“Describing CornerStone to someone is often hard to do,” admitted Debbi Akers, the non-profit’s director. This social worker with a heart for missions spent 19 years at home raising her children and engaging in various local and global mission efforts. When her oldest two children approached college age, she knew she it was time to step more fully into the lives of those she had always been drawn to and as God would have it, a position at CornerStone opened up.

And that’s how Debbi got her masters degree in “front porch conversations.” Those impromptu conversations that happen as she walks through the neighborhood encompassing CornerStone’s focus area, are key to the “Initiatives” that CornerStone takes in the community. CornerStone is built around the philosophy of Christian Community Development (CCD), where the idea of listening is paramount to everything else. Quite opposite from direct service providers who offer immediate “relief” in the way of food, shelter, rent and utility assistance, and clothing, CCD practitioners believe in serving in a manner that will empower individuals (and in turn, a community) to have the dignity of providing these things for themselves. “We are not a direct service providers,” said Debbi, “but we collaborate with many in this city to help our friends move out of crisis mode and into a place where we can seek stability and most of all, long term solutions.”

One specific area where CornerStone has “listened” and responded to the community is in the area of education and employment. After being introduced to the ministry of an international program called “Jobs for Life (JFL),” CornerStone not only shared their awareness with city and church leaders, but also initiated a local class right in the middle of an under-resourced area in the 35805 zip code. Multiple partners joined in the effort, including Huntsville Housing Authority, and at least three local churches. JFL is a 32-hour course, which offers a discipleship platform enabling churches and organizations to develop gospel-centered relationships, while teaching people God’s design for work.

Besides offering a Biblically based curriculum, one facet that sets JFL apart from many other soft skills job training courses is the supportive community that it provides. Students are paired with a type of mentor that Debbi refers to as “champions.” She elaborated, “These champions undergo training that helps them recognize the worth and dignity of every individual they encounter. It is training that hopefully keeps our volunteers and champions from going into a community and trying to fix’ people or rescue’ them.” Instead, a champion becomes somewhat of a cheerleader for the JFL student they are paired with. This encouraging relationship mandates a one-year commitment minimum.

CornerStone takes no more than 12 students at a time. For every class, each student’s champions sit down with them, eat meals with them, and eventually they become like extended members of each other’s families. In addition, if the student has children, CornerStone and their partnering volunteers provide them with childcare for every class. “Every potential barrier that we can address is removed in order to ensure success for our students,” Debbi explained.

These programs are designed to ensure the attendees can present themselves well to potential employers. In addition to being committed to preparing folks for the workplace, CornerStone is very excited about inviting future employers to join their team in a “ JFL Business Network.”

“We’ve formed a business network, meeting with local small businesses and even larger, well known employers,” Debbi explained. “As much as specific skill sets are needed, it seems that so many employers are telling us that they are willing to train individuals, if they can only find people who have strong character and a strong work ethic…people who will consistently show up for work.” This business/faith community/ non-profit relationship seems to be catching on, and CornerStone is now seeing employers calling, them, asking them when they will have graduates ready for hire. She added, “We’re seeing the marketplace, the church and the not-for-profit all coming together. We believe to be successful, it takes all three.”

Debbi shared the dramatic story of how life-changing this initiative has been for one member in particular: “We had a young man who came to class with his head down, never looking anyone in the eye, his pants sagging, along with his entire demeanor. He often appeared uninterested and even sometimes bothered to be at class. Ironically, his girlfriend was taking the class, also. Initially, instructors were a bit skeptical as to his commitment to the program, but this young man continued to show up and complete his assignments. His “champion” was committed to him and never backed down or became intimidated by the quietness of this young man. But all of the sudden, this young man whose whole world possibly had existed only within a few square miles of his low-income neighborhood, now went from having no significant network to having an expanding network for 25+ people who were committed to his success. He had a different sphere of influence speaking into him, encouraging him, offering him wisdom and advice. Now he had new connections with jobs and people he didn’t know existed before this class. Within weeks, he had people with strong standing in the community who would give him job references… And the “poverty of network and opportunity” took a punch to the gut!

“As his commitment to ‘show up’ continued and his desire to make a difference in his own life began to grow, he applied for a job, was encouraged by his classmates and champion, and was hired! He came into class the week after he got the job and the assignment for that night was to do a 90-second commercial about himself. When this man came up for his commercial, he blew everyone away! He came in, standing like a man, straight up – he smiled, spoked confidently and boldly about himself, the things he was good at, and about his dreams for the future! The staff, volunteers and champions in the room had tears in their eyes – ‘What just happened!?’ they exclaimed. Well, we got to see firsthand the dignity of work – what it did for him – it was phenomenal. We promote this class and teach this philosophy, but when you see it, you believe it with everything within you. We are just so excited for him,” Debbi declared.

 

At the end of the 8-week course, CornerStone celebrates the students with a big graduation. “We have so many students who have never walked across a stage and received a certificate. Their whole families come out. It’s powerful. You see what it means to them for someone to invest in their lives.”

One area where CornerStone plans to expand their efforts in the coming year is to expand the reach of the Jobs for Life ministry. Just like the local church that has partnered so heavily with them to make this recurring fall class a success, CornerStone hopes to find more churches and businesses willing to invest their time in offering such an opportunity to people throughout this community. It is their plan to offer training for future JFL site leaders so that this expansion can take place.

We know that everyone is not ready for a jobs-for-life class. There are so many men and women who need to focus on completing a GED. There are others who could take advantage of the multiple opportunities that exist in this city to expand their employment options through programs at highly reputable institutions like Calhoun and Drake.

“We would like to find ways to connect with this community and really promote the fact that the tech school and the community colleges are brief, low cost opportunities that truly certify you for a job. We need to do a better job of delivering this message in a more powerful, attractive way, and following the example of the JFL model, connecting churches to walk with the students through those opportunities. If you’re in survival mode living day to day, you often lose all hope and don’t recognize great opportunities as being for you. At the end of the day, these individuals are not seeking a handout, but instead, simply a hand of encouragement that leads you to an opportunity and empowers you to grasp it. The church has to be willing to step up and walk with the vulnerable and the oppressed in our community. We have to find ways to restore hope and remind people that God has a plan and purpose for their lives. We must toss out the “easy button” of tossing money at poverty and thinking that will solve everything. Poverty is complex. Therefore, solutions that last and can be sustained are just as complex,” Debbi added.

For more information or to get involved with the CornerStone Initiative, please visit http://www.cornerstone-al.org/.

Granite Transformations franchise owners Bret and Kathy Foster admit it. Their company name may confuse some Nashville residents who think they’re “just another countertop company.” In truth, they’re so much more. They specialize in reducing the pain of kitchen and bath remodeling projects. They transform kitchens countertops and backsplash in as little as one day and do complete bathroom makeovers in a week.

Granite Transformations is the answer for homeowners who want their lives returning to normal as quickly as possible. Rather than living months on end dining out with their kitchen torn apart, or having the entire family sharing the master bathroom while the kids’ bathroom is remodeled, Granite Transformations is the quick-change artist.

We caught up with Bret and Kathy on their mobile phone as they were driving to see their youngest son at a University of Tennessee football game – their love for college football has them toggling on their free weekends between Knoxville and Mississippi State University, where their oldest son is a student. They had some interesting things to say about kitchen and bath trends, the Nashville market, and their unique approach to home remodeling, which we are sharing here:

A: What is the incentive for homeowners to remodel their kitchen or bathroom?

Bret: Depending on where you are, you’re looking at an 80% to 110% return on your investment. That’s why most of those remodeling shows on HGTV focus on the kitchens and bathrooms first.

 

A: What are the hottest trends in kitchen designs today?

Bret: Shaker-style cabinets done in lighter colors—mostly greys and whites. Homeowners are moving away from beiges and browns in cabinets and countertops. In terms of countertops, quartz has overtaken granite. Again, lighter color is in.

Kathy: I agree. It’s because quartz is easier material to maintain. It’s not porous, you don’t have to seal quartz like you do granite, and you needn’t worry about what you’re cleaning it with. It’s also a more uniform look. People like a more consistent, clean look. There’s no pitting to the surface of quartz like you see with granite.

Bret: We’re not seeing as many farm sink installations in updating kitchens as you might assume from all of the Houzz.com and Pinterest pages people are saving out there. Farm sinks are hard to install if you’re not doing huge re-modification work to your cabinets to support the weight and size of them. The homeowners who are requesting them seem to request mostly white ceramic farm sinks.

Kathy: Homeowners love converting their bottom kitchen and bath cabinets into drawers. It’s been in the European market forever, and we’re glad it’s growing here. For us, it’s just a slight modification, but it makes the homeowner so much happier because their kitchen is now functional for the first time. They are gaining so much more useful space for storage. It’s a smart, easy design alteration.

BEFORE                                                         AFTER

A: How are you able to complete a major kitchen or bath remodel in five or six workdays?

Bret: We are organized and efficient using our own labor or subs who work with us every day. We do cabinet refacing and countertop resurfacing only. We can add and raise cabinets, make all of the modifications, and then reface everything to look the same. Once you start tearing out cabinets, you’re dealing with plumbing, flooring and electrical modifications. We avoid that. We get in and get out. Even our bathroom remodels takes a week or less.

 

A: What’s the most unique design request you’ve had?

Bret: We had a Jamaican woman who insisted upon bright red countertops with sparkling mirror chips embedded in the countertops. I didn’t dare show that to my mom or she would have wanted it, too!

We embedded the mascot for a local high school into the countertop of their concession stand, but probably the most intricate piece lately was the mosaic profile we did of Johnny Cash, all hand-cut glass for a beautiful wall accent based on one of his photographs. Our team can create any customized design you request. This is a great asset for interior designers, artists, and creatives out there who want to see their unique art, logo, or image design interpreted in a wall accent, shower, backsplash or even the bottom of a swimming pool.

 

A: How do you transform countertops? What is your approach?

Bret: We’re a very unique product – there’s no one who does what we do the way we do it. Our material is a thin product that we fabricate to overlay existing surfaces, so it’s a unique technology. No one else has taken the time and money to develop the same technology and equipment. People have tried, dabbled and gotten back out of it. Our signature quartz characteristic product has been around for 40 years and we have covered countertops for 20.

Granite Transformations has continued to improve the technology, and no one else has gone to the time and expense to fabricate it. Our countertop material is 1/4″ thick. We’re not tearing out old countertops. We’re recovering existing countertops. We’re putting a lighter-weight, more durable material on top of their existing countertop. From a sustainability standpoint, we feel good about the fact that we’re not filling a landfill with our customers’ old countertops. Our proprietary material is thin and easier to work with. We can even use this material to place in a shower and slope it downward so it will drain.

 

A: Which areas do you service?

Kathy: We cover a 1.5-hour radius from Nashville, butting up to our colleague’s Knoxville location. We chose to base our operations here because we wanted to live in Nashville. There’s so much opportunity here that we have no plans to expand beyond Nashville.

 

A: Are there any projects you won’t take on? Too large or too small?

Bret: We do a lot of unique work, but we keep our scope very tight. We don’t do jobs that require painting. We’ll do our portion of a remodel and then let the homeowners hire their own painter. We don’t do much drywall work. We’ll move a wall if we’re making a tub smaller or a shower bigger, but we won’t do full-blown remodeling projects. There’s no project too small for us. We’ll take on the small projects that many will turn down.

 

A: Tell us about your team in Nashville. How many employees do you have?

Kathy: There are 13 of us, including Bret and me. We’re small enough to be hands-on, and big enough to not be a one-man band. We are always aware of where everyone is and what they’re working on. We run a tight operation.

 

A: What were your backgrounds? How did you get into this business?

Kathy: We both hail from the building materials industry. I met Bret during my first job out of college, working with a sales rep in a Pella Windows showroom in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Bret: My mom owned a residential contracting business in South Carolina, so I guess you could say I grew up in the business. After college I worked at Pella Windows in Greensboro, installing their CAD system, doing their technical drawings on the commercial side of the business, and I eventually worked my way up into sales, operations and marketing.

 

A: Do you have any final advice for a homeowner considering a remodeling project?

Bret: Be open to the suggestions your contractor makes, but get more than one opinion. And, of course, call us for sound advice and an economic solution!

 

A: How can our readers find you?

 Kathy: Our website is http://www.granitetransformations.com/nashville/ and we welcome you to call us at (615) 332-8434. Our store is located at 5215 Linbar Drive Suite 207, Nashville, TN 37211.

In the tech world, the phrase “user experience” is often mentioned, referring to how easy and pleasing a software or website is for the user. The same could be said for Legacy Homes, who have applied this high concept to homebuilding, giving their homeowners more functional, spacious, and comfortable living spaces, yet maintaining beautiful craftsmanship at an incredible price. In short, they build homes that give families a nest for creating memories and a lasting legacy. As President Jeff Korotky explained, “We wanted to deliver the most luxury home for the money.”

In the fall of 2013, the four Legacy Homes founders met with a blank white board before them, discussing their concepts for a unique, new homebuilding company. “We wanted to build quality, energy-efficient homes with innovative designs at an extraordinary value,” Korotky recalled. They left that meeting forming a homebuilder’s dream team. Their combined work experiences equaled more than 100 years in the building industry—experiences ranging from small, custom homebuilders to high-production builders—as well as dovetailing skill sets. Korotky, a CPA, ended up partnering with Dan Nash, a Civil Engineer (PE), Mark Hunter, an attorney, and Shawn Fairburn, an architect. As a man of faith, Korotky elaborated, “We’ve each been given unique talents and abilities, and it’s our responsibility to use these to the best of our ability for the glory of God, per 1 Corinthians 10:31.” Together, the foursome took great care in thinking through everything from the fine-tuning of the name to the mission statement.

In 2014, the four partners began acquiring land, developing new subdivisions, designing home plans, and creating solid master cost estimates. That year, they closed 14 homes. They took stock, assessed what they learned, and refined their internal processes and procedures. By year’s end 2015, they had closed 82 homes. In 2016, they are forecasted to close 130 homes, with their stretch goal of 160 closings.

In refining their internal processes after 2014, the Legacy Homes team focused on thorough communication. Their daily meetings include all of the stakeholders for every home project. In any given meeting, one can find the Contracts/Closings Manager, Design Center Coordinator, Accounting Manager, VP of Construction, Estimating Manager and any other relevant staff plus the owners getting together, to foster accountability, identify action items and ensure they hit their targeted deadlines.

Today they have 25 employees in a family-oriented environment, fostering each person towards interpersonal and professional growth. That growth includes getting involved in community charities in Huntsville and Madison. The owners are big believers in giving back to their community, and that includes providing, time, money and talent to organizations like the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), 305 8^th Street, BUDS (Bringing Up Down Syndrome), and more.

The team at Legacy Homes works hard and plays hard. Between monthly catered birthday celebration lunches, trivia contests and the recent March Madness bracket contest (each year, the person with the worst bracket gets an unopened bag of peanuts that gets passed each year to subsequent losers while the winners enjoy gift cards to local restaurants), they are never at a loss for cultivating fun in the midst of their blueprints and Gantt charts.

The end game for Legacy Homes is instilling a culture of excellence that runs throughout the organization, and is ultimately recognized by the homeowners. Concluded Korotky, “It’s important to surround yourself with employees who want to learn and grow and feel like they are part of accomplishing our mission.” Together, their mission is “providing a First Class home buying experience that exceeds our client’s expectations.”

Several times a year, you might not catch Greg or Paige Kemp when you call Kemp’s Flooring. If your message is urgent, you’ll need to travel down to the Baja peninsula of Mexico, and in particular, the tiny town of San Quintin, where you’ll find them helping the poor.

 

As members of the Mayfair Church of Christ, the Kemps have been doing mission trips since their daughter was in high school. It started out as a spring break service trip. From building homes, repairing roofs and building churches, to serving meals and meeting the medical needs of this impoverished community, the Kemps never feel as though their work there is done.

The residents there are mostly field workers, either planting or picking strawberries six-and-a-half days a week. While there, Greg and Paige focus on problem solving, purchasing supplies, and driving the volunteers to and from the areas where they’re needed. Greg admits he doesn’t add value to the actual construction side of the work done there.

 

One particular story of the human condition has stayed with the Kemps. A woman named Sylvia had three children. She was so poor, she had no choice but to put her children in the care of the City of Children orphanage in Ensenada. Sylvia was allowed to visit her son and two daughters one Sunday a month, always bringing them her delicious, homemade food. Word soon spread of Sylvia’s excellent cooking, and she was offered a full-time position at the orphanage, which was the happy ending to a very sad situation. Today, her two daughters are happily married, and her son Misha works full time as a leader at the City of Children. “It’s inspiring how God works and how people can overcome these horrible circumstances,” Greg mused.

 

Thanks to Misha’s ongoing relationship with the Kemps and other Auburn fans, he also has become an enthusiastic Auburn fan and has traveled to the U.S. to attend football games. This past November, the Kemps took him to a basketball game, where they happened to run into the very gracious Charles Barkley, who posed for a photo with Misha. “For this kid from a Mexican orphanage to be standing there with his arm around Charles Barkley was really cool,” marveled Greg.

Misha’s story has a particular resonance for Greg, whose own grandmother lost her mother at an early age. Her father was a poor dirt farmer, and he was forced to give up his four daughters to a wealthier family, who essentially used the girls as indentured servants. “It wasn’t until my grandmother finally married that she was able to leave the family she was given to,” Greg explained. He notes the similarities between the people of two cultures thousands of miles apart are striking.

 

During Greg and Paige’s first visit to Mexico, Greg donated his red and khaki jacket. Years later, he attended church on a Sunday night and was surprised to see his jacket again, this time, on a man at church—a man whose name was Gregorio.

 

In the future, the Kemps hope to focus on expanding educational opportunities in San Quintin, as they’ve noticed the children who do get educated there tend to leave for work in Tijuana or San Diego. The Kemps hope the children they help educate in the future will sustain their faith in God and remain in the area to benefit their homeland.

 

If you are interested in helping with the mission trips, please contact Kemp’s Flooring at (256) 830-5969 or contact the Mayfair Church of Christ at (256) 881-4651 or visit http://mayfair.org.

Two to three times a month, Franklin Iron Works owner, ordained minister, and former police officer Doug Mosley makes the 70-mile round trip drive to a maximum security women’s prison in Tennessee. His mission? Prison ministry.

A 2010 study showed 46% of people released from prison or jail in Tennessee were reincarcerated within three years’ time, which is a little higher than the national average of four in 10. Mosley sees his role in these prisoners’ lives as helping these women change the way they look at situations, which then changes their behavior for the better. Many have improved their behaviors, becoming model prisoners to the point of earning early paroles.

“The captain guard out there loves me,” Mosley explains. “He tells me he definitely sees changes in behavior that they cannot get out of them – it’s permanent change. They go from being troublesome prisoners to becoming model prisoners as the result of our worship services.”

This year, Mosley’s prison ministry was recognized as #1 in the state of Tennessee. From its meager start with 12 inmates attending his services, today it has grown into a regular congregation of 60 to 80 women, or up to one-third of the prison’s population. “I resisted going for a long time, “ Mosley recalls, “I used to be a police officer, and I believed that these people were unredeemable. Now I know that isn’t true. Now I’m hooked. I can’t wait to go back and preach to them. I plan for it all month.”

Mosley is not compensated for his time volunteering, and he is held to strict standards in his interactions with the prisoners. For example, he must have a woman accompany him to every sermon, and he cannot bring anything besides the words he preaches. “I can’t give them so much as a pen or a stick of gum, or I’d be kicked out of there.”

When Mosley started his prison ministry three years ago, most of these women had never read a Bible or been in a church. “They didn’t know protocol. While I was preaching, they’d blurt out questions. They are a rough bunch—murderers, drug traffickers, armed robbers. One woman offered to stab another woman just because she was speaking up and asking me questions during my first sermon there,” Mosley recalls. “I realized, ‘Wow, they really do need me here.’”

Mosley carries with him a level of authority and authenticity that resonates with these women, because he used to police the women in his jurisdiction who were just like them. “With my background as a former police officer, I know the environment they came from. I prevented women just like them from getting beaten by their husbands or molested by their fathers. They know I understand how they got there. I speak frankly with them on a level that other people cannot.

“Every time I go, I have them fill out their personal prayer requests. It’s something that only I see. I know what their personal needs, wants and desires are, and I base my sermons on those prayer requests. Many of them have commented to me how this has impacted their lives, how they’ve improved, and how it’s improving their stay there.

“The key takeaway is, ‘Don’t judge others.’ These people don’t judge you. They are very humble people. They are truly sorry for what they’ve done, and they are trying to change their lives. I’m proud of every one of them. They’ve been beaten down all of their lives, being told they were failures, or that they weren’t good enough. Everyone needs someone to believe in them. If we all just lifted each other up instead of looking at the negative all of the time, the world would be a better place.”

In the end, Mosley feels these prisoners have changed his heart as much as he has changed theirs.