The Domino Effect

(above) Willie Ousley and his granddaughter used kerosene heaters to keep the whole house warm.

BY TINA V. BRYSON

He drove his Chevy truck through the mountains on the way to his second funeral in as many weeks, having buried his mother just the week before. Willie Ousley, a plain-spoken man, talked about his family, his home, and his work.

Ousley learned about Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Housing Program through the Community Action Program in his home county. He’s been in his home since 1995, but in recent years has struggled to keep up with repairs.

“We’ve been using two kerosene heaters to keep the whole house warm, but when it’s really cold, it doesn’t help,” said the grandfather who has raised his son’s daughter since she was a baby. “Our roof is bad. It leaks, but I’m just dealing with it the best I know how. I’m used to it.”

— Willie Ousley

It’s not just the roof that needs repairs, and it’s not just him and his granddaughter that need help. Just about a year ago, his daughter experienced some financial difficulties and had to move back home. Now, Ousley is helping to raise his two grandsons too, ages 12 and 6.

“All of my grandkids are doing school online and we try to social distance and stay inside as much as possible,” Ousley said, saddened that he has known others who have gotten COVID-19, but grateful that no one in his immediate family has gotten ill.

His story is not unlike many others in Appalachia, or honestly in many communities across America. Only one domino has to fall, causing a chain reaction that impacts the next domino in succession.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better wife,” he said, reminiscing about his beloved Patricia whom he met in high school and later married. “We were together for 35 years before she died of Leukemia in 2015.” He was a department manager at Lowe’s for over 20 years, but then he suffered a back injury at work, needed surgery on his shoulder, was diagnosed with diabetes, and life just got harder.

Repairs to an aging home can be costly in the best of times, but without a steady income, he just couldn’t keep up with the costs of labor and material. His roof has holes and leaks, his furnace is broken and is too old to be fixed, and his single-pane windows need to be replaced.

“Cold air gets in through all the cracks and the house stays damp all the time,” he said. “Last year my floor fell through in the kitchen and I had to pay a neighbor to come and help me get it fixed. There just wasn’t any money left for any kind of flooring coverings.” Several years ago before his injury, they added an addition to the home, but it has no underpinning or heat in the addition and no insulation in the attic. “I tried to keep up with repairs, but I just couldn’t afford it,” he said. “Honestly, if it weren’t for CAP, I don’t know what I would have done. I was just living one day at a time, just trying to get things done as I could.”

Ousley said he will be happy when all the repairs are completed. “Every person at CAP that has helped me and my family has been a blessing,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with. This means a lot to us.”