For over a decade the Good Neighbor Action Team has been helping Fort Scottians with painting, helping rid yards of debris, building handicap ramps and other needed projects.

The team provides help for those who are not able to do the job themselves.

“A lot of times, people need a truck or chainsaw to get debris off their property,” Craig Campbell, a member of GNAT, said.

The volunteer group does all kinds of work, but GNAT doesn’t do roofs.

“We don’t put volunteers on roofs,” Campbell said. “There are grants available with no payback through USDA, also there are low-interest loans for different income levels and ages. We can put tradespeople together (for jobs like that), it requires expertise.”

“If people can’t provide materials or funds to help, we can help with that,” he said.

“Funds come from donations from social clubs, for example, Pioneer Kiwanis, who is a constant donor to our cause,” he said.

“When a group takes on a project,  a church, for example, will help fill in the funding gap on the project they are working on,” Campbell said.

“I need to work with churches,” Campbell said. “They are a good source for locating people who could use GNAT help.”

Additionally, churches are a reliable source for providing volunteer workers for projects.

“We get a lot of volunteers from churches,” he said.

The volunteers are asked to give three hours of work per project.

“We think in terms of a three-hour time slot (for the project),” Campbell said. “From 9 a.m. to noon on a Saturday. For a volunteer to do that is wonderful.”

GNAT has tried to handle the project workloads using the model of Habitat For Humanity, he said.

Work project recipients are asked to provide family and friends to assist GNAT workers.

“We bring five people, you bring five people,” Campbell said.

In addition,  proof of income is required with one of the following: income tax return, pays stubs from the last two paychecks, a Vision card or Healthwave card.

“We are getting started thinking about the season (for projects) which is from March to October,” he said. “There will be an emphasis on painting this year.”

Applications can be picked up at the Beacon, 525 E. Sixth; the Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall, or city hall, 123 S. Main.

“You can return the application to the place you picked it up, or to Jara Martin at 824 S. Main,” Campbell said.

Completion of an application, doesn’t guarantee acceptance of a project request.