On Saturday, a group of 10 men from the Red Mountain Baptist Church joined with the Durham Rescue mission to install new vinyl siding on one of the Mission's houses.

According to the church, the volunteers are working as a part of Durham's Hope For Durham initiative, a weeklong initiative by the local faith based community to help local non-profits. According to Red Mountain, the group brings experience to the job after working on disaster relief projects throughout the Southeast.

"(We're) Just making it a nicer place to see, to the eye, and be," said volunteer Michael Brack. Carl Walker, another volunteer, said he was glad to travel the distance from Red Mountain to help with the project. "They need the help, it's just, we enjoy doing it," Walker said.

According to the Rescue Mission, the siding was donated by a vinyl siding manufacturing company. Organizers say the improvements will enhance the appearance of this old Golden Belt "mill house."

In the early 1900s houses in this area were built by the Golden Belt Manufacturing Company to provide housing for their employees and created a mill village in Edgemont. Officials at the Rescue Mission say a new face on the old mill house will add to the revitalization efforts by the Durham Housing Authority in this East Durham neighborhood.

"If you walk up the street and see old dilapidated torn up houses, you automatically going to think drug house," said James Burris who works at the Rescue Mission. He lives in a nearby mill house. Both houses house residents of the Rescue Mission who have showed progress within the mission's programs.

"Once you put a new face on a house, it changes the whole atmosphere around it," Burris said.

The house is located at 1205 Morning Glory Ave. in East Durham.

"It is a joy to see the men of this church partnering together with the vinyl siding manufacturing company to help improve an impoverished area of our city! This is a wonderful example of how working together we can all make a difference," said Mr. Rodney Laughinghouse of Red Mountain Baptist Church .

Organizers say the overall project consists of residing a total of three area houses. They expect the project to be finished within a month.