After a hard rain, it’s especially difficult to reach Luanne’s home. Located atop a hill, deep in Appalachia, most visitors find the forest trail leading to the house too steep for vehicles and opt to make the quarter-mile trek by foot. In the warmer seasons, the loose rocks and mud that serve as Luanne’s driveway are made treacherous by a creek that rushes downhill. An unplanned step upon a wet rock can easily turn into a bruised elbow or a scraped knee.

But during winter months, deep snow makes the trail all but impassible for weeks at a time. Luanne is 62 years old, and lives alone. A mother of four and a grandmother to four more, she has lived in the area for decades. Nearly 20 years ago, she decided to build a home of her own, but she didn’t have the funds to complete it. “I sure had big dreams for this place, but I didn’t have enough money to finish it up. So I did the best I could with it,” recalls Luanne.
Lacking the money to purchase the proper supplies, Luanne resorted to whatever materials she could afford. That meant using scrap wood for siding, little to no insulation and improperly installed doors and windows.

Summer months were hard on Luanne, because the walls and windows did little to keep out the searing heat, causing temperatures to get dangerously high inside the house. And snakes, some of which were poisonous, slithered through crevices into her home to find shelter from the summer sun. But winter posed an even greater threat.

Gaps between the frames of doors and windows allowed brutal winter wind to blow into Luanne’s home. Ice would accumulate on the insides of walls and around window sills. In a desperate attempt to block the cold air, Luanne would stuff plastic bags and tattered pieces of clothing into the holes. But this did little to keep the house warm or lower her high heating bills.

Before

The physical hardships caused by such conditions were difficult enough, but the emotional toll of living in isolation is especially hard on Luanne. She grew up as one of eleven children, but sometimes she goes weeks without seeing a soul. “I sit here by myself until someone comes by,” says Luanne. Her son does visit occasionally and helps carry Luanne’s garbage down the hillside. The sanitation department refuses to drive up to the house due to the unsafe driveway. But her most reliable connection to rest of the world is an old police scanner. She says she doesn’t listen to it much because “it’s too depressing,” but the voices that come across the airwaves help to fight off the loneliness. When she does get the opportunity to enjoy a conversation, Luanne speaks quickly and full of energy. “I guess I talk a lot when people are around, because I normally don’t have nobody to talk to,” confesses Luanne.

After

Thanks to the support of friends like you; however, Luanne is no longer struggling alone. Last spring, CAP volunteers replaced her home’s windows and doors and added new siding and insulation. The repairs will not only make the house more comfortable to live in, but Luanne estimates that her electric bill will be cut in-half this winter. “I appreciate everything CAP’s done here, and I appreciate the donors for helping CAP do all this,” said a grateful Luanne.

It is only through your prayers and support that CAP is able to make the necessary repairs to Luanne’s home. So many seniors and families in Appalachia spend countless winter nights in insufficient shelters struggling to remain warm. Your continued generosity is essential to those like Luanne who are in need of our compassion and assistance.