Jan. 14: Tough times don't dampen CF resident's spirits

Kevin Sluys considers himself a fortunate man.

Like a lot of people, he's been hit pretty hard by the weak economy _ specifically, the real estate slowdown.

But Kevin, 54, of Spring Lake East, has a family he loves, and the ability and desire to help others -- all of which makes him happy.

"I'm never going to be a wealthy man, This is wealth to me: personal satisfaction," Kevin says.

Kevin is a carpenter who builds and remodels houses. He owns his own business, and work has gone from slowing to a trickle to almost completely drying up.

But he still helps homeowners in need through his church, Christ United Methodist Church on Fantasy Way. A program called Helping Hands sends volunteers on weekends into local homes to fix caved-in floors, change out windows and make other repairs. Kevin's latest project was building a wheelchair ramp for a man who attends his church.

He also has participated in the statewide Salkehatchie Summer Service -- a weeklong, volunteer work camp in which dilapidated houses are remodeled.

The hands-on trade might be encoded in DNA: Kevin says he got his carpentry talent from his father; and Kevin's daughter, Jessica, also has participated in Salkehatchie; while son Sean works for Kevin's company, Top Notch Construction, when he's home from college.

But Jessica, 20, and Sean, 21, both students, don't appear to be headed toward careers in carpentry, which is OK with Kevin. He says those who specialize in carpentry are a dying breed, and he's proud of his kids regardless of what profession they choose.

Kevin's wife, Sharon, works as an accountant at Coastal Carolina University, which Jessica attends. Sean is at University of South Carolina. Another son, Patrick, 31, from Kevin's first marriage, lives in California.

Last March Kevin was invited to volunteer on an ``Extreme Home Makeover'' project in New Orleans. He spent $2,000 of his own money to stay in a hotel for eight days while helping build a home for a family of firefighters. He says it was worth it. The food the TV network provided was good, he got in a little sightseeing, and -- most important -- he thought, "Here's my chance to help a Katrina victim. That's what it was for me."

Kevin also has worked on local Habitat for Humanity projects. He plans to continue donating his time and materials to help other people, regardless of when or whether paid work picks up.

"If you make someone else's life a little easier -- what comes around, goes around," Kevin says. "They can turn around and help someone else."