Louisville: the other side

"Let's go over to the other side!" -- Jesus

We, a few of your fellow community members, want to share with you the great experience of meeting Rob and Jessica, and their six beautiful children: Maria (11), Brittany (9), Sharon (5), Stacy (4), Rachel (2) and Robert Junior (6 months).  Some of us just spent a wonderful week with the family, in the first phase of our Epiphany Summer Rehab project, led by our new St. Vincent de Paul members. 

This project began in March with a phone call from Sister Shelly at the Sister Visitor Program.  She explained that Rob and Jessica had been struggling for some months to pay very high gas bills.  Their lives and finances were severely impacted when Rob, a tow truck operator, lost his lower right leg in a roofing accident several years ago.  It seemed like there might be more than we should do, beyond the usual pledge of financial assistance.  We agreed that our new St. Vincent de Paul group was ready to begin making home visits, so Bill Spath and Jim English went down to the home in the Portland neighborhood. 

On their return, Bill and Jim shared their very positive impression of the family, but also their concern for their safety and well-being in an unsafe home.  Among other problems, the lack of insulation had contributed to high heating bills.  The home they had purchased a few years ago had been given a little "cosmetic surgery", but they had soon discovered substandard plumbing, unsafe wiring, and a number of other problems. 

It was easy to see that Rob, in spite of overwhelming challenges, had worked diligently and creatively to make the best of the home, using found and recycled materials.  Since all of the available family resources were sunk into the property, he and Jessica felt they had no choice but to hang on.  They bought paint a little at a time, and tried several ways to deal with the lead paint problems.  They went to the city for help, since the children began showing high lead levels in their blood, but no funds were available.  Rob lay awake at night in fear of the electric fire he was sure would break out if he slept too soundly.  The family slept together in one bed through the winter.  They purchased compact florescent bulbs, one or two a month, in an effort to lower their electric bills.  Rob says that he began praying for help several months ago, knowing that on his own, he was losing the battle with the house. 

"This is a big project--can we do this?"  "Do we know how?"  "Isn't there a government program that will help?"  And, "I've never, ever, in all my years, met anyone I wanted to help more."  So we stepped through the open door of God's invitation, lured by Rob's courage, Jessica's hope, and the happy faces of their beautiful children. 

St. Paul's Life Teen group of Hingham, MA, whose leader Bill Mezzetti is a construction contractor: they were looking for a one week project to tackle for their summer mission trip, and had asked Sister Larraine to match them up with a good cause. Architect Jim Burris visited the family and determined that the home could successfully be remodeled.  We began consulting with our Epiphany Habitat volunteers, who agreed to partner on the project, and lining up contributed services and materials.  Together with Rob and Jessica, we planned Phase 1 of the project to include a remodeled kitchen, family/dining room, and an outdoor play deck for the children.  Hardly daring to hope, the family began to work long hard days to clean out every inch of the house so it would be ready for the makeover. 

The Phase 1 construction crew, 68 strong, flew in from Boston on Saturday June 21st, bringing tools and funds that they had raised in the past few months.  They visited with the family on Sunday, to sing "Happy Birthday" to Sharon, and wish Rob a great Father's Day.  Sharon announced, "Daddy, Mommy is crying!  Why is she crying with all these people here to help us?"
That quick visit provided all the motivation that the Boston crew needed to jump into the work in the midst of the Monday morning storms.

It quickly became apparent that the limited plan for Phase 1 would have to be set aside.  The kitchen (add-on construction) was found to be sitting on the ground, without a foundation.  Plumbing and electricity were completely, dangerously out of code.  While the essential frame and foundation of the house are sound and strong, the siding was rotted. Lead-based paint...a crumbling chimney...a leaking roof... no secure doors or windows...

Soon, a new Phase 1 emerged:  Tear down the old kitchen...fill a 30 yard dumpster.  Tear out all the old wall board, pull all the old wiring, tear off all the old siding...fill a couple more dumpsters   Tear up the old concrete, level out the sterile dirt, fill in with 25 tons of gravel...a far more comfortable surface for Rob to get around on.  While the St. Paul's youth worked valiantly with Rob and Bll in the Ohio Valley sauna, we Epiphanites began a campaign to search out more materials and professional labor--our original resources being completely hijacked.  Soon, some of the kids began building the new kitchen with Bill; others cut and nailed OSB board and began hanging the new vinyl siding...and even building raised flower beds.   While all this was going on the "little kids" with their mom were being thoroughly indulged at their exclusive camp by a rotating team of the "big kids". 

Here's Rob's take on the week: "I feel like I won the lottery.  No--even better than the lottery.  I'd rather have this than the lottery, because this house is being built by love."  Rob eventually shared that he was baptized Catholic as an infant--and we might see him soon at Epiphany.  He loves to tell how his prayers were answered.  We love to tell how Rob and his family have enriched our lives with their courage and love for one another.

Well...five days, obviously, isn't enough for an "extreme makeover"--at least if you don't have millions of dollars and megawatts of media attention.  But we found that the real makeover is within us and among us, powered by love and generosity.

When folks hear the family's story, they just want to help.  There are so many great and willing hearts behind these corporate and non-profit names: Habitat for Humanity, Sturgeon Pest Control, Industrial Disposal, Horizon Electric, River City Siding, American Roofing, Cox's Plumbing, Ferguson Enterprises, St. Anthony's Community Center, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Lowes, Korfhage Floor Covering, Mezzetti Construction,  Savemore Ace Hardware...we'll keep you posted, because the list just keeps growing.  We're afraid to start naming names--so many individual persons, all connected somehow in the network of this project.  We and the family are grateful beyond words.

For Propogation of the Faith Sunday, we reflected on the challenges of "crossing over to the other side".  Sometimes the border between East and West Louisville can seem just as challenging as crossing international and cultural barriers.   With the words of Jesus, we invite you: "Let's go over to the other side!"  The fanily still needs us.  Their home couldn't possibly be finished in five days--lucky for us, because more of us can have the chance to work with Rob and Jessica, and to get to know their great kids. 

So, come on over to the other side.  Maybe you can hang drywall and siding, or build a play deck and a sand box, or keep us going with fresh water and snacks, or play with the kids, or paint, or pull wire, or hang a fixture, or hang a door.  Maybe you know where we can get some insulation or some furniture...or even an electric heat pump.  Maybe you could build a table and benches for a big family--their #1 furniture wish is to have table where they can all eat together. 

You might want to be part of a community work team--our first work day will be Friday,  July 3rd.   If you need to work on your own schedule, Rob is available every day to work with you. Please bring tools, ladders, gloves, safety glasses, and your good heart!  By the time we finish, whenever we finish, the family will truly live in "the house that Love built."

Please call us at the Epiphany parish office for more information.