A group of students from the University of Tennessee pose with Gussie Mae Thomas, fourth from left, and Heritage Church Home Missions Coordinator Jean Brown, second from left, Monday. The students spent the day painting the exterior of Thomas' house and will continue the project all week.

MOULTRIE — A group of 78 University of Tennessee students invaded Moultrie Monday with hammers and paint brushes in hand.

The students, members of The Cross ministry, are spending the week in Moultrie for their spring break doing mission projects. They began work Monday on at least four separate projects.

Groups of students could be seen cleaning out storage space of old plywood at the Boys and Girls Club. Another group spent their day working at the Greater Newton Grove Baptist Church Homeless Shelter, painting the exterior and clearing out overgrown brush.

Another of the student groups went to the First Avenue Northwest home of Gussie Mae Thomas, an elderly woman who uses a walker to get around. The students spent the day painting the exterior of her house, sweeping the roof and repairing a small back porch.

Thomas said she was so glad to have the students there doing the work on her house. Everyone who came had been really friendly to hear, she said, and she could not wait to see the end result of the house.

“I’m enjoying all of these people,” Thomas said. “I really appreciate it.”

Thomas came out and looked at the rear of her house as the students worked, and she said she loved how it looked. She said she felt like she was going to be living in a new house when she saw the new exterior paint.

Another group of students spent the day building a wheelchair ramp and front deck for Bernice Hayes, who lives on Joe Louis Avenue. Hayes, who has suffered two strokes and a heart attack recently, said she really appreciated all of the students’ hard work and felt blessed they were helping her. She said she could not wait to get out and use her new ramp.

“I don’t know how to thank them,” Hayes said. “I can’t thank them enough.”

The students will continue the work at various houses and organizations throughout Colquitt County all week before returning to Tennessee Saturday.