It’s 7:45 a.m. on a Saturday and it isn’t too early for the South Whidbey High School cafeteria to buzz with the cheerful voices of 350 people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. One could mistake it for being lunchtime at the high school, but the excitement comes from volunteers chatting amongst each other and eagerly awaiting to hammer away for the good of thy neighbor.

The reason for the hubbub was the 23rd annual Hearts & Hammers workday on May 7. This year’s event reached the level of success that has become a norm for the volunteer organization’s South Whidbey branch, with 34 homes being repaired and often given complete facelifts. The work was completed by community members of all skill levels who remained efficient yet light hearted — jokes and smiles were common. Even bigger were the smiles on the faces of the homeowners, many of whom have been unable to repair their homes for a variety of reasons including disability, finances and other health concerns.

One homeowner who saw her life change was Freeland resident Sheri Faucher. A longtime South Whidbey resident, Faucher struggles with mobility due to multiple sclerosis and is unable to keep up with home maintenance.

Her roof was leaking and the wheel chair ramps to her home had deteriorated to the point they were unsafe. Faucher, an avid gardener, was unable to enjoy her hobby in her own backyard due to the inability to leave her motorized wheelchair. Hearts & Hammers took care of that.

“I love to garden, but I haven’t been able to do it outside because of my wheelchair,” Faucher said. “So what they did was they’ve built garden beds that are at a height that lets me garden from my chair.”

About a dozen volunteers worked on Faucher’s house, with skill levels ranging from professional and intermediate to community do-gooders who were willing to work on any given project. Professional carpenters helped build a new ramp and back patio for Faucher and her husband to relax outside of their home, in addition to constructing a raised garden bed for Faucher to enjoy her hobby.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but what they have done is amazing,” Faucher said. “All of this is going to be perfect. I get to garden from here on out. Their work has exceeded my expectations.”

The Hearts & Hammers volunteers not only know what they’re doing, but they care about the homeowners and consult them throughout the revamping process, according to Faucher.

The common sentiment among volunteers at various work sites was the desire to help their surrounding community, something first-timer Scott Campbell, laborer for Simmons Glass pointed out. The window installation company he works for, owned by Kenon Simmons, participated during the volunteer day to install windows on a mobile home.

“I heard about the opportunity in church, and I thought it was a great way to help the community,” Campbell said. “It was a chance for all of us to help those in need and donate our time.”

The celebratory atmosphere didn’t end with the hours of rebuilding projects and happy homeowners. Following the jobs at the various work sites, all Hearts & Hammers volunteers and the homeowners whose homes they worked on were invited to a community dinner.

According to Baz Stevens, board member of South Whidbey Hearts & Hammers, the event resonates with the building and rebuilding of community. That’s what Hearts & Hammers is all about, he said, and is one of the things that makes South Whidbey special, Stevens said.

It’s an experience that was “truly wonderful” for homeowners such as Faucher. The community volunteers not only do house upkeep for South Whidbey, but in many cases give homeowners the opportunity to do the things they love. In Faucher’s case that passion is gardening.

“The garden is a huge thing for me,” Faucher said. “I’ve been wanting to garden as a hobby and I haven’t been able to. I am so happy that I can’t stop talking about it.”