Philanthropic Fixer Upper

Bobby Trimble (Story)

One day, Bobby was sitting in the men’s Sunday school class he teaches and had an "Aha!" moment. There were low-income disabled and older people in the community who needed help fixing things around their homes. So, Bobby and his class got to work. The first day they built a wheelchair ramp, but they didn’t stop there. Bobby’s idea turned into the local community project Christmas In Action. Eventually, the program became a nationwide success story going far beyond the four walls of the little Sunday school class. Each year, thousands of homes are repaired and thousands of lives are improved. Bobby still rounds up all of the volunteers and donated building supplies, organizes the home repairs and teaches people all across the country how to establish their own programs. It all started with just a group of men, willing and able to put their skills to good use. The idea was a simple one, but the outcome has been rather miraculous.

Photo. Michelle Ferng / Pulitzer Center; Photo, Christmas In Action. christmasinactionindy.org; Photo, Bobby Trimble. Tim Fischer / Midland Reporter-Telegram