During the course of our work in Western Kentucky, returning groups have seen the recovery process moving forward. Families have begun moving back into their homes, organizations have refocused efforts into long-term recovery, and volunteers have been able to work in many aspects of renovation and repair.
Impact Moon Township has been on two trips to Western Kentucky – at the beginning of our relief efforts and just a few weeks ago. The church has a dedicated history of responding to disasters, working with organizations like IDES and DART to serve after disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Dale Lowry, who has been leading these trips for several years, shared “We always work with people who have boots on the ground. People who know what needs to be done and know the community.”
Help Build Hope
Impact also has a long-standing relationship with Help Build Hope, hosting 5+ events over the years. Their most recent build was in September, where over 200 volunteers built two homes for families in a nearby county. After their Sunday service, the entire congregation prayed over and wrote messages on the studs.
They shared on social media, “We don’t just want the family to get the Help Build Hope homes from Impact Moon Township and The Landing Pittsburgh, we want them to receive their new home surrounded on every side by reminders that people they will NEVER meet love them, are praying for them, and most importantly are loved by God!!!”
During one of these events our build crew shared about the new efforts to respond to the Western Kentucky tornadoes. “Through talking to those guys and the newsletter stories, I saw the efforts and wanted to bring a group down,” explained Dale.
Operation Recovery
“We normally bring a skilled group on these trips – former contractors, hvac, house flippers. They are a bunch of willing guys that form a great team – really unified.” Continuing, Dale shared how during the trip these guys stayed dedicated, “It would be getting later in the day and I’d get the guys to wrap up for dinner. Then they’d ask ‘We’re coming back after we eat, right?’ They didn’t want to stop working!”
During both trips the team worked on debris removal and home renovation – anything from siding to decks to showers. This year they were also able to help Fuller Center prepare for future volunteers. The organization recently got space to house their groups, and the team from Impact worked with them to build bunk beds for future volunteers.
One fuller Center volunteer shared on Facebook, “We were blessed to have a surprise team from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania courtesy of our friends at CrossRoads Missions. They offered to help with whatever we needed most, which meant installing electric poles for temporary service and building bunk beds for our incoming waves of Winter 2024 volunteers!”
“Operation Recovery is an easy mission trip,” praised Dale. “All you need to do is get yourself there and CrossRoads provides everything. It is very comfortable, they make you feel welcome. Each day they give you a task, the tools you need, and help you make relationships with homeowners. Overall a very positive experience. I really appreciate Dylan and Curtis – they are doing a great thing there and CrossRoads is a great ministry.”
Learn more about how you can be part of the recovery on our website!
