Gary Demke and Randy Liske are walking through a home under construction, peering at the framing, making sure the basement has been poured. It’s a routine they’ve done dozens, if not hundreds, of times before.
But the house they’re inspecting today is different in one very important respect. Demke, consultant for Medicine Hat’s Amron Homes and longtime ATB Financial customer, is building this home to raise money for a charity in India.
“Building homes is the only thing that I know,” said Demke, admiring the work that’s been done so far. “How else could I raise money?”
Demke got the idea to build the house from Liske, Amron’s cabinet shop supervisor, who travelled to India while on a short-term church mission in 2008. While in India, Liske visited the Bridge of Hope, a facility that combines medical services, vocational training and a children’s residence.
The Bridge of Hope is owned and operated by Benjamin Yejjala, whose daughter and son-in-law immigrated to Medicine Hat a few years ago. “Benjamin is the most gracious man you’ll ever meet,” said Liske. “He takes underprivileged children who have maybe lost their parents. He takes them into his dormitory. He feeds them, looks after them and educates them. He gives them an opportunity to have a life, rather than begging on the streets.”
Liske was deeply affected by what he saw in India. He was amazed at the warm, respectful welcome his group received and appalled by the living conditions in Andra Pradesh, India’s poorest province. “Benjamin took us into people’s homes, or huts, and we saw how they live,” said Liske, wiping away tears. “They have one candle for light, a container with some rice in it, and that’s all they have to eat. It had a big impact on me.”
During his visit, Liske met Yerramma, a 10-year-old girl with a badly deformed right leg. Liske learned it would cost $500 for Yerramma to have corrective surgery. Liske used the money Demke had donated for his travel expenses to pay for the girl’s surgery. Now she’s able to walk and play like any other child her age.
“To me, it made my life worthwhile, that I had actually accomplished something with my life,” said Liske, who received a thank-you letter from Yerramma.
A year later, Benjamin travelled to Medicine Hat, and Demke met him. Demke decided to do more for the Bridge of Hope and the idea to build a house and donate the profit was born.
The project has received outstanding support from the community. Several of Amron’s vendors have donated supplies and labour, a local real estate agent is donating his services to sell the home, and ATB Financial contributed $2,500 towards the home’s construction. When the two-bedroom, 925-square-foot bungalow is ready to sell this summer, Demke and Liske are hoping to raise more than $30,000.
“It’s so much better to be involved on this level instead of giving a few hundred bucks to a charity that comes knocking on my door,” said Demke. “I have no idea where that money is going, how much is for administration, you have no idea. In this case, we know that 100% of the money is going exactly where we want it to go.”
“I look forward to when we sell the house and give that money to Benjamin,” added Liske. “I hope Gary will come with me to India so we can see what that money will accomplish.”
Once this house is completed and sold, Demke and Liske plan on doing it all over again for another deserving charity. “Absolutely, there’s lots of need,” said Liske. “I’ve been to Rwanda four times and my heart is still there. The missionaries I work with there will be in Medicine Hat this year and I’m hoping to get them together with Gary and see what happens.”
