Appalachia Service Project

ASP

July 1-10, 2011

2000+ miles round trip to Morgan County, Tennessee!

9 days, 20 team members in 3 crews

Making homes warmer, safter, drier:

Transforming lives!

ASP has been serving in Appalachia since 1969. With summer programs for youth and year-round opportunities for adults, they cover an area of more than 40 counties in Central Appalachia. They own three permanent Year-Round Centers where thy run Adult Programs durning the fall, winter, and spring. During the summer Youth Program they rent schools and community centers in about 27 communities throughout the region. Approximately 15,000 volunteers from all over the country participate in ASP each summer.

A group of our youth and their leaders will be part of that volunteer crew this summer! This is our third year with ASP. In 2009, we took 15 South Church folks to Mingo County, WV. Last year (2010) we had a group of 11 that went to Dickenson County, VA, and this summer we've got 20 (count 'em!) going to Morgan County, TN - about as far away from Amherst as we could go with ASP. We will be leaving July 1, and spending 2 nights on the road to Morgan County, including a stop to our site in Dickenson Cty from last year to take on board one of the youth we met and worked with there. We'll return home, tired but inspired, on July 10.

While at our work sites in Morgan County, we'll be working in homes that may need roofing, plumbing, underpinning, or other building projects. We will be getting to know the families in each home, making connections and learning about our brothers and sisters in different part of our country.

The cost of the trip, including building materials, travel expenses, and fees for housing us during the week will be close to $18,000. South Church has already committed $5000 toward the total. We're on our way!

The theme for ASP 2011 is "Follow the Word - Transform the World!" You can find out more about ASP at their website: www.asphome.org.

Your prayers and support for this mission are a great blessing!

FACTS ABOUT THE AREAS SERVED BY ASP:

One in four lives below the poverty level - 105,000 children, 195,000 adults, and 35,000 elderly
Poverty is more than double the national average
62,500 homes are substandard
19,000 homes lack adequate kitchens
21,000 homes lack complete plumbing
Nearly half of the families have annual household incomes below $20,000
The need is so great, we are only able to help one in ten families who apply for help. The more people who volunteer, the more families we can help.