The first full week of October the small town of Auxier, Kentucky, a small coal town in eastern Kentucky, was inundated with the Stewards of Appalachia descending on the town to provide much needed help to residents of the area.
This year thirty-one volunteers, Knights along with wives and many friends, joined in the effort to make a difference and provide a glimmer of hope for seven families.
In total, 1370 volunteer hours were spent rehabilitating homes. The volunteers came from Mount Washington, Taylorsville, Springfield, Lebanon Junction, Bloomfield, Shepherdsville and Chaplin, all small rural towns located in the central part of Kentucky. Some were first time volunteers while others were making their 5th trip as members of the Stewards of Appalachia Annual Project.
Long before the volunteers arrived several Stewards spent the past year gathering money, supplies and in-kind donations. We were able to collect $13,894.34 in cash and $32,249.00 in building supplies/food and in-kind donations.
The tasks at hand were many: window installation, drywall repair, painting, bathroom renovations, plumbing and fixture installation, new and repaired roofs, new flooring, trailer underpinning, electrical work, insulation, construction of handicap ramps and vinyl siding repair. Additionally new doors, kerosene heaters, fans, lock sets and cabinets were purchased and installed at various homes. There was literally something for everyone to do - skilled or unskilled- man or woman. Two mobile homes were donated this year. One was delivered to a family of four in Pikeville, Kentucky and the other is slated for a homeless forty five year old women.
The families that are helped are selected by an application process initiated by Hand in Hand Ministries. The majority have health problems, minimal or no income and most have just lost hope of ever getting ahead in life. Most of their homes would be considered uninhabitable by all of us - rain pours in leaky roofs, windows leak cold air, flooring is gone, bath fixtures don't work and many have electrical problems.
While the hours are long and the work often dirty and laborious, the payoff is the smiles, tears of gratitude and hugs from those who have been helped. Long before some of the jobs were completed, folks were inviting their family and friends in to see what had been started or completed. Their pride was already beginning to show.
In spite of the work, the group also found time to have some fun. The trip was an opportunity to make new friends, enjoy hearty home cooked meals and engage in some friendly banter. Evening relaxation found some fishing, others tripped off to find the elusive elk while others engaged in card games.
We would like to give special thanks to our many donors and volunteers, without you, we could not continue with this great effort.
We would also like to bestow our prayers to the family of our volunteer John Schwoebel who passed earlier this year and Shorty Hochstrasser who passed on November 3rd.
The Stewards of Appalachia make this annual trek the second full week of October. If you're interested in helping out either by volunteering to work, or making a monetary contribution contact Glenn Greenwell 502-538-7722.
Stewards of Appalachia Service Project October, 2011
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