MAYFIELD, Ky. — Six months after an EF-4 tornado rolled through Mayfield, a 2,300 sq. ft. home is being built in less than a fortnight. It’s all thanks to hundreds of volunteers.
What You Need To Know
- Mayfield was devastated by an EF-4 tornado on Dec. 10, 2021
- 24 people were killed in Graves County and thousands of homes damaged
- Nonprofit A Soldier’s Journey Home is building one home in 12 days
Over 80 Kentuckians died because of the storms and thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. Home construction is ongoing in Mayfield, including one by a unique volunteer organization called A Soldier’s Journey Home.
Of all the new build projects happening in Mayfield, none is quite like 413 North 5th Street.
“We only do one job every year,” volunteer Sharon Holland explained. “What we have here with us is about 170 volunteers. They are going to be here throughout the course of the two weeks that we are putting this home together.”
Holland is a member of A Soldier’s Journey Home, and said a single home will be built from the ground up in just 12 days by active and retired firefighters and veterans at the fast-moving build site.
They come from 22 different states, but have a lot in common. But why build so fast?
“Because we do it in 12 days, everybody kind of pools together all their vacation time and they all come out together and spend that vacation time here,” Holland said.
Many of the volunteers have been on other builds over the years and have other experience during hurricane storm recovery. Also, over 20 volunteers are active or retired New York Firefighters and survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the Word Trade Center in 2001, including the organization’s president, Paddy Neville.
“One of the great things about being [in the] fire department is that we are able to adapt to situations very quickly,” Neville said. “On site right now, we have numerous veterans; Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy.”
“It’s one big effort, one big giant family to give back to another veteran.”
Not only are these homes built by first responders and veterans, but the homes are gifted to disabled veterans.
The recipient of this home is not onsite today instead of waiting for the big reveal, but Spectrum News met Timothy Andreasen two days after he and his children huddled in a hallway as 180 mile per hour winds destroyed their home in Dec. 2021. Andreasen and his children were unharmed, but lost nearly everything they owned.
“This is going to be a live-changing event for Tim and his family,” Neville said. “It’s going to take his house that was constructed over periods of time and we’re giving him a modern house with modern amenities that will be more efficient for his family as they grow into it.”
And the home will be mortgage free.
“It’s family helping family.”
The home will be presented to Mr. Andreason during a ceremony on Saturday, June 18.