Home Sweet Home: Local Family in Need Moves Into House Built by Volunteers

Photos by Nathaniel Smith, Editor in Chief.

Just north of Campbellsburg, on an unassuming driveway off Saltillo-Bono Road, a young family has been given a fresh start at life.

The Johnson family with Hope with a Hammer volunteers outside the finished home.

Until recently, Hunter and Chelsea Johnson were raising their two young boys, Jalen and Ryder, in a deteriorating decades-old trailer. Their electric bills were routinely between $500 and $600 a month, and despite the cost, summer temperatures inside often climbed above 80 degrees. That alone would be uncomfortable for any family, but it became a crisis when their youngest, Ryder, was diagnosed with Xq23 Deletion – a rare genetic disorder so uncommon it has only been identified in roughly a dozen people nationwide.

The condition affects Ryder’s vision, hearing, muscle development, and ability to regulate his body temperature. The trailer was no longer just inadequate and uncomfortable – it was potentially dangerous.

That’s when their lives intersected with Hope with a Hammer, a faith-based nonprofit based out of Maryville, Tennessee. The group, led by Rio Central Church pastor Tommy Roberts and project director Peter Boros, builds homes for families with urgent needs. Over the past five years, they’ve constructed 16 homes and worked on international projects ranging from church buildings to disaster relief. But for Roberts and his team, the Johnson home has stood out.

“This is one of the most special projects for us because of this little man,” Roberts said. “He touched our hearts, and the family has been so gracious and grateful.”

Roberts and Boros first visited the Johnsons in 2023 after Ryder’s then-therapist Sara Wykoff helped his mom Chelsea connect with the organization. “Once we knew this was where God wanted us to be, we started raising money,” Roberts recalled. The project moved at the pace funding allowed: breaking ground on the foundation that year, building the structure in March 2025, and completing the interior in July 2025.

The Johnson's old trailer still sits within view of the completed house.

Now, the Johnsons are moved in.

“Ryder’s doing amazing walking in this house,” said Connie Wheeler, a nurse at Pediatric Plus who works closely with the family. “He’s walking like a regular kid now, not hanging onto the walls.”

“It’s amazing,” Hunter said. “Ryder has been running around like crazy. He likes to hide in a cabinet at the end of the island... it’s a blessing. We have a home where we can grow old, and our children can grow up. We couldn’t ask for more.”

The family already has big plans for their new spacious backyard. Hunter plans to install a pool, a gazebo, a fence for their dogs, and a fire pizza oven, a gift from his captain at the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department.

Building the home was a collaborative effort, made possible not only by Hope with a Hammer but also through extensive support from the Washington County community.

Volunteers framing up the house in March (Photo by Jacob Dufour).

“First of all, there’s Pastor Adam [Dufour] – he put in the septic system, did all that work for free,” Pastor Roberts recalled. “He helped Peter with the roofing and framing, so that was a huge help. Kristine Shetler with Hoosiers Help, who has housed and fed our teams the previous two phases – that allows us to take everything we have and put it towards the building. This trip, Miss Gail [Morris] and Salem Agape Ministries, they housed and fed our team, which was a huge blessing. There was a group of Amish men who donated the gutter – material and the labor. They also did some cleaning for us.”

Among additional donations was an HVAC system installed for free, courtesy of Cooley’s Heating & Air. The floors—a high-end luxury vinyl plank valued at $6,000—were donated by Lambert’s Flooring Solutions in Maryville, Tennessee. Cabinetry came locally from Denny’s Woodcraft, who provided his work entirely free of charge. Sizable discounts and donations were also made on materials for the septic system and ground work by S&M Precast, Winsupply, and Shetler Trucking.

The finished kitchen.

“It’s an amazing group of people,” Hunter said of the team behind the project. “The quality of what they do is just fantastic. I’ve had contractors come over, and they’re like, ‘wow, this is top-level stuff.’ And they’re just as amazed as we are that we got all this for free… It’s truly a blessing from God.”

The Johnsons went on to say they plan to give back to Hope with a Hammer. “Anytime we have anything extra, we’ll be giving to help them go on and give other people these types of blessings,” Hunter said.

They’re also grateful to the Campbellsburg community, which hosted multiple benefit dinners and fundraisers to support the family. “Before all this happened, we had no idea how we were going to get a home,” Hunter said. “And then everyone came together and made it happen. It’s just awesome.”

Hope with a Hammer volunteer Chico Atchison summed up the philosophy behind the work: “Our society’s philosophy is, ‘do you, fill yourself up,’ but you’re never satisfied,” Atchison said. “Jesus said, ‘I didn’t come to be served. I came to serve.’ So that’s kind of the model, and there’s nothing more fulfilling.”

Peter Boros with Ryder Johnson

For Hope with a Hammer, the work doesn’t stop here. Next, they’re assisting a Tennessee police officer and his family whose home burned down. They’re also in conversations about constructing a drug recovery center in Athens, Greece.

But this project in rural Indiana – building a safe, comfortable home for a child who desperately needed one – will stick with them.

“Our hearts are full, that this family is in a home that meets the needs of this little guy,” Pastor Roberts said. “He’s got room to move, and his temperature can regulate… so we’re thrilled for them, and we’re thankful to God that He helped make it happen.”

To learn more about Hope with a Hammer or donate to future projects, click here.