Kentucky Governor to Attend Groundbreaking Ceremony for Tornado Victims in Mayfield
MAYFIELD, Ky., January 27, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Just seven weeks after a devastating EF4 tornado leveled large parts of Mayfield, Kentucky, killing 22 people and decimating entire neighborhoods, Homes and Hope for Kentucky (HHK) is breaking ground on the first new homes to be built by donations and volunteer labor.
Groundbreaking will take place Friday, Jan. 28, at 3 p.m. (CST). Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and other state and local dignitaries are expected to attend. The location for the ceremony, 515 N. 6th St. in Mayfield, Kentucky, has a poignant significance as it was one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the tornado.
"Just 49 days after the storm, we're already seeing so much progress. We could not have done it without a huge network of support. But we need donations to continue so we can get more folks back home."
Heather Nestler, Co-Chair
Homes and Hope for Kentucky
"This process is moving quickly. It's so positive that, just 49 days after the storm, we're already seeing so much progress. Crews have been here for the last 30 days for demolition and are beginning repairs alongside the new builds next week," said Heather Nesler, co-chair of HHK. "We could not have made this much progress without a huge network of support, especially Mennonite Disaster Service as our partner. But we need donations to continue so we can get more folks back home."
Homes and Hope for Kentucky is a local non-profit operating under the umbrella of the Mayfield Rotary Foundation. The non-profit has been processing applications from homeowners with little or no insurance and no ability to rebuild on their own.
To date, five families have been approved and more than 60 are in the two-stage approval process. Friday's groundbreaking represents the first of five new homes that are ready to be rebuilt. HHK has set a goal of rebuilding 100 new homes at a cost of roughly $60,000 each; this low cost is made possible thanks to the all-volunteer labor being provided.
Tax-deductible donations have come in two broad categories so far:
- Direct monetary donations to the Homes and Hope for Kentucky website
- Institutional donations of building materials through lines of credit at Home Depot and Lowe's
Volunteers from Mennonite Disaster Service have been in Mayfield removing debris and doing site preparation since Dec. 28. In addition, crews from the nationwide Amish service ministry have arrived this week to identify their own targeted areas for repair and reconstruction in partnership with HHK.
In the December storm, almost 400 homes were leveled in Graves, Hickman and Fulton counties alone; many hundreds more were damaged and need extensive repairs.
ABOUT HOMES AND HOPE FOR KENTUCKY, INC.
Homes and Hope for Kentucky, Inc. (HHK) is a directed fund, operating under the umbrella of the Mayfield Rotary Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. HHK, which was formed in direct response to the devastating tornadoes of Dec. 10, 2021, is being led by an all-volunteer Board of Directors made up of local civic, government and business leaders, most of whom are Mayfield natives. Co-Chairs are Heather Nesler, Associate VP of Employee Benefits at Peel & Holland Insurance, Mayfield, Kentucky, and Joseph Orr, retired Brigadier General, U.S. Army, now a Mayfield resident. All donations to HHK are fully tax-deductible and will help provide the essential household appliances and building materials needed to build new homes for those hit the hardest by the catastrophic tornados in Mayfield, Kentucky. Learn more and/or donate at www.HomesandHopeforKY.com.
ABOUT MENNONITE DISASTER SERVICE
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is a faith-based initiative that has been repairing and rebuilding homes in disaster zones since 1952. MDS sponsors 4,000 self-sustaining volunteers who focus on the clean-up, repair and rebuilding of homes of those most directly impacted by natural disaster. They are currently involved in about 20 ongoing rebuilding projects around the United States and Canada. Learn more at www.mds.org.
Media Contact:
Grace Vogelzang
Impact Communications, Inc.
913-649-5009
GraceVogelzang@ImpactCommunications.org
Source: Homes and Hope for Kentucky
