MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. — As Gary Wallace helped clear trees for a new road near the Monroe County airport, he started wondering what would happen to all the wood.
He found out it would be buried or burned, but thought they could do more.
So he asked Tom McCosh, the Monroe County Airport director, if he could cut it into firewood for community members in need.
"I called the mayor and the sheriff and they were both on board," McCosh said. "Now we've got inmate help loading, cutting it up and the project is coming along beautifully."
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As bulldozers cleared the pathway for the new road, Wallace cut the trees into chunks of wood. His fellow inmates helped load it onto a truck where it could be stored for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office to distribute.
"There's a lot of elderly people who can't get out and cut wood to burn heat,' Wallace said. "It's a good time for the community because the more we put back the better we are."
The chance for inmates to help those around them is part of what made this project so special.
"It helps our guys give back to the community and that's something that's very important," county mayor Mitch Ingram said. "Obviously, they're not sitting in jail, they're out using their hands and working."
In Monroe County, McCosh said there are around 14,000 people over the age of 65. Many of them, as well as veterans and people with disabilities, can stay warm with the firewood.
"Monroe County’s a large area, but it's a small community," McCosh said. "We're just we're so grateful that we can give back and help them."
If you need firewood assistance, you can contact the Monroe County Sheriff's Office here or call (423) 442-3911.