Safe at Home: How Mountain Outreach Helped One Kentucky Family Find Peace of Mind

A home is supposed to be a sanctuary—a place where you can feel safe, comfortable, and at ease. But after what happened to John Fulton, home became a source of constant anxiety.  

"Before Maria and I got together, I was at home one evening when a car actually went through my house," John said.  

Most people never imagine a car crashing into their home. For John, it happened. And because his house sat just six feet from a busy roadway, he and Maria lived with the fear that it could happen again.  

At first, they learned to live with the risk. But after welcoming two sons, Barrett and Oakley, the fear became impossible to ignore.  

"We just kept thinking, 'Oh my goodness, what if somebody came through the house again?'" John said.  

This July, those anxieties were finally put to rest when Mountain Outreach, a non-profit service organization operated by University of the Cumberlands, presented the Fulton family with the keys to a brand-new home.   

And yes, the three-bedroom house, complete with cabinetry, fixtures, and finishes selected by the family, is located far from the main road.   

"The boys have room to play both inside and outside now," Maria said with a smile as Barrett and Oakley chased each other through their new kitchen. "Of course, we'll still worry about them, but we're all so much safer now."  

For Maria, receiving the keys was about far more than new cabinets or beautiful floors. Moving into the house meant reclaiming something the family had lost years earlier: peace. 

"It means everything to me," she said, tears welling in her eyes.   

For the Fulton family, this joyful moment had once seemed impossible. 

Both Cumberlands alumni, John works in law enforcement, while Maria works in education. Although they had built stable careers, buying a home on their own had felt out of reach.   

"We were looking at $2,200-plus payments when we were applying for loans and looking at homes on our own," John said. "We just couldn't afford it."  

Then they learned about Mountain Outreach's Home Build Program.  

The program offers qualified families earning between $30,000 and $60,000 annually a 0 percent interest mortgage with no down payment required. Each home is built with care by Mountain Outreach staff, local contractors, and students from University of the Cumberlands.  

"We just kind of applied one day and didn't really think much of it," John said. "We just thought if it was the Lord's will, it would work out."  

Soon afterward, the family was invited to an interview. Once they were accepted into the program and secured a piece of land, construction began.  

Over the following months, Mountain Outreach staff, local contractors, and teams of Cumberlands students dedicated countless hours to building the Fulton family's new home.  

Throughout construction, the Mountain Outreach team invited the Fultons to help choose paint colors, fixtures, cabinetry, and other finishing touches that truly made the house feel like their own.    

"That was fun because I didn't expect the ability to actually pick out anything," Maria said.  

But the greatest surprise was the relationships the Fultons formed throughout the process. 

"Seeing the Cumberlands students and Mountain Outreach staff working has been a blessing," John said. "These young men and women are humble. They're never complaining, and they're always having a great time."  

"They've also been so good with the kids," Maria added. "One time, the boys and I brought them donuts and they were so grateful. Another time, they let Barrett take a picture with their tools."

By move-in day, the people who had built the house no longer felt like strangers.

One of the students the Fultons came to know was Ebby Mathew, a senior from Qatar. On move-in day, he had the honor of placing the keys to the family's new home into Barrett's hands.

"I'm sure I'm never going to forget all the connections that I've made and all the lessons that I've learned," Mathew said. "It feels good to help others, and you also know you're doing what the Lord wants you to do."  

While Mathew walked away with lasting memories and a full heart, the Fulton family received something even greater—a place where they could finally feel at peace.  

"The students and everyone at Mountain Outreach just don't know how thankful we are for them," Maria said.  

Today, Barrett and Oakley have room to run and play without their parents anxiously watching the road outside the window. And for the first time in years, home is no longer a place of fear. It's exactly what it was always meant to be: a sanctuary.   

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