Appalachia Service Project

Appalachia Service Project (ASP) provides one of the most rewarding structured service opportunities in the nation — bringing thousands of volunteers from around the country to rural Central Appalachia to repair homes for low-income families.

Our History

In 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. During Tex’s 13 years as director of the Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, he witnessed the great need for home repair assistance. As part of his already-thriving outreach to the people of Appalachia, he recruited 50 teens and adult volunteers to repair homes in Barbourville, Kentucky. They worked during the day and worshiped in the evenings. By summer’s end, four families had safe, warm homes for the winter, fifty lives had been changed forever — and a forty-seven-year-long legacy was born.

Our Mission

Appalachia Service Project (ASP) is a Christian ministry, open to all people, that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia. Our vision is to see substandard housing in Central Appalachia eradicated and everyone who comes in contact with ASP transformed.

Our Values

We believe that each person is a child of God imbued with dignity and worth. We accept people right where they are and just the way they are. We believe that all people should be able to live in affordable, safe, and sanitary housing. We are committed to witness through the good quality of our work and careful stewardship of our resources. We believe God calls people to serve others as volunteer partners in ministry and we will encourage their growth in faith as they answer this call. Where ASP is involved in local communities we will encourage, affirm, and support the fair and just treatment of people. We believe in ministering in the spirit of love, acceptance, and hopefulness.

What We Do

ASP offers transformational volunteer opportunities for adults and youth throughout the year.  More than 17,000 volunteers from around the country served with ASP in rural Central Appalachia last year, repairing homes for low-income families.  But ASP is more than just a building program. Yes, Appalachia’s poorest families urgently need your help, 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. We like to say that our goal is to make homes “warmer, safer and drier” for needy families.  And for more than 53 years, we’ve done exactly that for thousands of 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. Learn more about our volunteer opportunities by visiting our website listed below.

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