The Knights of Columbus Father Sikora Council No. 7992 at Nativity Catholic Church in Burke completed building their 27th home for a needy family in the heart of Appalachia in May, continuing an annual, parish-wide initiative.
The council and parish partnered with Appalachian Construction Crew, Inc., a Christian non-profit organization located in Bellevue, Neb. The crew consisted of 30 volunteers, 19 from Nativity and 11 workers from Nebraska, Colorado, and Mississippi.
Good Shepherd Catholic Chapel in Whitley City, Ky. selected the Tucker family in McCreary County, Ky., one of the most impoverished counties in the country, as this year’s beneficiaries. The family of three, a grandmother raising her two grandchildren, were renting a dilapidated two-bedroom trailer that had significant mold issues and could not be adequately heated or cooled. The new home was built on family-owned property that was adjacent to their current home.
The only program requirements are that the family must own the land and have enough income to cover taxes and insurance on the new home. In addition, the family is not allowed to sell the home for 10 years. Over two weeks, the crew built a 1,100-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath, home complete with all new appliances, a new waste system and a heat pump for energy efficiency. It is always an emotional time for both the family and crew when the home is completed. This year’s home was completed June 3, with the family moving in later in the month following required inspections.
Receiving the keys to the family’s new home, the grandmother, Debra, said through tears, “I don’t know how people who don’t know me could do something so wonderful.”
Nativity parishioners donated more than $125,000 toward construction and filled a trailer with donated household items including food, clothing, school supplies, bedding, and items for every room of the new home.
Good Shepherd is currently reviewing candidates in anticipation of Nativity’s 28th home construction scheduled for June 2026.
