Pay It Forward

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

On an early December morning, Bertha Mullins and two of her children, Casey and Josh, sat around a Christmas tree that stood in their living room window, waiting to be decorated by the youngest members of the family. When their home was built by Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) in 2019, they said they looked forward to creating new Christmas memories.

“A memory we will always cherish was building an Oreo gingerbread house last Christmas,” Casey said with a grin. “Having the grandchildren together and hearing their laughter, you can’t beat that. That’s what makes the holidays.”

The family lost their previous home to 18-foot flood waters in 2015, and their home before that to a fire. As the family faced the devastation and the stress of finding a new home, CAP stepped in to provide both comfort and concrete help.

“When the floods hit Johnson County, I saw Bertha’s home and the damage that had been done to her belongings,” said Robert Moore, a CAP Home Repair Program crew leader who oversaw the construction of the home. Her previous house was destroyed. “No matter who I am working for, I love to be able to address their concerns and give them peace about where they are living. I am always excited to do a new build because they are not the normal repairs we usually do.” When the footers were poured, volunteers from across the country came alongside CAP and the Mullins family to build the home. They left encouraging messages on the beams, posts, and dry wall as it was being built. Those messages still resonate with the family today.

“It was a blessing to have had all of those people come to work on this home with us,” Bertha said. “I don’t know how we could ever repay them. We’ve been blessed to have this home.” Ever since the home was under construction, the Mullins family felt it united them during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. As they do for everyone, challenges continue, and the family is grateful to have their home to come back to at the end of the day.

When you are given acts of kindness like what CAP has done for us, you always pay it forward.

— Walter Mullins

“We were in a world of darkness, but when CAP came, a bright light turned on. For once we feel safe,” Casey said. “We truly hope those who helped with our home know the impact they had on us, especially for our little sister, Mindy, who they would talk to, play with, and learn a dance from. The light in her was gone for a while because of how young she was during all of what we had been through. She was 3 when the flood happened. Now she is 9 and she has a safe home, her own room, and a yard to play in. Those acts of kindness brought her smile and laugh back.”

Since volunteering to help build his own family’s home, Josh committed to two years of service at CAP through AmeriCorps to make homes in Appalachia safe, warm, dry, and accessible. Before that, Josh volunteered occasionally in CAP’s Family Advocacy Program, but through his one-year commitments he served alongside Moore and other staff and volunteers in the Home Repair Program. “Josh was reliable, skilled, and fun to have around,” Moore said. “He was very practical in how he approached home repairs and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He was a faithful servant for his community.”

It wasn’t until his one-year volunteer commitment that Josh discovered he wasn’t the only member of his family with CAP ties. “I learned through interactions with CAP members about the history of the organization which taught me my dad was an active part of CAP prior to my commitment to a year of service,” Josh said. “When CAP transitioned between the 1980s and 1990s, my dad was serving CAP. I learned that I was continuing the legacy my dad had started.”

His dad, Walter, was inspired to serve with CAP after the organization was there to help his family several years ago. He used his volunteer service to help others and make a lasting impact. “When you are given acts of kindness like what CAP has done for us, you always pay it forward,” Walter said. “No words of gratitude were enough for what CAP did for my family. Acts of kindness done towards you need to be given to many. That’s exactly what Josh has done and what the rest of our family hopes to do in years to come.”

In December Josh finished his second year of committed service to CAP, but, like the rest of his family, remains loyal to serving his community any chance he can. “There’s not enough words to tell (you) about my experience with CAP,” Josh said. “Even though my commitment is done, CAP always knows they can call me when they need help.”

See the original story in the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of The Mountain Spirit.

The Mullins family lost their home to flooding in 2015.

CAP Home Repair Program Crew Leader Robert Moore, pictured at left in the photo, worked with the Mullins family and groups of volunteers to build a new home in 2019.

Josh Mullins served two one-year volunteer and AmeriCorps member commitments in CAP’s Home Repair Program.