JOPLIN, Mo. — Some helping hands have been hard at work giving back to the community.

Throughout the week and into the weekend, “Joplin Area Habitat For Humanity” has been working with local construction companies and retired police officers to restore the house of a beloved community member.

J.D. Love served as a Joplin police officer for nearly three decades and as a Jasper County coroner for three years.

His house has been in need of some repair, and thanks to some volunteers, J.D. now has a new roof and a garage door.

Volunteers also dedicated this weekend to replacing vinyl siding and giving the yard a big clean up.

“I think there’s really only two things that you can control in life. And that is, how hard you work and how you treat others and being kind. And what we have here is a combination of those two things that you do have control over and that is to be kind and to work hard and here’s what we have here today. So, it’s a great reflection of the good part of the human spirit,” said Scott Clayton, Executive Director for the Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity.

“It is wonderful. Like I said awhile ago, I didn’t expect it, but you know, it’s great to me, to the wife and I just think it’s a wonderful thing,” said J.D. Love, a retired Joplin police officer.

During work breaks volunteers took time to visit with J.D., to thank him for his years of service to our community.