While some charitable organizations have seen a sharp decline in donations the last year or two, Fullerville Mission has quietly built a 2,400-square-foot, two story building off Rockmart Road in Villa Rica entirely using donated money, labor and materials.

The four-year project is nearly complete with only the central heating and air needing to be installed. The building has already been wired for the system and the Fullerville Mission Board of Directors are seeking more donations to complete the project.

The projected cost of the heating and air units needed is $5,000-$6,000 and $2,300 has already been raised, due in large part to a fish fry recently held by First United Methodist Church in Villa Rica that raised $1,300.

During the four-year construction of the project, about $15,000 has been raised. The remaining costs have been taken care of through donated materials and labor.

“One thing that has been unique during this process is that each step we’ve gotten through, God has provided the next step of material and labor that we needed,” said Wayne Shelton, who founded Fullerville Mission in 1987. “It’s really amazing when you think about it.”

An example of this outpouring of support came when the building was ready to be sheetrocked and a commercial contractor said the labor was going to cost about $1,250. Though they didn’t have the funds, Fullerville officials had confidence they would become available and told the contractor to go ahead. Shortly after the contractor left, Shelton received a phone call from the contractor’s wife who said she was going to pay the labor costs of the project.

“It’s been like that all the way through the project, ever since we first put the gravel down,” Shelton said.

The building is already paying dividends by being used to distribute more than 14,000 pounds of food to flood victims, though it will primarily be used when complete for educational ministries and a community gathering place. The building’s conference room will be available for other non-profit groups to hold meetings and the heating and air may allow a portion of the building to be used for temporary shelter in emergency situations.

“We really didn’t make any plans for it because we didn’t want to get in God’s way,” Shelton said.

Fullerville Mission operates 17 community ministries, ranging from food to clothing to shelter. Last year, Fullerville Mission helped more than 12,000 people receive clothes and more than 10,000 pounds of food was distributed on top of that given to flood victims, all through the generosity of volunteers.

“We rely on the goodness of peoples’ heart to help the Mission help those of the community in need,” Shelton said.

To donate, call Fullerville Mission at 770-456-9619 or go to www.fullerville.org and make a donation through PayPal. E-mail contact information is also available on the Mission’s Web site.