Fall 2023
buildingfutures A GLIMPSE INTO MOUNTAIN OUTREACH
"WORDS CAN'T EXPRESS IT... IT'S SUCH A BLESSING"
The Gibbs family's home was finished in August 2023. Now, they don't have to worry about safety or repairs. Alaina Gibbs takes a moment to collect herself as a few involuntary tears slip down her cheeks. She looks down at the table and whispers, “Words can’t express it… It’s such a blessing. I mean, we… we wouldn’t be able to have anything other than what we have, if it wasn’t for the donors. You don’t understand. Anybody that gets this kind of gift… it’s beyond words. Just to see the joy on my kids’ faces…” she pauses a moment and looks up, collecting herself again, “to know that we’ll have something that will last… it’s wonderful.”
for her family, who was breathing in mold, missing their piano, and always watching their step on old floorboards, to move into a brand-new, customized home where they can breathe clean air, practice piano whenever they want, and walk freely without worry. The family pays a mortgage on the house, like all MO home recipients, but the benefits of the home outweigh any cost.
The landlord for the previous home did what he She laughs as she gently wipes her tears away with her could; Alaina is sure that he didn’t expect for the hand. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that much emotion. house to lose value so quickly. But years ago, when To be picked for the home build is just amazing.” the Gibbs family moved in, Alaina’s teenage daughter fell through the porch, the wood had decayed so The Gibbs family received the newest home built by much. There were several other sunken spots around Mountain Outreach (MO). Donors made it possible the porch, so the family didn’t spend time there very 2 Ι UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS
often. There were sunken spots throughout the home as well, which had gotten worse over the past couple years. The house was too small to fit the five-person family plus all their belongings, so the piano they used to play was at a friend’s house, and other items were in other homes as well. The biggest problem, though, was the mold. The family cleaned the home regularly, but they couldn’t quite get rid of it, and, after breathing in moldy air for more than a year, the family experienced chronic nasal congestion and illness. It felt like things were falling apart around them. MO student workers hand the key to the Gibbs family
Alaina and her husband Steve searched for a new place they could afford, but the housing market has been, quite frankly, awful. Discouraged, they called it quits on the home search. There was no way they were moving anytime soon. But with a last shred of hope, they applied for MO’s home build. The relief Alaina and Steve feel living in a brand-new home that's clean and spacious, with solid flooring, is unexplainable. They can breathe again. Alaina remembers when her father built her childhood home and how she used to roller-skate around the house before the interior walls were built. Her son did something similar in this new house: flew his toy helicopter around and around.
The family visited the house often, helping out when possible, writing Bible verses on the studs (pictured: 1 Corinthians 13), and, of course, being silly together.
The parents picked the color of the siding, shutters, and roof, the flooring, cabinetry, hardware, countertops – everything that makes a home your own. Meanwhile, the kids picked the paint colors and ceiling fans for their OWN rooms. (Not having to share anymore is a pretty huge deal.) Leland, age 6, has bright orange walls that perfectly match his energetic personality. Josephine has purple walls like in her old bedroom in Connecticut years ago, and she knew before moving in exactly where her tubs of Legos would go. Brenna, the oldest, has walls a calming cream color and has been searching for the perfect rug that's big enough for the room but cheap enough for her teenage budget. The parents are enjoying the new kitchen and the surprisingly big crawl space. In short, it’s impossible to express just how thankful the Gibbs family is for their new home. God came through with a dream come true for them, and they are cherishing every moment. UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS Ι 3
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS, JANUARY - JUNE Mountain Outreach (MO) completed or partnered with local contractors on an estimated 15 projects. These projects included but are not limited to: floor repair, hot water heater repair, septic repair, ramp build, etc. Mountain Outreach also has 3 additional projects approved and 7 projects currently being assessed. 1. Work-study skill development: In addition to instructing MO work-studies on the safe operation of various tools/equipment, the MO staff also created a driving course. This allowed the MO staff to provide instruction to the students on how to drive a tractor with an attached boxed-in trailer and how to park it in reverse. 2. Replaced a mailbox for a local family. Simple projects like these provide easy training for MO work-studies. 3. Beds continue to be a need for local children, so MO work-studies and staff continue building and delivering high-quality, bunkable beds year-round.
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4. Work-studies replace flooring for a local family. New floors continue to be necessary for many local families, particularly when the families own pets or when flooding has occurred. 5. MO staff and volunteers installed new flooring at the Emergency Christian Ministries shelter in Williamsburg. This consisted of leveling and/or removing parts of the old flooring and installing 2,000 square feet of vinyl plank flooring. The students also took the time to meet and talk with some of the residents. Other benevolence from MO includes purchasing clothing for a family in need. The family consisted of a grandmother taking care of five children who didn’t have any clothes. Jackets, multiple shirts, multiple pairs of pants, socks, underwear, and shoes were provided for each child. In addition, MO purchased shoes for four children in need, 65 articles of clothing for children in need, and purchased or received numerous appliances and donated them to families in need.
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CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON NEW HOME Mountain Outreach (MO) began construction on a new home for the Woods family in summer 2023. The house is slated for completion before winter starts. Naomi Woods is a single mother with three children. While she's thankful for her job as a contractor for the U.S. Government, helping military families and veterans keep paperwork in order for healthcare, her job caused her to lose her state benefits. She couldn't afford to rent housing for her family, so they've been living with her father. She and her 6-year old share a bed in his living room. "I have prayed for 14 years to have a nice home," Naomi said. "God has finally answered my prayers!" UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS Ι 5
ANONYMOUS DONOR DOUBLES IMPACT OF M.O. CHRISTMAS PARTNERSHIPS
These children received Christmas gifts thanks to generous donations made to Mountain Outreach.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Mountain Outreach (MO) was able to purchase Christmas gifts for double the number of children they typically buy for. “God is just amazing, isn’t he?” said Rocky Brown, Director of MO. “I mean, this donor comes out of nowhere, and now we’re able to double our impact this Christmas. More children are going to receive handpicked Christmas gifts this year than we ever thought we could provide. Praise the Lord!” For the past two years, MO has partnered with local schools’ Angel Tree programs, coordinating with the schools’ family resource officers to determine which families need Christmas gifts and what items those children would like best. The family resource officers “vetted” the families beforehand, ensuring that MO’s purchases are given to the families who are in 6 Ι UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS
most need during the holidays. The resource officers then asked the children what items they wanted for Christmas and passed on the information to MO staff, who spent weeks handpicking the gifts at local stores. That way, every child got exactly what they wanted for Christmas. This year, thanks to the anonymous donor, MO was able to purchase enough gifts for double the number of children they usually can – and still had some funding left over, which MO donated to the Williamsburg Police Department’s (WPD) Shop with a Cop program.
Shop with a Cop: The funding that MO donated to the WPD supplemented the Department's budget for the annual Shop with a Cop program. The
Department was very grateful, especially as prices had increased over the year. Jason Caddell, Chief of Police, said, “I really enjoy this event. For police officers, most of the time we deal with kids, it’s during a tough situation. So, the kids naturally start associating us with situations like that. At Shop with a Cop, it’s totally different. We get to be a lot more relaxed, a lot more fun." Roddy Harrison, mayor of Williamsburg, added, “Shop with a Cop is probably the most heartwarming event the Department does. It’s always a lot of fun.” The donation from MO paid for 50 children to receive Christmas gifts through Shop With A Cop.
MO staff and work-studies handpicked, purchased, and wrapped gifts for the Angel Tree Program
David Bowman, MO staff member, said, "Many families wouldn't have been able to have Christmas gifts for their kids without this. With money being so tight right now, this was a real blessing to these families."
Angel Tree Program: MO bought gifts for
10 families from every school in Whitley County, Kentucky, and for five families in Jellico, Tennessee. Families were chosen by the family resource officer(s) at their respective schools. Between the Angel Tree Program and MO's Shop With A Cop donation, MO purchased (by hand, in-store) 1,783 gifts for 534 individuals. The total number of individuals includes 111 families, 50 kids at Shop With A Cop, and 20 individuals at the Horizon Adult Health Care facility.
MO staff, WPD officers, and Cumberlands volunteers shopped with families at Shop with a Cop
Shirley Lawson, family resource officer for Pleasant View and Boston, said, "We see poverty at these schools. If you come in and look, you know. I'm really grateful that we have this sponsorship through MO for our kids because it means we can service more families. Without sponsors, there's no way we could run programs like Angel Tree. We are so grateful." The ultimate goal for these Christmas gift programs is that, one day, they aren't necessary. Lord willing, every family in Williamsburg will have funds to purchase gifts on their own in the future. Until that day, MO will continue providing Christmas joy – thanks, of course, to the generosity of donors.
It's safe to say that the local children were happy with their Christmas gifts! UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS Ι 7
buildingfutures
A GLIMPSE INTO MOUNTAIN OUTREACH Fall 2023 . VOLUME 13 Mountain Outreach is a non-profit service organization operated by University of the Cumberlands. Since the organization’s inception in 1982, more than 150 homes have been built from the ground up in Southeastern Kentucky, and renovations have been completed on hundreds more. The program’s outreach also includes numerous service projects that help children, the elderly, and financially-struggling families with critical and urgent needs. For more information about how to help, please visit ucumberlands.edu/mountainoutreach