Appalachia Service Project
Encyclopedia
Appalachia Service Project, Inc. or ASP is a Christian
volunteer organization
operating in Central Appalachia
, specifically in the states of Virginia
, West Virginia
, Kentucky
, and Tennessee
. The organization is concerned with home repair for low-income families, as well as a limited amount of free home construction. Its primary goal is making homes "warmer, safer, and drier".
.
. During Tex's 13 years as director at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, he witnessed the great need for home repair assistance. He recruited 50 teens and adult volunteers to repair homes in Barbourville, Kentucky. They worked on-site during the day and worshipped in the evenings. By summer's end, they had repaired homes for four families.
Since then, ASP has grown into a large organization operating in 25 communities. In the summer of 2006, 12,612 volunteers repaired 369 homes. ASP also spun off organizations known as the Sierra Service Project in California
and Project NOAH
in Louisiana
. In addition to the summer volunteer program for youth, ASP operates three year-round centers in Jonesville, Virginia
, Chavies, Kentucky
, and Brenton, West Virginia
. Adult volunteers as well as college groups come to these centers to repair homes throughout the year.
Since 1969, more than 260,000 volunteers from across the nation have repaired 14,000 homes. Today, about 15,000 people volunteer in the program annually.
ASP's goal is to not only provide families with warmer, safer, and drier homes, but to also foster positive relationships between the volunteers and the recipients. They claim that some of the results of the project include families renewing their faith in the goodness of others, people motivated to continue their education, and young adults choosing careers of service.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
volunteer organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
operating in Central Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
, specifically in the states of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The organization is concerned with home repair for low-income families, as well as a limited amount of free home construction. Its primary goal is making homes "warmer, safer, and drier".
Statement of Values
Appalachia Service Project lists the following driving values:.
History
ASP was founded in the summer of 1969 by Rev. Glenn "Tex" Evans, a minister in the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. During Tex's 13 years as director at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, he witnessed the great need for home repair assistance. He recruited 50 teens and adult volunteers to repair homes in Barbourville, Kentucky. They worked on-site during the day and worshipped in the evenings. By summer's end, they had repaired homes for four families.
Since then, ASP has grown into a large organization operating in 25 communities. In the summer of 2006, 12,612 volunteers repaired 369 homes. ASP also spun off organizations known as the Sierra Service Project in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Project NOAH
Project Noah
Project Noah is a free mobile application that nature lovers can use to explore and document local wildlife and a common technology platform that research groups can use to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere...
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. In addition to the summer volunteer program for youth, ASP operates three year-round centers in Jonesville, Virginia
Jonesville, Virginia
Jonesville is a town in and the county seat of Lee County, Virginia, United States. The population was 995 at the 2000 census.- History :Jonesville was established in 1794 as the county seat of Lee County. The town was known as Glade Spring in its infancy. It was incorporated in 1884, and...
, Chavies, Kentucky
Chavies, Kentucky
Chavies is a residential hamlet with U.S. Post Office located in Perry County, Kentucky, United States. Located deep in the eastern coal fields region of the state, it is serviced by KY 28 along the banks of the Licking River. According to data provided by the U.S...
, and Brenton, West Virginia
Brenton, West Virginia
Brenton is an unincorporated census-designated place in Wyoming County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 249....
. Adult volunteers as well as college groups come to these centers to repair homes throughout the year.
Since 1969, more than 260,000 volunteers from across the nation have repaired 14,000 homes. Today, about 15,000 people volunteer in the program annually.
ASP's goal is to not only provide families with warmer, safer, and drier homes, but to also foster positive relationships between the volunteers and the recipients. They claim that some of the results of the project include families renewing their faith in the goodness of others, people motivated to continue their education, and young adults choosing careers of service.
See also
- MethodismMethodismMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
- Social and Economic Stratification in AppalachiaSocial and Economic Stratification in AppalachiaThe Appalachian region of the Eastern United States is home to over 20 million people and covers parts of mostly mountainous areas of 13 states, including Mississippi, Alabama, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, and the...