What began as a group decision for a service project on their first day together with the Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy, turned into a wondrous reality on Saturday, April 4. On that day, more than 350 individuals crowded the parking lot of the City Park at 8 a.m. for the kickoff of the inaugural Morehead-Rowan County Repair Affair (MRCRA). The event, the first of its kind in this close-knit community, focused on making minor home repairs for low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners.
“This is a wonderful project and even though it is just getting started, the community is responding well and all involved are excited about it,” said Stacey Epperson, president and CEO of Frontier Housing.
The Leadership Academy was required to initiate a large community project. The first day together, they decided to take this challenge and even had ideas for funding and have worked with many businesses, organizations and volunteers in the past seven months to assure success of the Morehead-Rowan County Repair Affair. This project has transcended even the wildest expectations of those who have worked diligently on other volunteer projects.
The first Morehead-Rowan County Repair Affair assisted 22 homeowners with minor repairs on their homes and allowed several organizations in our community to receive various improvements, including DOVES, Gateway House Homeless Shelter, an elementary school and local church. With as many as 20 volunteers at each site, just feeding them lunch became a challenge. But with their usual tenacity, the group worked within the community to find sponsors to provide lunch at each home site.
Repairs to homes ranged from small to large and included items such as door replacements, painting and landscaping. One homeowner even received a new cook top that is easily accessible from his wheelchair. Several homes will also receive follow-up work including roof repair and floor replacement.
The event was made possible by a grant from Kentucky Housing Corporation and a partnership between the Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, Morehead State University Center for Regional Engagement, and Frontier Housing. Many sponsors throughout the community and state also provided materials and food. The group hopes to grow this project in future years and address the many repairs needed in this community.
“The success of this day speaks volumes for the caring community in which we live. All of the amazing volunteers, taking time out to help those in need, was overwhelming. I couldn’t be more proud of the group that organized this day. It was a true collaborative effort with the Chamber of Commerce, Frontier Housing, Morehead State University and the people of this community.” said Tracy Williams, executive director of the Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce.
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Repair Affair: more than 350 volunteers help
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