National Community

Appalachia Service Project (ASP)

The Church participates in the Appalachia Service Project, a home repair mission project serving Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. ASP has been a ministry to this region for more than 40 years, serving hundreds of families. Participants go for one week in the summer (usually late June), traveling in vans to a center. They work as a team, helping make homes warmer, safer, and drier.

Typically our volunteers work on home repairs such as plumbing, roofing, siding, foundations, drainage and flooring. They visit with and make friends with the families whose homes they work on. Our group is part of the 14,000+  volunteers who served ASP every year. Joyce Thorner shared her impression of her first year with ASP when she wrote about the family whose home was repaired: “The family’s openness and acceptance was heartwarming. I think we all got a lot more out of this week than we gave.”

Participation with ASP is an unforgettable experience. Youth who have completed 9th grade and are 15 years old are welcome. We plan for two adults on each work team, who serve as leaders and drivers. Come join us when we put out a call for volunteers. It is a very memorable opportunity to serve the community of Central Appalachia.

Volunteers pay for their own room and board help raise money throughout the year to pay for the travel expenses, tools and construction materials. ASP volunteers raise money through a variety of projects including a pasta dinner, selling Easter bread, tag sales, bottle returns and much more. ASP volunteers also do small construction projects as fundraisers, trying to accept projects, which mirror the construction they will do with ASP. These projects provide each volunteer with the opportunity to work with tools and learn to be part of a team.  If you want to read more about ASP, check their Web site: www.asphome.org.

If you have questions, please contact the ASP organizers through the Church office at (860) 666-4689 or email churchofchrist@newingtonucc.org