Lending a hand: Appalachia Reach Out repairing storm-damaged homes

BLAINE, Ky. (WSAZ) - Looking at the path of destruction left by Mother Nature’s storms last week, you might be surprised to find Sherry Littleton filled with gratitude.

" I woke up this morning. I’m healthy. I got wonderful people helping me,” Littleton said.

She’s gracious for the help of Appalachia Reach Out who’s helping to repair the damage to her home from a tree that caused the family to go 16 days without power.

“The first thing that fell that night was this power pole. We heard a crack and we run to get away from it. We hear it hit the ground,” Littleton, who’s the homeowner, said.” My truck was sitting behind his truck, and the only thing it touched was that mirror. It turned it in.”

Appalachia Reach Out gathers and transports donated materials to disaster-stricken areas. Volunteers work to make repairs and provide those with comfort -- all free of charge.

“We show up to say, ‘we’re here to help, and what does help look like?’ ” said Dan Siepe, a volunteer. “Her and her husband were remodeling this part. They were working on it before the tree falling. It had to be disheartening, so we’d like to get them back on track. We hope to bring a little bit of light to a bad situation.”

While storms often result in the worst, Littleton says there’s a silver lining.

“I prayed for protection, and the good Lord protected us. He sent us all the help. We couldn’t have done it. There’s no way we could have,” Littleton said.

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