BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A Martin County couple who fled their collapsing home in the middle of the night are getting a second chance at stability thanks to Appalachia Reach Out.
On Aug. 1, George and Ruth Patrick narrowly escaped when their house on Turkey Creek gave way, leaving them with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Since then, they have been staying in an outbuilding on a relative’s property.
For Dwayne Mills, director of Appalachia Reach Out, the loss struck close to home.
“This post hits home, my boyhood home,” Mills wrote in a public appeal. “As a boy growing up on Turkey Creek in Martin County, Kentucky, I had one home I remember. On Aug. 1, 2025, this boyhood home collapsed as George and Ruth Patrick escaped with only the clothes they were wearing. Early that morning I had people from all over the county sending me pictures of the collapsed home. My heart was broken.”
Mills said Ruth Patrick’s sister reached out to ARO a few weeks later asking if there was anything the faith-based nonprofit could do. When staff and volunteers surveyed the scene, they found the home beyond saving. Instead, they turned their attention to the old Patrick homeplace, where the couple hopes to move in the coming weeks.
“However, for this to happen, there is a lot of work that needs to be done,” Mills explained. “ARO has made the decision to take on this project with our volunteers along with our Work & Witness teams. ARO is needing your prayers and financial support as we do our part to help George and Ruth move into their new home.”
Donations can be made online at appalachiareachout.com or mailed to ARO, P.O. Box 2147, Inez, KY 41224.
“Will you pray? Will you give?” Mills asked.
