The Family Crisis Center’s Shelter needed strong men to make the backyard more usable for the children residing in shelter with their moms.  Little did they know that they would have Iron Men step up and take the project on, said Christy Huslig, outreach advocate.
Iron Men is the name of a discipleship program led by Billy Widiger at the First Assembly of God Church in Great Bend.
“Iron Men is about teaching men about integrity, keeping to their word and equipping men to be a better husband and father,” Widiger said. “Part of this discipleship process is doing service work for our community we live in.”
“We were approached by Billy about doing a project for us and the timing was perfect,” Huslig said. “We had some funds through a grant to make repairs, and they took it so much further by giving of their talents and time. We have a backyard that the kids can have fun in!”
Before the volunteer project, the playground set was in such poor condition that children couldn’t use all of it, said Laura Patzner, director of the Family Crisis Center. “We had a swing set that was falling apart, and a fence that needed some repair and some painting.”
In one day, the Iron Men cleaned up the backyard and made the repairs, building onto the playset and making it more secure, she said. In an typical year, 75 or more children spend some time at the shelter with their mothers.
 “We are thankful to have been able to help the Family Crisis Center and thank all the people who allowed us to borrow their equipment to do the job,” Widiger said.
“We are also very grateful to Vince Friess and Home Lumber & Supply for their donation and delivery of items that helped the Iron Men finish the project,” Huslig said. “We also want to thank Derek Fredrick and Waters True Value Hardware, Jeff Donecker and Little Giant Fittings, and Steve Titus and Orsheln Farm and Home for their donations. We are so blessed to live in a community that is concerned about the welfare of others.”
The Family Crisis Center Inc. Domestic and Sexual Violence Center provides advocacy and services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in Barber, Barton, Comanche, Edwards, Kiowa, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush and Stafford counties. To talk with an advocate, call the 24-hour crisis line, 620-792-1885, or toll free at 866-792-1885. For more information about the agency, contact Laura Patzner at 620-793-9941.