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Come to Appalachia toraise roofs. Fix floors.And build awhole new you.
Appalachia’s poorest families urgently
need your help to make their homes
warmer, safer and drier. But they can
help change your life, too.
Through their eyes, you’ll see yourself
as the person you’ve always wanted to
be. Compassionate. Committed. With
the power to make a difference.
Through their gratitude, you’ll be
inspired to serve others in every area
of your life.
And through their down-to-earth faith,
your own faith will grow stronger. And
your relationship with God will grow
deeper every day.
So come on and join us. Sign up your
group to volunteer for Appalachia Service
Project. Sure, you’ll install insulation. Repair porches.
Reinforce foundations. But even more importantly, you’ll build
a whole new you.
ASP helps participants to see themselves in a new light... to see others in a new light and a new way... to gain a fresh, new
perspective on the future, and of course, their faith. I think of a
quote I heard from a first-time participant: “ASP is not just about
us working on homes. It’s about God working on us.”
— ASP volunteer
Volunteer with Appalachia Service Project
and the first life to changewill be your own.
Whether you’re in college, mid-career or retired,
Appalachia Service Project will help you create
an experience that’s just right for you.
Your group can opt to volunteer for a week
or a weekend. Either way, you’ll stay in a
climate-controlled ASP center with bunk beds
and hearty meals. And have a chance to enjoy
the cooler temperatures and stunning scenery
that come in fall, winter and spring (summers
are reserved for youth programs).
But this is no trip to the spa. You’ll roll
up your sleeves and lay shingles, replace
linoleum, build handicapped ramps. If you have
construction experience, you’ll be matched with
jobs that suit your skills.
And even if you have no building experience
at all, our staff will show you the ropes—help-
ing you develop skills you didn’t even know
you had.
Best of all, you’ll have plenty of time to
bond with your group and get to know the
family you are serving. You will be completely
immersed in Appalachian culture. And the
connections you make here will enrich both
you and your Appalachian family for the rest
of your lives.
After a few days of hard work, your hands
will grow a little tougher, your arms a little
stronger, and your relationship with God a
whole lot deeper. And you’ll return home to
your community with a passion for service,
a renewed compassion for other people, and
a fresh appreciation for your place and purpose
in this world.
Because when you put your faith in
action, God acts in your heart. When you
change the lives of others, they have a way
of changing you.
Poverty, potential and a preacher named TexIn 1969, rev. Glenn “tex” evans—a united Methodist minister—became one
of the first people to connect the energy of youth with the deep needs of the
poor. As part of his already thriving outreach to the people of Appalachia, he
recruited 50 teens and adult volunteers to repair homes. they worked on-site
during the day and worshipped in the evenings. By summer’s end, four families
had safe, warm homes for the winter, fifty young lives had been changed
forever—and a forty-year-long legacy was born.
But tex was more than a leader; he was a born motivator. A true student of Appalachian
culture and a legendary storyteller, he set the tone for what ASP is today: an extended family
where laughter is king. Where relationships matter. And where changing the lives of families
and volunteers alike is the highest priority of all.
When we got there, I was the only one in our group who knew exactly how to frame the roof that needed to be repaired. It was like the
Lord knew what Jim and his family needed, and He sent me.
— ASP Adult volunteer
Adult volunteers:
Repairing homes, restoring hearts.
Every year, more than 13,000 high
school teens converge on the Appalachian
Mountains, bringing boundless energy.
And spreading tons of hope.
That’s because ASP provides one of the
most rewarding structured, short-term service
opportunities for church youth in the nation—
in a program that is completely turn-key,
from meals to lodging to tools and materials
to evening gatherings. Leave the logistics to
us—and we’ll leave you free to minister to
your young people.
First, your group will be well prepared
for its week of service with study materials
on everything from Appalachian culture to
basic construction skills.
Your youth will be housed in one of
ASP’s several base camps—often a school
or community center rented for the summer
to put you closer to Appalachia’s remote
communities. But wherever the location,
you’ll never be without strong leadership,
three meals a day, and unparalleled
opportunities for worship, reflection and
spiritual growth.
Your group will show up on a Sunday
afternoon, put in five days of home repair, and
leave on Saturday morning. But be prepared
to leave a good piece of your heart behind.
Because ASP is far more than a building
program—forging friendships is as important
as swinging hammers. In fact, we like to call
it a relational ministry with construction on
the side.
For many church youth programs, ASP is
the highlight of their year. From fundraising to
roof-raising, it’s a unifying activity that rallies
the whole church to support its young people.
And inspires the kids to get more involved in
their church.
But far more importantly, ASP gives even
the most self-absorbed young people a heart
for service. And it lays the groundwork for a
lifetime of service that will benefit the youth,
their church and their communities for the
rest of their lives.
TENNESSEE
KENTUCKYVIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
Where we serve
Areas where ASP currently serves
Areas of future expansion
Year Round Centers
ASP runs both Summer
Volunteer Centers and
Year-Round Centers in
Kentucky, Tennessee,
Virginia and West
Virginia.
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h
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h
Every day at ASP you are challenged in unexpected ways. I remember several instances
where I was unsure if I could accomplish some task, but what
over-rode it every time was the presence and faith of the rest
of my crew, the belief of the family we were working with
and a knowledge that God was present with us all. I was permanently transformed by my volunteer experience. — ASP volunteer
Youth volunteers:
Good times and timeless rewards.
In the Central Appalachian region where we serve: • Poverty is more than double the national average
• One in four lives below the poverty level—105,000
children, 195,000 adults, and 35,000 elderly
• 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
How can a region so rich in natural resources
be so poor?
You can’t build factories on mountainsides.
You can’t plant crops. And for more than a hun-
dred years, large corporations have extracted
Appalachia’s natural resources while putting
little back in the form of taxes or community
support.
The result is that jobs are few and far
between. For many of these families, their
modest houses—handed down from generation
to generation—are the only real possession
they have.
But houses need maintenance. And main-
tenance costs money. When you are having to
choose between between buying food or medi-
cine for your family, fixing a hole in the roof
becomes a low priority.
As a result, the homes are crumbling. Walls
buckle. Roofs leak. And sagging floors pose
hazards to the elderly and the very young.
Into this bleak environment, ASP shines
a ray of hope. With help from volunteers like
you, we repair more homes than any agency
working in Appalachia.
We like to say that our goal is to make
homes “warmer, safer and drier.” And for
more than 40 years, we’ve done exactly that
for 14,000 families.
Yet for all that, we are only able to serve
one in ten families who apply to us for help.
We need many, many more volunteers to make
a lasting dent in Appalachian poverty.
In other words, we need you.
Your volunteer work will give a special
family some financial breathing room to
concentrate on more important things. Like
feeding their kids. Looking for work. And
making plans for the future.
Best of all, your presence will touch their
lives and remind them that compassion knows
no boundaries. And that not even the highest
hills and deepest hollows can separate them
from God’s love.
ASP transformed me from an inactive member of a church
to a highly active and visible member of the church.
ASP has had a huge impact on the direction my life has taken since my first trip in 2004. — ASP Adult volunteer
The height of beauty,
the depths of poverty.
Volunteer for Appalachia Service Project, and you’ll
find fun. You’ll find inspiration. And ultimately, you’ll
find yourself.
If you volunteer for the Adult Program, you’ll
come away with your faith on fire and a sense of
accomplishment that can’t be matched by any nine
to five job.
If you’re in high school, you’ll come home
feeling closer to your friends, more committed to
your church, and more excited about your place
and your potential in the body of Christ.
If you’re a youth leader, you’ll know the joy
of seeing your young people transform before
your eyes. And you’ll rekindle your own passion
to serve.
Appalachia Service Project takes adult volunteer
applications all year round. For the youth program,
we begin taking applications in September for the
following summer. And the earlier your group applies,
the higher priority your registration will receive.
So log on to www.BuildANewYou.org today. And
discover for yourself what 250,000 ASP volunteers
already know:
The most important thing you’ll build in
Appalachia is you.
Taking the next step Apply now at www.BuildANewYou.org
or email [email protected].
Adult volunteer applications are accepted
year round. Youth groups may register
beginning September 1 for the following
year. Sign up now!
How you can give more than your time.
ASP’s work is funded only partially by
volunteer fees—the rest must come from
donations. Please give generously.
To give a gift by check:
Make check payable to Appalachia
Service Project, Inc. and mail to:
4523 Bristol Highway
Johnson City, TN 37601
To donate by phone:
(866) 998-3907
To give online:
www.BuildANewYou.org/Give
Sign up today.
Share God’s love tomorrow.
www.BuildANewYou.org
Appalachia Service Project, Inc.4523 Bristol Highway
Johnson City, TN 37601Phone (423) 854-8800
Appalachia Service Project (ASP) is a Christian ministry, open to all people. This means that no matter where you come from, no matter what organization, church
or denomination you belong to, you will always find open arms at ASP. Whether you are a volunteer or one of the Appalachian families we serve, we accept you
for who you are. We look forward to welcoming you into our family.