APPALACHIA – (Nov. 4, 2021) A family of five in Floyd County, Kentucky is receiving renovations and an addition to their home with the help of Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Housing Program and the caring employees at CESO, a comprehensive firm, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, that provides surveying, civil engineering, environmental, land planning, and architecture services.
“These connections with corporate partners are truly transformational for our participant families,” said Bryce Haneline, manager of CAP’s Corporate Relations. “CESO’s commitment to finance the project as well as provide a team of highly-skilled staff to do the work allows CAP to meet the extensive home repair needs of these parents and their young children.”
CESO brought staff from five of their seven offices around the country to volunteer with CAP for a week. The Lafferty family moved into the house a few years ago with plans to make needed repairs, but over time, they discovered that the repairs were too expensive and extensive to do alone.
“We value an attitude of service in our company and working alongside CAP just fits our culture,” said David Oakes, senior principal with CESO. “We were looking for a faith-based organization to serve and to do projects in the United States that were going to be impactful.”
Marlena Santana, an architect and landscape architect from the Charlotte, North Carolina office, is originally from the Dominican Republic. “Coming from a developing country, I saw a lot of people in need there,” she said. “It has always been in my heart to try to help and do as much as I can from the professional perspective as well as from the human perspective.”
Larry Lafferty, a Floyd County bus driver and sheriff’s deputy, has done his best to make improvements to the home. His wife, Brittney, also a Floyd County bus driver, had to retire after a series of health issues made it impossible to work. These challenges contributed to the difficulty of getting the needed repairs completed. The team from CESO spent the week installing new flooring, windows, and doors, plus completed the preliminary work on the addition. The doublewide needs a porch on the front and back to provide safe access in and out, as well as insulation, kitchen and ceiling repairs, a step-in shower, and a new septic system.
“It is very empowering and fulfilling to come out and work with the materials and tools and get our hands dirty,” Santana said with chuckle. She spends most days at a computer. “We got to meet the family and see their needs, and then being able to work to give them what they need is very fulfilling. Being part of a company like CESO, it’s amazing. We get to reach out and help others.”
CAP hosts service groups for one-week trips in March-October of each year. Groups come from churches, schools, families, businesses, etc. to serve alongside full-time Home Repair crews and provide families in need with homes that are safe, warm, and dry. For more information about volunteering, email groups@chrisapp.org or call 800.755.5322.
