WINCHESTER, Ky. — Sunrise Children’s Services is expanding into Clark County after a generous land donation.
Since the beginning of June, a diverse group of volunteers of all ages and different backgrounds have been helping construct Sunrise Children's Services Solid Rock Children’s Ranch, a newly designed specialized area for foster youth and their families to thrive under one roof.
“We will have several of these houses extending backward upward toward the barn and then, tiny homes so that when children are aging out of the system, they can go into an independent living situation,” Sunrise Children’s Services President Dale Suttles explained. He’s been with the organization for 11 years and says they help young people who face serious traumatic challenges.
Sunrise Children’s Services are stationed across Kentucky in places like Boyd, Fayette, Mount Vernon and offer adoption, youth addiction recovery, transitional and other services.
Right now, two separate homes on 130 acres of property donated by Clark County’s Judy Singleton are being built. They plan to build more in the future.
Brothers Mack and Jack Honea have traveled 12 hours to help with the build. They are part of a group called the Mississippi Nailbenders. Their goals are based on faith and hands-on mission work. Each trip they say they’ve collected new long-term volunteers.
“We got people from Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana, where we have built and they join in with them and they take the week at their skill,” Mack said. “Some are hanging sheetrock, some of them frame, and they go with whichever crew that they can get.”
While they have not always been a construction duo, they have dedicated their time to mastering this trade and teaching others since the 1980s. They’re known for building churches and faith-related centers across the nation and as far as Cuba.
Lamar Smith and Lexi Settle joined the mission after meeting the brothers in a Georgia airport, now finding a permanent spot on their team.
“Where there’s sometimes this is just writing a check, but this is the most important thing where we’re lending what skills are our sweat equity into this,” said Smith.
Around 80 adults and teens are helping at the site this week.