Patsy and her extended family still live in their native Wayne County, KY.

Having grown up on a dairy farm, she was no stranger to hard work and worked all her adult life as well. Before joining
a Mutual Self-Help Housing group in 2011 run by Highlands Housing, her home was a 1970’s vintage single-wide placed on land she owned.
Patsy was intrigued by the concept of self-help housing as a way to improve her living conditions and those of four other Wayne County households in the cohort. The sweat equity the five households earned by building 65% of each other’s homes made it possible for them to own new homes well within the reach of their modest savings and budgets. Patsy served as the
clerk and timekeeper for her self-help build group, and was one of two homebuyers who received special recognition from Highlands Housing’s construction supervisor, earning a “110% Effort” award.
In 2012, Patsy moved into the new three-bedroom home she helped build. Patsy’s dedication to promote positive change for resource-limited families through homeownership continues with
her service and insight as a Highlands Housings’ board member and meeting with new Self- Help groups to offer wisdom and encouragement. Patsy has one daughter and one granddaughter, and she says that she would love to see them have the same opportunities to stay in Wayne County as she has had.