SMYRNA — Lillian Ellis lives at the same house in a neighborhood off Old Nashville Highway she has lived in for the past 14 years. But it's a totally different place.

Thanks to a group of 52 volunteers and more than 20 businesses that came together through a group called Both Hands, Ellis' home was renovated in about a week. It has new flooring, new kitchen cabinets, a new bathroom vanity, new living room furniture, a new washer, a new range and a new bed. The group also painted most of her walls and pulled weeds from her garden.

But the path to renovation at Ellis' house started with a complete stranger.

Jason Stewart, executive director of worship programming at LifePoint Church, and his wife, Kelly, are planning to adopt a 2-year-old boy from Ethiopia. As their Oct. 31 court date approaches, Stewart was looking online at information about Lifesong for Orphans, an organization the couple is working with, when he stumbled across Both Hands' website.

Both Hands, a 3-year-old Williamson County organization founded by J.T. Olson, is based on the Bible verse James 1:27, which urges Christians to help both orphans and widows. Instead of raising money through golf tournaments or 5Ks, Both Hands asks adoptive parents to do pledge drives by helping widows.

Stewart started asking around and found out about Ellis. She and her husband, William, moved to Smyrna in 1963 to be stationed at Sewart Air Force Base. She had served as an airman first class from 1952 to 1953 before they got married. He served from 1953 to 1973 and retired as a senior master sergeant.

They fell in love with Smyrna and stayed here.

He passed away on April 7, 2010, at 77.

She was lost without him.

She fell behind on housework and yardwork and as she grieved, she took in stray cats that came to her door. But before she knew it, there were too many of them and they began to damage her house.

"It's tough when you've got a partner and then suddenly you find yourself alone," Ellis said.

Then she met Stewart.

His campaign to help Ellis and raise funds through Both Hands started with a few letters and e-mails to family and friends. He let them know about what he was doing and asked them to help in any way they could.

Then word spread and, in a matter of weeks, he had lined up 52 volunteers of all ages and more than 20 businesses that donated furniture, flooring, labor, lunches and more.

Dow Smith Contracting Co. offered project management services. Carpets by Ozburn provided flooring and installation. Williams Cabinet Co. gave Ellis new kitchen cabinets. Raz'z Restaurant invited Ellis and some volunteers to dine there for free. Studio T gave her a haircut and a makeover.

"They said she came out of the hair salon dancing," Stewart said.

While many Both Hands projects take place in a day or a weekend, the volunteers worked on Ellis' house for a full week. More work is still being done and more donations are still coming in.

The bulk of the work was done on Sept. 24, the project day Jason and Kelly set for most of their volunteers to show up.

As it turned out, Ellis' house was Both Hands' 100th project. The organization hit the $1 million mark in fundraising a month before the project started.

"It's been an incredible journey," Stewart said.

With just a few weeks left until Jason and Kelly head to Ethiopia for the adoption hearing, they're busy with work and taking care of their three kids, Parker, 9; Emory; 8 and Bradley, 5.

The couple thinks often of the boy they want to adopt. His name is Obsi. They plan to name him Judson Obsi after Judson Baptist, a church they served at in Nashville. It gets its name from Arthur Judson Brown, one of the first international missionaries. They're trying to raise about $10,000 for their expenses.

Stewart also makes time to stop by and see Ellis.

He checked in on her last week to make sure progress was continuing on her home. She hugged him and thanked him as he came through her door and told him he and the rest of the volunteers "worked miracles."

She couldn't be more proud of her home.

"It's like a castle," she said. "You know how you have a dream? You dream big, but it doesn't always happen. This is a dream come true."SMYRNA — Lillian Ellis lives at the same house in a neighborhood off Old Nashville Highway she has lived in for the past 14 years. But it's a totally different place.

Thanks to a group of 52 volunteers and more than 20 businesses that came together through a group called Both Hands, Ellis' home was renovated in about a week. It has new flooring, new kitchen cabinets, a new bathroom vanity, new living room furniture, a new washer, a new range and a new bed. The group also painted most of her walls and pulled weeds from her garden.

But the path to renovation at Ellis' house started with a complete stranger.

Jason Stewart, executive director of worship programming at LifePoint Church, and his wife, Kelly, are planning to adopt a 2-year-old boy from Ethiopia. As their Oct. 31 court date approaches, Stewart was looking online at information about Lifesong for Orphans, an organization the couple is working with, when he stumbled across Both Hands' website.

Both Hands, a 3-year-old Williamson County organization founded by J.T. Olson, is based on the Bible verse James 1:27, which urges Christians to help both orphans and widows. Instead of raising money through golf tournaments or 5Ks, Both Hands asks adoptive parents to do pledge drives by helping widows.

Stewart started asking around and found out about Ellis. She and her husband, William, moved to Smyrna in 1963 to be stationed at Sewart Air Force Base. She had served as an airman first class from 1952 to 1953 before they got married. He served from 1953 to 1973 and retired as a senior master sergeant.

They fell in love with Smyrna and stayed here.

He passed away on April 7, 2010, at 77.

She was lost without him.

She fell behind on housework and yardwork and as she grieved, she took in stray cats that came to her door. But before she knew it, there were too many of them and they began to damage her house.

"It's tough when you've got a partner and then suddenly you find yourself alone," Ellis said.

Then she met Stewart.

His campaign to help Ellis and raise funds through Both Hands started with a few letters and e-mails to family and friends. He let them know about what he was doing and asked them to help in any way they could.

Then word spread and, in a matter of weeks, he had lined up 52 volunteers of all ages and more than 20 businesses that donated furniture, flooring, labor, lunches and more.

Dow Smith Contracting Co. offered project management services. Carpets by Ozburn provided flooring and installation. Williams Cabinet Co. gave Ellis new kitchen cabinets. Raz'z Restaurant invited Ellis and some volunteers to dine there for free. Studio T gave her a haircut and a makeover.

"They said she came out of the hair salon dancing," Stewart said.

While many Both Hands projects take place in a day or a weekend, the volunteers worked on Ellis' house for a full week. More work is still being done and more donations are still coming in.

The bulk of the work was done on Sept. 24, the project day Jason and Kelly set for most of their volunteers to show up.

As it turned out, Ellis' house was Both Hands' 100th project. The organization hit the $1 million mark in fundraising a month before the project started.

"It's been an incredible journey," Stewart said.

With just a few weeks left until Jason and Kelly head to Ethiopia for the adoption hearing, they're busy with work and taking care of their three kids, Parker, 9; Emory; 8 and Bradley, 5.

The couple thinks often of the boy they want to adopt. His name is Obsi. They plan to name him Judson Obsi after Judson Baptist, a church they served at in Nashville. It gets its name from Arthur Judson Brown, one of the first international missionaries. They're trying to raise about $10,000 for their expenses.

Stewart also makes time to stop by and see Ellis.

He checked in on her last week to make sure progress was continuing on her home. She hugged him and thanked him as he came through her door and told him he and the rest of the volunteers "worked miracles."

She couldn't be more proud of her home.

"It's like a castle," she said. "You know how you have a dream? You dream big, but it doesn't always happen. This is a dream come true."

Written by
Taylor Loyal

To view full article: www.dnj.com/article/20111009/NEWS01/110090317/Community-answers-call-aid-Smyrna-widow

For more info about the Stewart Family Project visit: www.bothhandsfoundation.org/jason-and-kelly-stewart.aspx