Hurley, VA – Jan. 7-13, 2024

It was our first week with volunteers and a long-term crew here at the Hurley VA site.  It was a regional project up till now and there had been lots of work done by the Region I teams.  Now it is our turn to continue the work and we were joined by ten young men and women from PA .  They were a quiet bunch at mealtimes, but the evenings were noisier as games were played and as the week progressed.  They worked hard and we made good progress on the work left for us.  

Erica Trammel’s trailer home was moved in last week and we finished up her porches and stairs so she had access.  Her power was hooked up and the plumbing connected, and she could move in. 

At the Sasha Atwell/Larry Dotson build, we started the week with the foundation ready.  Joists were put on; the floor came next and then walls and the trusses.  By the end of the week the roof was sheeted and membrane on and ready for shingles.  Piers were poured for the porch supports.  Good progress made by our crews.  We also removed the metal roof of an adjacent house and started the clean up and tear down process that needs to happen to make room for the porches and ramps on the new build. 

Braxton and Judy Meadows were happy for the help they got with painting doors and trim and some walls and putting 3 coats of polyurethane on their floors.  They said they would have been working months to accomplish what our volunteers did in 3 days. 

Johnny and Desiree Baker’s house is moving along well.  We finished hanging the drywall and the taping and mudding made good progress, some seams already had their third coat by the end of the week, but there is still plenty of the same work left for the next crew.  We also got the floor insulated underneath. 

That, in a nutshell, is what happened here this week.  We got to know new folks, settled into a routine, got good work done, and then had to say goodbye to a new set of friends on Saturday morning. 

From Hurley—-Kerry, Jo, Jim, Martha, Andrew, Dianna, Carl, David, Marilyn, Grace, Vernon, Kaitlyn, Lavern, Kierstin, Harlan