ASP News

ASP Iowa City volunteers critical to success of Knoxville Extreme Makeover build

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:18:00 -0500

When the call went out from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for volunteers to assist with a new home build in Knoxville, Tenn., longtime Appalachia Service Project (ASP) volunteer Mike Hodge didn’t hesitate—not for a moment.

With just a few days notice, Hodge assembled a team of five who loaded their truck with tools and headed out from Iowa City, Iowa—a 12-hour drive—to work as skilled framers on the Knoxville project. Hodge and his crew included son Andy, nephew Kevin Hodge, and co-workers John Moylan and Todd Salter.

The Knoxville Extreme Makeover home is being built for the Watson family, a family of five that includes parents Daniel and Mandy, and their three adopted children. Two other buildings, including a duplex for single mothers who are the mission of the Watson’s “Restoration House” ministry, are a part of the Knoxville build.

ASP first got involved with Extreme Makeover when the contractor on last month’s Friday family build in Lincolnton, NC, Wade Miller—an ASP volunteer himself, contacted ASP President/CEO Walter Crouch. Miller was interested in reclaiming materials from the Friday family home for re-use on ASP projects for families in need.

Crouch’s willingness to assist, and his personal involvement on the Lincolnton project, led to the Extreme Makeover project leaders in Knoxville coming to count on him to produce volunteers from ASP’s home in Johnson City, Tenn. as well as from Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

“There is nothing quite as invigorating as seeing what can be done with a group of committed volunteers who know that what they are doing is making a difference in the lives of the persons being served,” said Crouch.

“ASP is very fortunate to have volunteers like Mike Hodge—a 14-year volunteer mind you—and others, like ASP board members John Crandall, Marv House, and Karan Moore, who have sacrificed their own time on these two Extreme Makeover projects.”

Many other ASP staff and volunteers have worked on the two Extreme Makeover projects. “We are extremely grateful for their service and ministry in the name of Christ,” said Ben Martin, ASP’s adult program director.

“This reclamation of materials reminds me of the spirit that [ASP founder] Tex Evans envisioned when he tore down an old barn for ASP’s first supplies in 1969. “We’ve come a long way but we still value every good thing that comes our way just like Tex taught us to look at those we serve, ‘we accept people right way they are, just as they are’.”

Materials reclaimed from both the Lincolnton and Knoxville projects will be used this year on homes in Central Appalachia.

Mike Hodge and his crew are headed home to Iowa City, but they have already secured their week of service for this summer with ASP in one of the five states where ASP is currently working—Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Appalachia Service Project (ASP) provides life-changing short-term Christian mission volunteer service opportunities bringing youth, adult and college volunteers into Central Appalachia to make homes warmer, safer, and drier for families in need.

For information about how you can serve alongside volunteers this summer in ASP’s youth program, or throughout the year in the adult program, please visit www.buildanewyou.org or call 1 (800) 289-4254.

ASP partners with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on Knoxville, Tenn. project

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:40:00 -0500

Since 1969, Appalachia Service Project has worked to make homes warmer, safer and drier for poor families in Central Appalachia.

As a result of partnering with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on a project in the Charlotte area last month, ASP was asked to bring volunteers in to reclaim doors, windows, cabinets, appliances, and much more on this week’s build in Knoxville, Tenn. These reclaimed materials will be used this year in homes across ASP’s service area that includes Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

Volunteers from as far away as Iowa City, Iowa will join volunteers from the region, working alongside ASP staff from the Johnson City, Tenn. office, to help build a new home for the Watson family.

As a part of a series of 2012 holiday specials, the Watson family home will be featured in an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show on Thanksgiving Day.

To follow progress on the Watson home build, please visit http://www.joinextreme.com/tennessee or visit Knoxville’s ABC television affiliate WATE for daily reports at www.wate.com.

If you are interested in supporting ASP’s ministry on this project, please click here for a direct link to ASP’s secure online donation portal, or send your gift payable to ASP noting that this gift is for support of the ‘Makeover Project’.

Appalachia Service Project, Inc.
4523 Bristol Highway
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423) 854-4400 or 1 (800) 289-4254
www.BuildANewYou.org

‘Extreme Makeover’ Project in Charlotte to include ASP Volunteers

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:40:00 -0500

ABC’s popular reality show "Extreme Makeover" is coming to the Charlotte area to build a new home Dec. 11-18, and Appalachia Service Project has been enlisted to reclaim and reuse materials from the house for a needy family’s home in Central Appalachia.

In a twist on its traditional ‘knock-down-the-house’ model, general contractor Bellamy Homes—whose co-owner Wade Miller has been an ASP volunteer through Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte—has enlisted ASP to bring in volunteers who will remove doors, windows, cabinets, fixtures, and other materials for re-use in early 2012.

About 3,000 volunteers are being sought for the weeklong project, said Wade Miller, 31, and Frank Hereda, 35, owners of Charlotte-based Bellamy Homes, general contractor for the installation.

The location of the home to be replaced won't be disclosed until the project begins. They said five families were under consideration by the program's producer, Endemol USA, to be chosen for the house.

ASP President/CEO Walter Crouch said, “The request from Bellamy Homes and Extreme Makeover for assistance on their build project in the greater Charlotte area—and to extend their generosity to a family in need in Central Appalachia—is an extremely gratifying opportunity. “Wade Miller’s experience as a volunteer with ASP has come full circle, and we are thrilled to supply volunteers—who are the core of this ministry—in partnership with Bellamy Homes and Extreme Makeover.”

For information, and for regular updates on the project, visit www.bellamyhomes.com.

We're hiring: Operations/Volunteer Coordinator

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:13:00 -0500

The Ministries Department is seeking an individual to serve as the Operations/Volunteer Coordinator at our Housing Services Center in Jonesville, VA. Responsibilities include kitchen management, facility-care supervision, and construction management. This position will serve as a three-member team to fulfill all responsibilities the face the staff team as a whole.

Go here for more details.

We're Hiring: Summer Program Managers

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:02:00 -0500

The Ministries Department is seeking two Summer Program Managers. These are temporary positions requiring extensive travel. Responsibilities include assisting with staff training and supervising the summer Youth Program staff within an identified geographic area. A minimum of two years of experience on ASP summer staff is required, including at least one year of experience as a Center Director. Position start date ranges from May 7th to 14th and end date ranges from August 3rd to 10th, 2012.

Go here for more details.

We're Hiring: Program Manager

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:55:00 -0500

The Ministries Department is seeking a full-time, highly motivated individual for an entry-level Program Manager position. Responsibilities include training and supervising summer staff; networking within communities to establish center facilities and families to serve; assessing volunteer and staff experiences; providing spiritual leadership; and overall management of the home repair program within an identified geographic area.

This position will start in Johnson City, TN and after a time of training, will relocate to eastern Kentucky. Substantial travel is required.

Go here for more details.