Putting faith into action: 38 Geneva Methodists rehab low-income West Virginia homes

Geneva Methodists put faith into action this summer.

On July 10, United Methodist Church of Geneva celebrated its 10th annual Appalachia Service Project.

Leading the worship service were members of the church's ASP mission team.

In personal testimonies, two youth and three adults from UMC of Geneva's 38-volunteer work crew chronicled helping repair homes of low-income families in Charleston and Cross Lanes, West Virginia, June 11-18.

Volunteers offering reflections Sunday were LeAnn Erhart and Luke Hogan, youth; and Michael Popplewell, Curt Baffes and Elise Erhart, adults.

Popplewell, church choral ministries director and work crew leader, moderated the presentation.

He said the project opened in January with information meetings and fundraisers, including doughnut and chocolate-covered strawberry sales.

On June 11, the church team carpooled to West Virginia in five passenger vans and a cargo van.

While most volunteers were from Geneva, others represented Aurora, North Aurora, Batavia, Dekalb and Lincoln Park.

Team members were housed by Cross Lanes UMC, where volunteers slept on the gym floor.

Appalachia Service Project staff provided direction for home repair projects and supplied tools and construction materials.

Rehab projects ranged from indoor bathroom plumbing and kitchen floor repair to roofing and deck and stairs replacement.

A group dug holes for a wheelchair ramp attached to the side of a house.

From Sunday evening to Saturday, the local Appalachia Service Project center provided meals.

In evenings, team members attended a ritual circle and meetings held by the host Appalachia Service Project group to teach about local areas and problems including poverty, unemployment and low-income housing.

A video accompanying the worship presentation was recorded by UMC of Geneva congregants Keegan and Quint Beier.

Concluding worship presentations, Popplewell said "Everyone joined in to remind one another of the amazing things that were happening each day at our various job sites. Palpable change occurred each day throughout the week for each volunteer."

He added that he met his wife, Julie, 25 years ago through the Appalachia Service Project. Last year, he said, daughters Leah and Melanie participated for the first time.

Following the volunteers' presentation, associate pastor Rev. Lisa Telomen presented a moment for mission: "Because You Give - ASP!"

The service closed with a congregational song, "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

Based in Johnson City, Tenn., Appalachia Service Project is a mission that serves Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Its mission is to make homes warmer, safer and drier for low-income families. During the summer, ASP hosts volunteers, age 14 or older. More than 14,000 youth, college and adult volunteer groups come to central Appalachia to perform home repairs during June and July. A year-round ASP home rehab program was established in 1980 in Jonesville, Va. A council of local residents advises the program.

ASP was founded in 1969 by Rev. Glenn "Tex" Evans. While working as a director at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Ky., Evans saw first hand the need for assistance in home repairs among his neighbors.

Later, as a staff member of the Board Of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church in Nashville Tenn., he took several weeks off from his preaching schedule to recruit 50 teens and their adult counselors to repair four homes in Barbourville, Ky.

This initiative has evolved into the ASP, which currently mobilizes between 15,000 and 17,000 volunteers each year to provide repairs to more than 500 families.