Humble Beginnings in Knox County

My dad, Theo, was born and raised just outside Barbourville, KY, near the Clay/Knox County line, an area known locally as the head of Bull Creek. His family was quite large, with him being one of 13 children, but he always describes it as very loving. His family was very poor, living in a small house with newspaper walls. Dad and most of his siblings had to leave school in the eighth grade to help work on the farm. He fondly remembers walking miles to town, plowing the fields with mules, and rambling around the countryside with his friends.

Making Ends Meet the Only Way They Knew

When he was old enough, he began to help with the family business, AKA moonshining. While this was frowned upon, they did what they had to do to feed 13 kids. The older boys learned to drive at a young age to deliver moonshine to the city of Barbourville, many times to the courthouse, and even to the county jail. What they were doing was well known—but no one wanted to prevent the delivery of the best moonshine in the county. (This was in the 1950’s and times were a little different then.)

A Lifetime of Hard Work

Years later, when his parents passed, Dad pursued a career in welding, which he would retire from after 61 years. He was and is still considered one of the best welders in Knox County. Working on heavy machinery and big equipment was his absolute favorite! He traveled everywhere to weld, even as far as the Rocky Mountains. Dad was a blue-collar man, and Mom was a homemaker, so having savings was not the most important priority. Growing up, he was taught that working hard for your family was all that was important. Dad was self-employed, so things like insurance, social security, and savings were not something he knew about, but you live and learn. Knowing what they do now, they would have planned differently.
Dad has always worked from 4 am to 10 pm, regardless of whether it was a paid job or working around the house. Asking for help or finding himself in need was not a familiar experience, and it was not easy for him.

A Home in Need of Help

After my Grandmother died, Mom began to reside in her house while Dad lived alone in his. Many years passed, and the needed repairs to his home were adding up, and so were the expenses. He had been noticing leaks in the roof, coldness around the windows, and weak spots in the floors. Basically, everything that could go wrong was going wrong. He was 81 when we started working to get help with home repairs. By this point, Dad was on a fixed social security income that did not allow any room in his budget for home repairs.
When we started the process, there was a waitlist for services because so many people were in need. We made some temporary fixes to do what we could to save the roof with tarps and tarring. Then Covid-19 hit, and it changed things, making the process of getting the documents we needed much more difficult. To be honest, we were about to give up hope. Then, a terrible storm came and destroyed his roof beyond repair. Dad did not have homeowners’ insurance due to the cost, so the ability to replace the roof was not in the foreseeable future.

Help from KCEOC

I contacted Katrina at KCEOC about their Weatherization Program, and she said they had received new funding that could assist with his needs. While his home was livable, it was not what a home should be. Basic Weatherization repairs were not going to solve Dad’s serious problems. We signed up for the Weatherization Ready Repair Program, which got Dad’s home in good enough shape so that it could be weatherized properly.

A Life Changed

We always feel that our parents deserve the world, but to experience them being given the world is more than I can explain. Speaking about KCEOC to others is difficult without crying. The people there are amazing, the Weatherization crew, the office staff, the entire agency, absolutely everyone. I cannot even put into words what they have done for all of us by helping Dad. They not only took care of his immediate needs, but they also ensured the rest of his life would be comfortable!
The air is cold, the heat is warm, the roof doesn’t leak, there are smoke detection devices and carbon monoxide safety, the lighting is bright, and we feel so much better about him living there. I consider this a blessing from the Lord above. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Since the Weatherization Program completion, my Dad has turned 84 years old. While the old days are still fresh in his memory, the newer days are getting hard for him to remember. However, he ABSOLUTELY has not forgotten how important these people at KCEOC are and what they have done for him. He talks about how “those boys” are such good people all the time. The Weatherization team are such hard workers and will always have a special place in our hearts.

KCEOC employees are extremely caring, non-judgmental, and willing to help and work hard to do so. My Dad has cried so many happy tears since his home was repaired and weatherized. He feels like those wonderful people at KCEOC are now his family, and he truly loves them.