Room to Grow: How Mountain Outreach Built More Than a Home for One Kentucky Family

A cluttered kitchen counter. No room for a child to play. A water leak in the closet. Faulty wiring. And a kitchen table sitting out on the front porch because there simply wasn’t space to eat inside.  

The Perry family was grateful for the roof over their heads. But after years in a ten-foot-wide, 1973-model trailer, raising a family began to feel less like building a home and more like trying to survive.  

That all changed when Luke Perry and his family were recently selected as Mountain Outreach (MO) Home Build recipients.  

This November, MO—a ministry operated by University of the Cumberlands and made up of skilled staff and dedicated Cumberlands students—presented the Perrys with the keys to a brand-new home built on Luke’s family farm.  

The three-bedroom house, complete with cabinetry, fixtures, and finishes selected by the family, is a major upgrade from their previous accommodations.  

For the Perrys, receiving their keys was more than a milestone. It marked the beginning of something new.  

“We’re starting a new chapter, really a whole new book,” Luke said, smiling as he looked around his new home. “This is a place where we actually have room to grow.”  

For years, constant home repairs and tight living quarters wore the family down.  

“When we were living in the trailer, it was every day that I’d come home and something was wrong and needed to be fixed,” Luke said. “Most nights it was 10 o’clock by the time everything was done.”  

One of the most recent issues was a water leak in their son Cash’s closet. The smell coming from the space had become concerning. Luke worked hard to repair the damage, but it was just the latest in a long list of frustrations.  

“It felt like our cup was empty by the time we would get done fixing everything,” he said. “There was always something else to worry about. There was no getting ahead—just trying to keep our heads above water.”  

Beyond the constant repairs, the home simply didn’t fit their needs. At just ten feet wide, the trailer left the family constantly on top of each other. Counter and cabinet space was so limited that even cooking dinner became a challenge.  

In the summer, they ate meals at a table on the porch. In the winter, the Christmas tree only stayed up a few days because it made the living space nearly impassable. While the whole family felt the squeeze, it was especially tough on six-year-old Cash.  

“Cash honestly didn’t like being in the house before because there wasn’t a lot of room for him to move around,” said Calista. “When he did play, he was so cramped up.”  

Luke and Calista wanted something more for their son. A place with space to grow and breathe. Luke had even drawn up plans to build their own home, but personal finances and rising interest rates made the dream feel out of reach. Then he found out about Mountain Outreach.  

The Home Build Program through MO offers a 0 percent interest mortgage with no down payment required for qualified families earning between $30,000 and $60,000 annually. Homes are built with care by MO staff, Cumberlands students, and local contractors.  

“It felt like my only chance to own a home, so I put all my eggs in that basket,” Luke said.  

He submitted his application and hoped to be one of two families selected for the 2025-2026 year.  

“I was at work when I got the call letting me know I was selected,” he said. “I was so excited, nobody could tell me anything.”  

Construction began soon after. While contractors and MO staff tackled the structure, Luke and Calista had the joy of selecting the details—wall colors, cabinetry, countertops, and light fixtures.  

They chose calming greens, warm wood tones, neutral whites, and gold accents throughout the home.  

“I wanted a lot of character,” Calista explained. “I wanted walking in to feel like a big hug.”  

This November, the Perrys stepped into their completed home for the first time, and just as Calista hoped, it felt like a warm embrace. They were immediately struck by how spacious yet cozy it felt compared to their old space. But it wasn’t the design details or even the mountain views from the front window that meant the most. It was what the home represented.

“We’re starting a new chapter, really a whole new book,” Luke said. “We don’t have to worry about how we’re going to walk from one room to another or what’s going to break next. We can just live.”  

The home was made possible through months of work by MO staff, local contractors, and a team of students from University of the Cumberlands who dedicated their time and energy to every detail of the build. One of those students was Jaci Woods, a junior at Cumberlands and a work-study team member with Mountain Outreach.  

Jaci spent her days painting, shingling, and even learning basic carpentry skills alongside the crew. But it wasn’t just a job to her—it was a chance to make a real difference.  

When she stood with her team to hand the Perrys their keys, she saw the impact of that work firsthand.  

“I don’t even know how to explain how this makes me feel,” she said. “It’s exciting because we helped provide the family a new home with space to grow and room to thrive.”  

Though Jaci and her peers helped give the Perrys a new beginning, the experience gave something back to them as well.  

“Working for Mountain Outreach has helped me grow in my faith,” she said. “It’s taught me to serve others like I’m doing the work for Jesus himself. It’s also taught me how to adapt and be open to learning new things, which will help me in my future.”  

For the Perry family, the new home is a fresh start. For students like Jaci, it’s a foundation of purpose. And for everyone involved, it’s a living reminder that when we build together, we grow together.   

To learn more about Mountain Outreach and the Home Build Program, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/mountainoutreach.