CLENDENIN, W.Va. — Three Methodist churches in Charleston are pooling resources to help a family which has been without a home since the June 2016 flood. The family lost their home at Queen Shoals along the Elk River during the flood and efforts to get any help restoring the structure have been rejected.
“They would not be eligible for RISE WV because where their home was that was destroyed doesn’t exist anymore. The river has reshaped the ground there and there’s a hefty slip,” said Jack Lipphardt with West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. “Since it’s not on the exact existing house site, disqualifies it from federal funds through WV RISE.”
The family includes grandparents, a daughter and several children. There are nine people in the household now living in a very small rented home not far from where their house once stood.
Lipphardt said it was a chance conversation with the pastor of Charleston’s Elizabeth Memorial United Methodist Church over biscuits at Tudor’s which gave birth to the idea.
“He asked me what his congregation could do to help,” Lipphardt explained. “I said sort of flip to him,’Well, you could build them a house.’ He said, ‘What’s it going to cost?'”
The pastor’s sincere response to Lipphardt’s half joking remark led to a challenge issued and answered by two more churches in the Charleston area. Elizabeth United Methodist, St. Marks United Methodist, and Christ Church United Methodist all pooled money and came up with $66,000. The money will be used to buy materials and labor will be donated by the Mennonite Disaster Services and volunteers from each of the three sponsoring churches.
“This Mennonite team is really good,” Lippahardt said. “We’ve worked with them on other home builds and they’ll have it up and closed in in pretty short order.”
Ground was broken Monday on the new home and officials expect they’ll be able to complete the home sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas.