Most of us drive past dilapidated houses and either ignore the blight or shake our heads and think, “Someone should do something about that.”

Our attention quickly fades as the scene passes by.

A few rare people in our community have the unique ability to see something run down and in need of repair and see not a problem, but a wonderful opportunity to help others.

Joe and Dianne Good certainly fall in that camp and ironically, their last name fits them to the core.

Long known in the community as the organizers of summer trips taking disadvantaged youth to see things all over the country, the Goods’ latest project serves multiple needs.

The couple is working to rehabilitate two abandoned shotgun houses in the Woodlawn neighborhood.

In the process, they hope their hard work, a coat or two of paint and their labor of love can make a difference in the lives of Natchez area children, too. Their work on the D&J Youth Group Resource Research Computer Center is both historic preservation as well as future investing, too.

While fixing up and saving two old houses will help clean up the neighborhood, the long-term goal is much more meaningful — investing in and showering area youth with some much-needed love and wonderful adult role models.

The project still isn’t completely funded yet, so if you’re able to assist the Goods, please contact them at 601-442-4169 or 601-597-2815.

We can think of few investments that can reap as long-lasting returns as helping provide area children a place to study in a positive, nurturing environment.