ELK, Wash. — The sounds of construction have never been more welcome in the communities of Elk and Medical Lake.
Since June, a revolving door of volunteers have devoted their time towards building eight new homes for the most vulnerable families who lost everything in the Gray and Oregon Road Fires.
“We’re trying to give them hope to back into a normal life,” said Andy McKee, a volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS).
MDS is one of the many volunteer groups that has assisted in these rebuilding efforts. The religious non-profit has volunteers all across North America who regularly respond to communities facing disaster recovery challenges.
The Gray and Oregon Rd. fires destroyed 366 homes within a matter of hours; this phase of rebuilding efforts specifically targeted those without insurance coverage or significant savings to rebuild on their own.
Each new home features two bedrooms, brand new appliances, and will be fully furnished when families move in, which is expected to happen by the end of June.
Medical Lake Mayor Terri Cooper, who also runs Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group (SRLTRG), has played a major role in coordinating these volunteer efforts.
“It’s been a lot of work. A lot of unsung heroes behind the scenes making this happen,” Cooper said. “To see eight houses come together in nine months, we’re at finish, we just couldn’t be prouder of our community and all of our partners.”
“I just want to say to everybody, welcome home. Help is coming, hope is coming, we’re not done yet, just know, the community cares,” Mayor Cooper added.
The families will receive keys to their new homes by the end of June.
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