CEDAREDGE, Colo. — On a crisp March morning in Cedaredge, 32 strangers showed up at James and Charlene Vasquez’s doorstep with ladders, shingles, and pure goodwill. By sunset, the couple’s leaking roof was fixed, free of charge. This single act of kindness marks the quiet launch of something much bigger: a homegrown movement determined to keep Western Slope families safe in their own homes.
From One Roof to a Regional Mission
The new organization is called 318 Truth in Action Ministries. It brings together churches from Cedaredge, Delta, and Eckert under one banner: no family should lose their home because they can’t afford repairs.
The name comes from Colossians 3:18, but the work is practical, not preachy. Volunteers clean stovepipes, paint peeling siding, replace rotten decks, and even drive elderly residents to doctor appointments.
On March 7, the Vasquez home became the first official project. Retired healthcare workers with fixed incomes, James and Charlene never expected strangers to spend an entire Saturday on their roof.
“My income stopped growing the day I retired,” James said with a shrug and a smile. “This repair would have taken us years to save for.”
The Couple Everyone in Town Loves
Walk into any Cedaredge coffee shop and mention James and Charlene Vasquez. Heads nod instantly.
They spent decades caring for the sick. Then tragedy struck twice: both their children, T.J. and Tiffany, died from a rare mitochondrial disease that attacks the heart.
“You’re never the same after losing your kids,” Charlene said quietly. “But we decided a long time ago that we weren’t going to let grief win.”
Instead, they mow widows’ lawns, shovel snow for neighbors, and check on shut-ins. Now the community is giving back to them.
“They’re the greatest people,” said Tory Wilson, one of the organizers. “Everybody in this town loves them. Being able to bless them feels like the most natural thing in the world.”
Eight Years of Experience, Now Staying Home
318 Truth in Action grew out of Impact Cares, a Cedaredge-based group that spent the last eight years traveling the country fixing homes for strangers.
Founders Brenda and Tory Wilson felt the tug to do more right here on the Western Slope.
“We realized there are just as many needs in our own backyard,” Brenda said. “People shouldn’t have to wait years for a national team to roll through. Help should be local, fast, and constant.”
Impact Cares will keep mentoring the new ministry for the next few weeks before handing over the reins completely.
More Than Repairs: Restoring Dignity and Connection
Brenda Wilson watched Charlene’s face when the volunteers arrived.
“She told me, ‘We haven’t had this many people in our house in years.’ That sentence broke my heart and healed it at the same time.”
For many recipients, the repairs are priceless. But the company, the laughter, the feeling of being seen; those might matter even more.
James, who now volunteers with the ministry himself, put it plainly: “It’s pretty exciting to help other people because it’s always good to be needed.”
Small Town, Big Ripple Effect
Word spreads fast in Delta County. Applications for help are already coming in from Hotchkiss, Paonia, and beyond.
Organizers hope the model catches fire across rural Colorado.
“If every small town had its own crew of neighbors fixing neighbors’ homes, imagine what that would do for people,” Tory Wilson said.
The ministry runs entirely on donations and volunteer labor. No government grants, no paid staff; just church basements, tool trailers, and willing hands.
