buildingfutures
A GLIMPSE INTO MOUNTAIN OUTREACH
FRESH START FOR YOUNG FAMILY
James Sasko works as a "Project Renew Staff Attorney," meaning all his clients are in recovery from past drug addiction. In this role, James doesn't make as much income as a typical attorney. His job is to help people in recovery get their lives back and start fresh, renewed.
Well, this year, James' family is getting their own new, fresh start – with a brandnew home built by Mountain Outreach.
"We'd hoped and prayed for it... it's an answered prayer and a blessing."
James Sasko Home Recipient
"When we had our third child, we knew we wanted to come home to Kentucky," said James.
He'd had a good job in Virginia, but with his family in Kentucky, and with his father having a second knee surgery, moving back was the best decision for the family. Since moving, they have been living with his parents and helping care for his dad, meaning there have been four adults and three children living under one roof. It's doable, and the family loves each other and enjoys the extra time they get to spend together, but with the kids growing up, James' family needed a different, less cramped housing option.
The Mountain Outreach home is a godsend for the Sasko family.
The Sasko family is receiving one of two new houses begun by Mountain Outreach in 2024. Construction is underway.
James said he was "thrilled" when he heard they had been chosen to receive the home. They had felt like the interview process with MO had gone well, but they tried to keep their hopes from getting too high, just in case.
James said, "When I told my wife, she began crying on the phone with excitement. She showed the emotions we were both feeling. We thought it would be good for us, so we'd hoped and prayed for it. And it came around. It's an answered prayer and is just such a blessing to us."
His wife, Kelsey, added, "We're very grateful for this opportunity and humbled that we were chosen. There are a lot of worthy candidates who apply every year. We hadn't lived anywhere longer than a year for the last five years. To have a place that's actually home, that is very exciting. And to have a home where our kids can make memories is wonderful."
The home is located close to James' parents' house, which the parents, of course, are just fine with. Easier for playing with grandchildren, having family cookouts together, and so on. James will pay a mortgage on the new home, like all MO home recipients. And, like all MO homes, it will be built with high-quality materials and good technique. The house will finally be a place large enough for the Sasko family, and it will be all their own.
"Our oldest understands that we'll be living in a new house," James said. "Our little girl is starting to understand. She's been saying, 'My house, my house,' lately. And she is excited about having her own bedroom. Our oldest isn't concerned about having his own room, he told us he just wants to sleep in bed with his little brother. He's a very lovable person, just wants to be with people."
There were delays in beginning construction, but building has begun and should be finished before the end of the calendar year.
"We're still excited about it, and a little nervous too," James said. "We're hoping that nothing goes wrong, you know, just because we're so excited about it."
As construction continues, it'll all become more real. For now, they're just enjoying the moment.
WHEELCHAIR RAMPS TRANSFORMING LIVES
For better or worse, a lot about a person’s life can change in a week and a half. The families who received new wheelchair ramps built by Mountain Outreach (MO) say that’s about how long it took for MO to build wheelchair ramps for them, making their lives change for the better.
MO built wheelchair ramps (sometimes new outdoor stairs too) for several local families, all of whom were in desperate need due to aging, chronic conditions, or other factors.
Tony Thomas, a local man whose wife is handicapped, said, “All we had were steps up to our house. My wife can’t walk. She got a broken ankle a long time ago that never healed right, so she walks on one foot basically, uses a walker in the house. I’m 78, she’s 80. I’m not as strong as I used to be, so I need help getting her down the steps when she needs to go to the doctor and things. My son lives across town and would help me when he could. If my son wasn’t around, then my friend across the street would help me, if I was lucky enough that he was home. We were in a heap of trouble if neither of them was able to help.”
MO stepped in, and, thanks to donor funding, was able to build a sturdy new wheelchair ramp for the Thomases at no cost to the family.
Tony said, “They were the most courteous guys working on it I ever saw. They were wonderful. They explained everything they were doing and did a beautiful job. I just can’t get over how well they did on it. I’m telling you, it’s perfect. We are thrilled."
He mentioned how much the ramp has changed his and his wife’s lives. “Now, I can get her to the car and back in the house on my own,” he said. “Before, I was stuck unless I got ahold of my son across town or my neighbor. We were really stuck for a while, but we’re doing okay now.”
Another local man had a similar struggle. “We had steps up to our house, but no ramp, and the steps are narrow,” he said. “My wife uses a walker or wheelchair normally. Earlier this year, she was very, very sick. We called an ambulance. Then we had to call the fire department to our house so they could get her down our steps on her cot. That’s when we knew we really needed a ramp.”
This ramp MO built for the Thomas family is one of the longest Rocky Brown, MO director, has ever seen.
MO staff visited the house, assessed the situation, and got to work building both a ramp and new, wider, more accessible steps – all free of charge. According to the family, the MO leaders told them they were going to build as if Jesus would use what they made.
The local man said, “We thank the Lord and everyone who donated and gave all this to us. I’m a minister, and my wife’s dad was a minister. My wife was a teacher and had cancer twice and had to take disability retirement, so we’re on a fixed income. Mountain Outreach has great people and is a great organization.” He laughed, “I couldn’t build a bird house, but they built a good ramp and steps!”
Most people take their ability to walk for granted, easily walking up and down stairs, even if they’re ill. Some don’t get to experience that luxury anymore. For those people in need, the MO staff was pleased to provide them with the ramps and stairs the families needed to get some of their freedom and independence back.
MOUNTAIN OUTREACH ASSISTS EMERGENCY MINISTRY
MO teaches construction skills to work-study students.
The new canopy roof required some teamwork to lift.
Ministries throughout Whitley County, Kentucky, sometimes need assistance beyond what their typical volunteers or staff can provide. That's where Mountain Outreach (MO) steps in.
MO has assisted Emergency Christian Ministries (ECM) – known by locals as "the homeless shelter" – in various ways for several years, such as building and improving shelves in their thrift store, organizing store items, replacing flooring, and painting rooms for temporary residents. One project this summer required some heavy lifting: building a new outdoor canopy so the ECM residents and volunteers have an outdoor lounging space where they can enjoy quality time together or some peaceful time to themselves.
ECM provides emergency services such as temporary housing in an effort to reflect the command of Jesus in the Bible to "Love your neighbor as yourself." MO staff and work-study students were glad to help out a fellow local ministry serving others in Jesus' name.
A local couple has more independence, thanks to this ramp.
MO unites students who may have never met otherwise.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Jonathon McCullough didn't know what MO was, but now he is thankful God led him to it.
Jonathon McCullough has learned far more than just construction skills during his time as a work-study student on the summer team for Mountain Outreach (MO). Between the work he's done, friendships he's made, and living testimonies he's witnessed, he has a grounded approach to life and a reason why he does what he does for the Lord.
"You don't know what other people are going through," Jonathon said. "And you can't control how people react to you. But at the end of the day, you've helped that person tremendously. So long as you're making a difference, that's what matters."
Right as summer began, the plans Jonathon had for his summer job and housing both fell through. A family from his church in Williamsburg, Kentucky, took him in for as long as he needed. It only turned out to be a week's stay, thanks to the Lord's handiwork – the family knew Rocky Brown, director of MO, who had one spot left to fill on the summer team. Jonathon took him up on the offer.
"Coming in, I was the newbie," Jonathon said. "I had never used a power tool in my life, didn't know
what things were called or what to do. I tried to be a sponge, soaking in all the information. I asked a lot of questions and have taken tons of notes on my phone of what I've learned."
From tearing up old flooring and replacing it with new, to building wheelchair ramps, and much more, Jonathon now has important construction skills he'll carry with him throughout his life.
He said, "I actually have future dreams to build my own house, so this helps with that as well."
Nobody but God could have orchestrated Jonathon's summer plans so unexpectedly and yet so perfectly. He respects MO's purpose and work.
"I think Mountain Outreach gives an opportunity most people wouldn't have," he said. "And outside of the construction work, the MO staff is involved in the community. We see how they treat people in the community every day, waving at them through the van windows, talking with them. It's not a facade, they're generous, kindhearted people. It's rooted in their hearts for a change in Williamsburg."
"NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE FAITH"
Woods family's home was finished in October 2023, the second of two MO home builds that year.
Naomi Woods is a single mother of three who has a job with decent pay, but it came with a snag: as soon as Naomi made enough money, she no longer qualified for federal aid like housing assistance.
“I lost all state benefits, and we lost our home,” Naomi explained. “My dad was kind enough to let me and my children move in with him temporarily. I had prayed for 14 years to have a nice home. God finally answered my prayers.”
Mountain Outreach (MO) built the four-bedroom house, a perfect fit for Naomi and her three children. It also includes bathrooms and an open-concept kitchen, dining, and living room area.
Naomi’s family lived with her dad, Jim, for a year and a half before receiving the keys to the MO house. To Jim, it’s heartwarming seeing his daughter receive a dream she waited for, prayed for, and worked for. He views it as a reward from the Lord for her willingness to work hard and have faith.
“Nothing is impossible if you have faith and believe in God,” Jim said. “I believe Naomi is being rewarded for having faith and putting in hard work.”
Every morning, the Woods family wakes up in a safe, sturdy, and comfortable home they can call their own. And it’s all thanks to the Lord, the MO team, and the donors who funded the construction.
The
building futures A GLIMPSE INTO MOUNTAIN OUTREACH
Fall 2024 VOLUME 15
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
