March Newsletter: Breaking Ground with Gratitude - Honoring Guy Patrick
In 1996, Guy Patrick helped form the first Madison County chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and later served as its Executive Director for almost ten years. To say Guy was beloved by his community would be an understatement. In speaking with Guy’s cherished wife Peggy, we learned that even once Guy retired, he never stopped volunteering. In all conditions, come rain or shine, and with his trademark “Oh, yay!” Guy helped facilitate over 100 home builds from Haiti to Appalachia, even working with President Jimmy Carter on the blitz builds of the 90s. Guy famously touted the work ethic of Habitat volunteers saying,
“Wherever a normal home builder would put one to two nails in, Habitat builders use ten. After the hurricanes, only the Habitat houses were left standing.”
Before his time in Kentucky, Guy volunteered with Americus and worked closely alongside Millard Fuller, the man who co-founded Habitat for Humanity. During his years with Fuller, the foundational mission of Habitat, alongside Fuller’s exceptional work ethic and philosophy, was deeply instilled into Guy and galvanized his passionate dedication to sustainable living for all. Guy also worked for the Christian Appalachian Project, a racially integrated farming community, famous for their pecans. During his time at C.A.P., Guy was inspired to think about the systemic issues around the greatest challenges within their community and realized many socio-economic-interpersonal issues stem from housing instability. And in that vein of extraordinary commitment to his community, and as a final parting gift to his Habitat family, Guy requested folks donate to Habitat in lieu of memorial flowers when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.
Fast-forward to today: Habitat for Humanity of Madison & Clark counties broke ground last week on the first Richmond-based build in over six years - a house whose build is dedicated to Guy Patrick’s legacy and memory.
