'World Changers' Pay To Do Good In Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS -- A group of ambitious teenagers are paying to spend their summer helping low-income residents with home repairs.

John Tuck, 19, is one of 105 "World Changers" in Indianapolis this week paying $260 for a weeklong work stint, 6News' Derrik Thomas reported.

"I'm up here working for free. It's just a good thing to do," Tuck said. "It's a good break. It's a walk off the beaten path."

Kenneth Wiggins, son of an 89-year-old homeowner, is grateful for the help she is getting.

"I doubt very seriously that she could afford or we could afford to go out and hire someone to come in and do this," Wiggins said. "It is a blessing for them to do this."

"It just feels good when you show the love of Jesus Christ," said volunteer Jody Sneed. "You are helping out other people. It's just a lot better than staying at home."

The accommodations in which the teens are staying are decidedly not as good as those at home. At night, the World Changers sleep on air mattresses and sleeping bags in Northwest High School classrooms.

"I'm paying money to sleep on a classroom floor and clean a house," said volunteer Lydia Collins. "I'm doing it for the glory of God."

"This is our first year in Indianapolis. We've never been here before," said Brittany Smith, World Changers' spokeswoman. "The city has been very cooperative. The agencies we're working with have been wonderful."

World Changers, working mostly on Indianapolis' west side, will complete their Indianapolis visit on June 7.

The group plans to visit 100 cities during the summer. About 22,000 teens are participating.