Written by: Tiana Dinham

Bobby at his old 1979 single wide trailer.

July holds bittersweet memories for the residents of Letcher County. As flood water rushed into our streets, moved vehicles, and rushed into our homes only a year ago, the murky waters left behind a lasting mark on our community. While this month brings despair, it also brings hope, a hope that 75-year-old Bobby Stallard is fully embracing.

Bobby Stallard lived in Craft Colly all his life. He remembers walking to school in the 1950s when the roads were still being developed. He recalls experiencing the 1957 flood which was the previous record-setting destructive flood in Letcher County. Yet by the 2022 flood completely shattered the record set by the 1957 flood.

On the morning of the July 28 flood, Bobby remembers feeling uncertain as he listened to the flood warning broadcasted on the radio. He watched the creek behind his house, in anticipation, while hoping the warnings were false. With each passing hour, the creek exceeded its banks and surged into his home, and everything in its path including his woodshop. When the water eventually receded, Bobby’s once prized house was saturated in mud: his furniture waterlogged, his woodshop destroyed, and his new tools were inoperable. Standing in the ruins of his former house, Bobby realized he lost everything.

In the weeks following the flood, Bobby and his family did everything to try and repair their 1979 single-wide trailer. They mucked and cleaned the house. However, they later realized the house was severely damaged and needed to be repaired. Bobby spent several years working in the building trades. He built houses for other people, installed drywall and then transitioned to woodworking. Thus he knew it would require a lot of hard work and resources to fix his home. Bobby knew he could not do this alone, he needed help. So, he filed his FEMA claim and later visited HOMES Inc. to discuss a possible way to renovate his house.

Bobby’s trailer being demolished so HOMES could start rebuilding.

After estimating all the damages that needed to be repaired it became clear that a simple renovation would not fix Bobby’s old house. He needed a completely new house. However, a new house required a lot of money thus Bobby needed assistance to make this a reality. So, he transitioned to a camper as his temporary home and remained faithful that things would work out.

The Catholic Diocese of Lexington has had a long-standing partnership with HOMES Inc. So, when they heard about the catastrophic flooding event in Eastern Kentucky they immediately mobilized resources to send to the area. The diocese was an invested partner in the flood recovery efforts here in Eastern Kentucky. Initially, they sent building materials, HVAC systems and multiple houses in a box (furnishings) to help flood survivors on their path to recovery. It came as a surprise to us when the Catholic diocese eventually inquired about potentially sponsoring the building of new homes in Letcher County for flood survivors. The Catholic diocese believes that “beyond providing shelter, these homes reflect their commitment to continue to walk with our Eastern Kentucky families affected by the historic floods of 2022.” Therefore when this amazing opportunity presented itself, Bobby came to the forefront of our minds

Along with the significant contribution from the Catholic Diocese, Bobby’s new home was also sponsored by the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program in North Carolina. This scholarship program has a long-lasting relationship with Whitesburg and HOMES Inc by sending their scholars to serve this community as interns for 8 weeks of the summer. During the past eight years, the scholars worked with different organizations to help achieve various missions within the community. A few scholars experienced the July 2022 flood and kickstarted a fundraising effort to raise funds to help HOMES Inc with their recovery effort long after their previous summer commitment.

This combination of donors has helped us to create an affordable house for 75-year-old Bobby and his family. We aim to continue to serve more flood survivors and to have more stories like Bobby's.

It’s been a year of recovery and new beginnings. From this unbelievable disaster, we have grown closer as a community and share a common experience. We hope Bobby’s story helps to highlight the work we are doing and continue to do to help with flood recovery. HOMES Inc. continues to serve this community by providing affordable housing options for our residents. However, as a non-profit, we can do nothing without the financial support of others. So we thank everyone who has donated to our flood recovery efforts. Please continue to share the work we are doing and continue to donate to our cause so more flood survivors can get a bit of normalcy in their lives.