DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. — In Dawson Springs, many driveways lead to nowhere. An EF4 tornado cut through the town last December, destroying entire neighborhoods in minutes.
The disaster left hundreds without a permanent home, spurring several organizations to set up and help. One Family, One Purpose is one of them.
Since Nov. 24, over 50 volunteers with the missionary organization have flocked to the small town to build a home for a family of four. If everything stays on schedule, they’ll hand over the keys ahead of the one-year anniversary on Dec. 10.
“This all happened in about eight days. The day after Thanksgiving this was nothing but a foundation so, our volunteers were able to get a lot done very quickly,” Ryan Johnson, executive director of One Family, One Purpose, said.
This is the 14th home the group has built since being founded after an EF5 tornado destroyed parts of Joplin, Mo., in 2011.
“We serve really as, this is our ministry, this is what we do, this is how we show the love of Jesus to the people in this community in need so we’re thrilled to help in any way we can and it’s really a blessing to be a part of it,” Johnson said.
Each home they build comes installed with a tornado shelter that’s bolted to the concrete foundation and designed to hold up under the strongest of storms.
“It’s very important because as you can imagine the people who’ve gone through these storms, they really like the peace of mind to have something like this,” Johnson said.
It’s a feature that will ensure the family who moves in has a safe place to go should the sirens sound again. “Lot of times you can see beauty after the rubble and that’s what we are seeing here on this job site,” Johnson finished.