another nonprofit ministry in the community. We called her and asked if there was anything we could do to help her,” Pearson said.

Wike, who is head of Basement Outreach Ministries, which oversees the God’s Refuge House off Terra Alta Street NE, said she was appreciative for the work that was done.

Pearson said monetary donations were received for the shed that will be used for storing items that were previously kept in the basement of the home.

He said Taylor Rental provided a stump grinder to take tree stumps out and put in a small garden and sitting area in the backyard where the women can sit. Flowers were placed in the garden.

“We wanted to provide a place where they could relax away from the house,” Pearson said.

Pearson said the women staying at the home also benefitted because church members who are beauticians provided makeovers and gave new hairstyles to the women.

Pearson said The Movement plans to also assist Basement Outreach when they move to a new location after recentlt leaving First United Methodist Church in Warren.

The Movement also has done other work in the community, including disassembling Tiger Town in Howland and work at a park in Hermitage, Pa.

He said 28 volunteers endured 90-degree temperatures working in the yard at the Women’s Refuge House while a few were fortunate to be painting in the cool basement of the home.

To surprise the seven women at the shelter, a door was signed by all the volunteers and used for the new fencing and gate area.

Yvette Gonzalez of Champion said she was glad to be one of the volunteers who helped.

She said the one group painted the walls and ceiling of the basement and also put in shelving for the laundry room items.

“The items they used to store in the basement are being placed in the new shed to provide more room for other items in the home,” Gonzalez said.

The basement also includes a family room.

“They have done a great job keeping this place for the women,” Pearson said.

Wike said “Words can’t describe how generous everyone was to help. They worked eight hours in the heat and brought so much love and joy to the women.”