As a networking Web site, Facebook can reunite lost friends and classmates. But can it build a fresh-water well for more than 400 people in Africa?

That's what David Hugger, pastor of Third Day Christian Fellowship of St. Joseph, was hoping for when he created the Facebook group "100 people who made a difference!"

"It just happened because I felt I wasn't doing enough," Mr. Hugger said. After reading a book that focused on some of the hypocrisies of the church, Mr. Hugger said he asked God what he could do to make a difference.

"I know there are things that are more important than our everyday worries that we don't even think about," Mr. Hugger said. With that in mind, he began looking at larger worries and researching wells in developing countries. He then went to his friends Dan and Penny Baur, who have already put three freshwater wells in Ghana, a country in West Africa, with help from their ministry, Kharis Ministries.

"They showed me a picture of the swamp the people use for their everyday water," Mr. Hugger said. "I would sooner take a drink out of the Missouri River than out of that pictured."

After making a personal commitment to Kharis Ministries to raise the $3,500 necessary to put a fourth well in the village of Asokore near Kusami, Ghana, Mr. Hugger began brainstorming ideas.

Mr. Hugger joined the Facebook community about a year ago after some of the congregation's younger followers told him he was too old to use the Web site. To prove this theory untrue, he joined and requested everyone he knew to become his friend. He then began to send friend requests to all of his friends' friends until he had more than 1,300 Facebook friends.

When he logged onto Facebook after talking to the Baurs about the well, he suddenly had an idea. Four hours later, he had created the group and invited all of his friends to join. If he could get 100 people to each donate $35, he would reach his goal.

"I've never done anything like this before," Mr. Hugger said. He set Aug. 31 as the deadline to receive donations. He figured out of his 1,300 Facebook friends, most of whom were actually strangers, he would get about 15 to 25 donations. But to his surprise, people just kept joining.

"It's overwhelming," Ms. Baur said. "When 100 people responded the first day, I was shocked. I started crying and laughing at the same time." Ms. Baur watched the number of members continue to grow all day long when the Facebook group launched.

"It makes me feel so grateful," she said, trying to hold back tears, "It's about helping others, not just ourselves, and each individual who has helped us has had some driving force in them to do something good."

Tim Freeman joined the Facebook group because he believed, like Mr. Hugger, that it was the right thing to do.

"I believe there are people all over the world that are willing to help, they just need the avenue to do it," Mr. Freeman said. "Even in the midst of our poor economic times, there is a deep desire in all of us to help others. If each of us would just do a little bit, places like Ghana would not have a lot of the issues they struggle with today."

The group now has more than 160 members from across the country and around the world, including some members who do not own computers or have Facebook accounts. More than $1,500 was collected in the first week with the help of PayPal, and Mr. Hugger receives more checks in the mail daily. Mr. Hugger and the Baurs are now hoping to get enough members and donations to build a second well in another part of Ghana.

"Fresh water is life to most people in Third World countries," Mr. Baur said. "And no matter what religion you name, they all have to have water."

The well will be free for any person, regardless of tribe or religious faith, to use, and is expected to be built in November. Mr. and Ms. Baur plan to travel to Ghana for its construction.