As the summer days turn more sticky and oppressive a relaxing getaway to a breezy sandy beach seems like a pretty good idea.

Yet for some area families the best way to spend the last week of a warm July is repairing the homes of people in need.

More than 120 teenagers along with adult supervisors participated last week in Apex United Methodist Church’s Outreach Service Project. The volunteers repaired 18 homes in Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina.

As the project turns a decade old it’s becoming quite a family affair.

Teens who became involved several years ago are now being joined at work sites by younger siblings and even parents eager to experience the spiritual rewards.

Volunteer coordinator Susan Hiles began volunteering five years ago after watching her husband, Kendall, and two children, Spencer, 19, and Katie, 17, gain so much satisfaction from helping local residents.

“My son started eight years ago when he was in sixth grade,” said Hiles. “But when it came time for my daughter to become involved I wasn’t too crazy about her going on her own. My husband is very knowledgeable about carpentry and is very much a handy-man so they volunteered together. As I watched them do it I wanted to become a part of it, too.”

On a Tuesday afternoon with temperatures touching 90 with humidity to match, the entire family was hard at work. Spencer was replacing plumbing in one house, Katie was repairing a roof at another home across town, and Kendall was building a shed at a third site.

“We moved the whole back of a house one time and replaced it,” said Spencer Hiles, who now serves as a junior leader. “To see the finished project and the look on the homeowner’s face … they are just amazed and can’t believe all these people are taking a week’s vacation and spending it here to help them out. I guess a lot of these (volunteers) just get joy from it.”

First year adult supervisor Kevin Witzke had several friends participate in the project in past years. But it wasn’t until his wife, Melissa, and 14-year-old daughter, Madison, volunteered that he decided to get involved.

“We had a lot of friends do this and they felt very rewarded by it,” said Witzke. “My daughter loved it the last two years and I felt it would be a wonderful way to become more involved in the community.

“It’s a real family affair for us. There’s a lot of stuff to be done out here and it’s great to be of some help to people a little less fortunate.”

Of course, not all the volunteers have family members with them. Many just enjoy working alongside friends on such important and worthwhile projects.

“I started volunteering (last year) because my friends did,” said Alan Freer, 14. “I came back (this year) because I had a really good time.”

“I just wanted to help people and spread the love of God,” said Peter Green, 15.

Yet, volunteering with a loved one seems to add something special to the whole experience. “My wife and I are youth counselors at the church and we love working with the kids,” said adult supervisor Jim Rutherford. “It’s just a very rewarding experience to come out and help those in need and see how willing the kids are to work hard to make things better.”

“It’s become a very important part of our lives and we feel very strongly that it is what we are called to do,” said Susan Hiles. “We are supposed to take care of people less fortunate. It’s just what we are supposed to do.”