"Shedding" light on rural poverty

With our hammers, starting the shed we built.

The group gets to work on the floor of the shed.

Putting up the first shed wall

Today, we started our first work project. It was dark when we awoke... sleepy-eyed, we met around the dining table to eat breakfast and pack lunches. Donna joined us around 8am to give us the lowdown for the day. We are building a shed for a family for whom Kentucky Mountain Housing is already building a home... the shed is a priority because the family has to have their old one torn down to make room for a septic tank.

After a quick briefing, we went into the Kentucky morning mist. We loaded into our van and Donna's car, and Donna led us to the site where the existing home and storage space is. The current house looked decrepit and unlivable. Donna explained to us how the family had been living there with only a dirt floor. Slightly above the house on a hill stood the new house; with its shiny aluminum siding, it stood in stark contrast against the old home.

After seeing this sad situation we were eager to get to work. Our task was challenging for those of us with limited work experience; however, our fearless leader, Scottie, guided us through the process of framing out the shed and putting up plywood walls. Scottie is a contractor with KMH, and this was our first encounter with him. He was very patient and a good teacher. He showed us the steps and encouraged all of us to try each step until we succeeded at it. We also are fortunate to have some folks with prior building experience - like Ahsan and Corey, 'cause they also helped lead the way. Let's just say, we've all learned a bit about how to hold our hammers :)

Overall, we spent the better part of the day in a garage space owned by KMH. Our evening plans include a home-cooked meal, courtesy Corey and Mara's mad skillz with chicken, potatoes, and salad. Then, we'll be watching "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price."

We're tired... but have lots to look forward to.