On the corner of College Avenue and 4th Street there’s a building that’s lived many lives, from a Dodge-Plymouth dealership to the Chrysler building to it’s latest as Facility Services. This summer, Maranatha Volunteers International came to help give it yet another as the new home for Walla Walla University’s Center for Humanitarian Engagement.
“I am deeply grateful for Maranatha Volunteers International, every volunteer who gave their time and energy, and each donor who has invested in this vision,” said David Lopez, CHE executive director. “This building will transform how CHE connects with our community and how students discover purpose through service.”
Each day saw 18–26 volunteers, led by Gail Lutton—leader for previous Maranatha projects that refreshed Meske Hall and painted The Atlas. This summer, she directed and worked alongside volunteers as they removed walls, floor levels, old plumbing and electrical, and leftover maintenance materials from the building. They also pressure washed the entire exterior.
Originally, 50 volunteers signed up, but many began to drop out. While this created some worry at first, those who came turned out to be exactly who the project needed. When lighting became an issue onsite, there were volunteers with electrical expertise to help out, and when the cook staff needed assistance, a retired food service worker was there to offer it.
Maranatha volunteers come from all over the world and bring a variety of skills and experience with them. “The lord just puts everyone together and the parts and pieces just fall together,” said Lutton.
Another volunteer came all the way from Brazil to work on her first construction site, Catherine Reis Borri. What surprised her most about the visit turned out to be “how you can build connections out of unexpected situations.” As a college student herself, she was excited to meet some of our own students who were staying on campus over the summer, even some international students from Brazil.
After getting to know these volunteers and working alongside them, Lopez said what he loved most was their “can-do attitude.” Everyone was ready to get involved and make things happen, and they caught the vision of the space so well.
As the building is brought one step closer to realization, Lopez looks to its future with excitement: “I have a vision of worship music being played while people fill the community auditorium, sharing a meal and enjoying fellowship with one another.”
The CHE is a student-driven initiative of WWU to curate intentional opportunities to support our community. This building will be a place where students turn classroom projects into real-world change, personal passions into lives of impact, and bold ideas into meaningful action. To learn more about the project and the building’s history, visit wallawalla.edu/che-building.
Posted Sept. 2, 2026.
