Indian Hills students help Fairfield classmate fix up house

FAIRFIELD — A group of Indian Hills students took a day off from their classwork Tuesday to help one of their classmate’s fix up his house.

Ben Clemons lives in Fairfield and is a full-time student at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, where he’s studying to be an automotive tech mechanic. He leads a very busy life On top of his studies, he works at Fairfield Tire & Service, and when he comes home, he and his wife Sara have six children to take care of.

Clemons told his classmates earlier this school year that he’s been trying to repair his home in Fairfield in the 400 block of West Stone Avenue, but it’s hard to find time between his schoolwork, his job and his family. Last week, his auto tech instructor Andy Summers announced that they wouldn’t have class on May 10, because they were all going to help Clemons with his house.

Clemons was shocked by the kind gesture. On Tuesday morning, all 15 students in the auto tech class showed up at his house ready to work. They put up drywall throughout the house and painted the first and second floors. They worked on the floors, scraping residue from the carpet and linoleum, and worked outside, too, trimming hedges.

Sara said she was overwhelmed by the show of support from her husband’s classmates.

“This is an amazing thing,” she said. “The instructor and the students came up with the idea themselves, taking the day off from their vehicles to work on our house.”

Ben and Sara bought the house in 2009 and lived in it for six years before Ben got a job that required him to live on-site. He worked at that job for four years, and when he and Sara tried to move back into their old home, they found it was in shambles and not suitable to live in. They’ve living with family while Ben makes progress on renovating the house.

When Clemons learned his classmates were planning to help him with his house, he expected perhaps five or six would come, not 15. Because so many came, Clemons estimated that they saved him months of work.

Summers said several students wanted to get together for a volunteering activity.

“Ben is in their class, and he’s been displaced for a little while from his house, so we thought, what better way to learn about volunteering and giving back to the community than helping one of our own classmates?” Summers said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com