Student, alumna participate in national show

    One Murray State student and an alumna are doing their part this weekend by volunteering to help build a house in Owensboro, Ky., for the ABC-TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
    Jodi Keen, senior from Mount Vernon, Ill., and Jacqueline Jordan, Murray State alumna from Greenville, Ky., decided to spend their Labor Day weekend making a difference, they said.
    According to abc.com the ABC-TV show “EMHE” has helped transform the lives of dozens while inspiring millions more. Thousands of families apply online to have their home remodeled to improve their unfit living conditions.
    “I read about it in the Messenger-Inquirer,” Jordan said. “I called Jodi because she said she was coming to visit so I mentioned we should apply as volunteers.”
    Jordan said she started volunteering as part of her youth and nonprofit leadership minor.
    Keen and Jordan have signed up for the 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. shift Sunday, the first day of the home makeover.
    “Since Monday is Labor Day, it will be our recovery day from the hard work the day before,” Keen said.
    Thompson Homes is sponsoring the new home being built in Owensboro, Ky., and states the company is honored to be selected to help such a

deserving family, according to extremethompsonhomes.com.
    It will be a privilege to work alongside the best the community has to offer and see the family’s dream come true, Thompson Homes said on the Web site.
   

    The staff from the show will soon reveal the details  of each volunteer’s job, Keen said.
    “I’m not sure how many people will be there to volunteer,” Keen said.
     There is no doubt there will be a large turnout of volunteers on site. The small town’s southern hospitality will be apparent, Keen said.
    She said she has volunteered for church youth groups that involved construction, but nothing this extreme.
    The site provides a service table that includes food and drinks for the workers and volunteers, Jordan said.
    Keen and Jordan will paint and do other safe jobs asked of them, Jordan said.
    The show states the volunteers must be aware that it is a real construction site. No one under the age of 18 is permitted, and no autographs or pictures will be taken on site, the “EMHE” volunteer policy stated.
    The crew of volunteers will be working on the house until Sept. 14.
    Jordan said she plans to go the last day of the project to see the outcome of the house and the group’s work.
    William Robinson can be reached at william.robinson@murraystate.edu.