Local family’s kitchen renovated by military home renovation show | News

ALMO, Ky. — After months of hard work from the community and the series Moving with the Military, a local military family’s kitchen was completely renovated and revealed Friday, March 28.

Maria Reed, the creator of Moving with the Military, led the project, which renovates kitchens for military families across the country. As a military spouse of 23 years, Reed understands the challenges of her role. She said everything in her house would break when her husband was deployed, so she had to learn how to fix those issues, which prompted her to help others in the same situation.

“I wanted to give that gift back to other military spouses and say, ‘You can do this, this is not hard. Maybe a little scary at first, but you can do it, so you don’t feel that pressure or feel completely alone when you are alone because your spouse is deployed,'” Reed said. “Most military families don’t have the funding to be able to do large-scale projects. So we said, ‘Let’s figure out a way to do that and help them.'”

Reed said they received many nominations for Stacy and Jeremy Bilodeau to participate in the show. Reed expressed that Stacy had been vocal on social media about her battle with breast cancer and how her kitchen was falling apart. Along with her husband being an active duty Coast Guard, Reed reached out to contractors in Murray, and the ball started rolling. 

Reed said the Calloway County community showed support, and she was met only with the word yes. She expressed that the blood, sweat and tears were worth it after seeing the joy on their faces as they walked in.

“The kitchen is beautiful, but at the end of the day, it really wasn’t about the kitchen, it was about the people that put their time and their love into giving to them and to saying, ‘We see you, we’re here for you, you’re not alone, and you have a community,'” Reed said.

When Reed reached out to Deric Tarnowski, the owner of Builder’s First Choice, he said that upon hearing the Bilodeau’s story, he immediately wanted to jump in on the project.

“The coolest part was getting to call my electricians, the plumbers, and the people we work with, and start telling them the story,” Tarnowski said. “Before I get the first sentence out, they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re in.'”

Tarnowski, an Army National Guard veteran, was especially moved by the chance to give back to another military family. He said he knows firsthand how difficult it is to create a sense of home.

“A lot of times, military personnel move around so much, and it’s hard for them to really make spots that feel like home for them,” Tarnowski said. “So being able to help give Stacy and Jeremy and their family a spot that’s a place to make memories is pretty cool.”

For Stacy Bilodeau, the renovation was about more than just the kitchen — it became a deeply personal way to process her cancer battle.

“It just was probably my closest way to, you know, really feel like I was kicking cancer’s butt — like taking that sledgehammer to the counter was like taking a sledgehammer to cancer,” Bilodeau said.

The renovation, completed by Reed and volunteers, overwhelmed the Bilodeau family with gratitude.

“I felt love, like it was their treasure and their passion of what they do, and they blessed us; it’s overwhelming,” Stacy said. “I’ve really leaned into more people, and this is such a good example of how you lean into people, and how people are there to stand up and be next to you, and they want to be next to you, and they want to support you.”

Reed said the Bilodeaus’ kitchen renovation episode will air in May. For more information on how to watch it, visit the website.