SOMERSET, Ky. (LEX 18) — When last week's winter storm slammed Somerset, it didn't just bring down trees or power lines. It left an area school for young men in the dark and cold.
It took a community to turn the lights and heat back on in what Sunrise Children's Services President Dale Suttles calls a "rescue effort."
Twenty-seven boys, ages 12 to 18, woke up to freezing temperatures on Jan. 26 after Cumberland Adventure Program lost power.
"It was 47 degrees. The power had went out and that area is prone to power outages. It's hard to get a truck in there. So, we're taking care of some of Kentucky's most vulnerable children down there that need therapy, that need the help," Suttles said.
"It was cold and we had them bundled up. We were doing the best we can, but we needed something very quickly," said Suttles.
Suttles told LEX 18 that he had to think quickly, posting a plea for help on Facebook. That's when Lowe's Store Manager Jeremy Smith got the call, courtesy of First Baptist Church in Somerset. The church even offered to pay for generators, but Smith had another idea.
"For us - it was just - it was an easy call," Smith said.
Within hours, three generators were on-site at no cost to anyone, cranking up enough heat to get cabin temperatures to a cozy 74 degrees. The generators kept the boys safe until utility crews could finally restore power days later.
"For me, I've got two little girls. So, kids are near and dear to my heart. And when this storm hit it was as cold as I can remember. So anything we could do to make sure - whether it was a child or whoever, it didn't matter - that they were good was what mattered to us," Smith said.
For Suttles, it's proof of neighbors helping neighbors.
"They were very grateful. They were all bundled up and we're doing the best we can down there. It's a beautiful, beautiful area, but it's hard to get to when you get that kind of ice. And they were applauding the generators [and] the bucket trucks when they finally got there a couple days later," Suttles said.
