A Hand Up, not a Hand Out

Ten members of the Roanoke District representing four churches (Fairview, Grace, Andrew Chapel and Northview) traveled 4 hours north the week of July 23-29 to Keyser, West Virginia. We went to lend a hand to the Helping Hands of the Potomac Highlands organization. The request was discovered by looking at the needs on the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission website (www.umvim.org)
Director, Debbie Price explained that Helping Hands is a bridge that connects local churches with low income people in Mineral County, an area of 26,000 persons in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Helping Hands began a full time ministry in August 1996 with the assignment of a Church and Community worker as Director. They receive no federal or state funding for operating expenses, but depend on donation from individuals and groups, denominational sources, local church offerings and gifts, the Keyser Area Ministerial Association and community fund raisers. A group of 12 churches of various denominations support the ministry that includes disaster response, housing repairs, church referrals, emergency assistance, life skills guidance, and mission education to local churches.
(see comments for the rest of the story...)

Holston team at work in Mississippi

Here are several good shots of Bert & Leslye Beria's team from Tennessee to Great Spirit UMC, Bogue Chitto Community, Philadelphia, MS on June 24-30, 2006

In Sumter County, some good comes from church arson

from the Tuscaloosa News:

God, the Good Book says, works in mysterious ways./s And when Demetrius Foy, from the tiny Sumter County town of Gainesville, sat down last week for his first class at Birmingham-Southern College, an expen-sive and highly selective private liberal arts college, he marveled at the circumstances in which he found himself.

“All things work together for good," said Foy, an aspiring minister, adding that he was quoting Romans.

The truth is, until alleged arsonists -- two of whom happened to be students at the United Methodist Church-affiliated college and another a graduate -- almost on a lark set fire to his church, Foy had never heard of BSC.

In its efforts to put things right in the wake of the series of church arsons -- some at black churches like Foy’s Spring Valley Baptist, others at white churches -- administrators and students have been reaching out to help in any way they can, from helping rebuild some of the most heavily damaged churches, to providing money to others.

The fire at Spring Valley Baptist did little damage, which insurance covered. So when representatives of/sBirmingham-Southern approached the pastor about what help they could offer, he came up with the novel idea of providing financial aid for a couple of the promising, but by no means rich, students in his congregation.

Foy was one of those to visit the picturesque BSC campus, known as “The Hilltop" on the west side of Birmingham.

“After my first visit, I had my mind made up, this is where I wanted to be," he told The Birmingham News last week. “It was a whole different place."

And when Birmingham-Southern College President David Pollick put together a package of private, public and school money that could pay his way though the academically rigorous small college, Foy leaped at the chance.

“You can’t pass up an opportunity like this," he said.

Foy plans to study religion and psychology at BSC. Though the urban campus in Alabama’s largest city must seem a million miles away from Gainesville, a town of only 220 residents at the time of the 2000 Census, Foy is poised to fit right in.

“It’s more exciting than intimidating," he said. “I’m not easily intimidated. I just believe that if anyone can do it, I can do it."

Pollick seems to agree and to share in the wonder of how so much good can come out of the disaster.

“[Foy] is just a wonderful example of what kind of good came come out of human frailty," Pollick said.

We wish Foy much success in his career at Birmingham-Southern College and hope he matures into a fine minister.

From the Tuscaloosa News Sept 5, 2006

St. James AME Church in New Orleans

Historic St. James A.M.E. Church is located in the Treme' District just west of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. The church was founded in the 1840's by free men and women of color. The church is located at 222 North Roman Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112.

St. James Church was inundated by flood water during Hurricane Katrina. The Reverend Otto Duncan was appointed to St. James, his home church, from Quinn Chapel A.M.E. in Paris, Tennessee where he had served many years to lead the re-building. Reverend Duncan can be contacted by calling 731.707.1492.

A sixteen member Volunteer in Mission team from First United Methodist Church of Paris, Tennessee has just returned after spending a week cleaning the neighborhood of trash/debris, cooking meals, leading noon worship services and refinishing pews and the altar rail.

A priority need for St. James AME is to have 1-2 teams come during late summer or early fall of 2006 to refinish the remaining pews so that the sanctuary can be rehabilitated for worship.

First UMC Paris was able to refinish 15 pews and the altar rail. These are 100 year old pews that stood in the flood water for many days. The laminated oak end and center pieces/braces need to be re-glued and the entire pew needs sanding. Approximately 25 pews remain to be done. After they are all completed, they can be treated with a coating of honey oak stain.

The St. James A.M.E. Church has a house and two apartments that can house workers. Team members should expect to prepare two meals a day for themselves with St. James providing lunch. First Church, Paris charged $175.00 per team member and this was more than sufficient.

For more information contact Rev. Duncan at the telephone number listed above or Elyse Bell or Joe Geary, Co-Leaders at ejbvim@bellsouth.net or korimissions@yahoo.com respectively.

Appalachia Service Projects Seeks Adult Volunteers

Appalachia Service Projects Seeks Adult Volunteers
To Help During Non-Summer Months

Johnson City, TN—Winter is a cruel season in Central Appalachia—the season when need for emergency home repair is most sorely felt, the season when Appalachia Service Project most sorely needs volunteers to help Central Appalachian families in need.

Perhaps best known as a summer youth program, Appalachia Service Project (ASP) is a Christian ministry, open to people of all ages—both volunteers and families in need— that addresses Central Appalachian housing needs year-round. ASP was founded in 1969 by Methodist pastor Glenn “Tex” Evans as a summer outreach through which youth might help people in need. Now, in addition to this summer outreach, ASP recruits volunteers from college-age to retirees to serve during non-summer months. Bases of operation for these volunteers are ASP Housing Services Centers, the permanent facilities ASP now operates year-round due to the considerable needs in these areas which are far from seasonal.

The continuing reality of this region’s poverty—its causes and the almost insurmountable needs resulting from it—is difficult to grasp from outside the region. It is almost unthinkable that there is what amounts to a Third World country here within the United States. Yet the reality in Central Appalachia—where ASP works—is very similar to that found in the Third World.

“The reality of this poverty took some time to sink in,” admits the Reverend Christopher T. Holmes, Annapolis District Superintendent in the Baltimore/Washington DC Conference of the United Methodist Church. A former ASP Summer Staffer and long-time ASP volunteer, Holmes remembers all too well the jolting experience that finally brought this reality home to him.

“Although I met many wonderful people while on ASP Summer Staff, poverty’s suffering was most keenly brought home to me by two brothers who approached us about winterizing their home too late one summer for us to do anything about their request,” he remembers. The following summer, Holmes returned to ASP Summer Staff service, remembering this need left behind and intending to address it first thing.

Even after all these years, Holmes cannot share this experience without shuddering. “We looked for these brothers only to learn that they’d frozen to death that winter,” he says sadly. “Sometimes we realize too late that we don’t have everything figured out.”

Truly, there is much yet to be figured out about meeting Central Appalachian housing needs. In the meantime, ASP continues to provide free repairs, making homes warmer, safer, and drier for families in need. Volunteers who come to serve often deal with life-saving, emergency home repairs without realizing the urgency of those repairs—similar to Holmes' experience years ago.

As the ASP summer program grew, the community around Jonesville, Virginia, invited ASP to work there full-time, year-round. ASP accepted this invitation, and the first ASP Housing Services Center was established there. Another soon followed in Chavies, Kentucky. These no-frills lodges provide shelter for adult volunteers who realize that needs in these areas are ever-present and perhaps felt most keenly through the winter. Volunteers are fed at these centers, sleep in bunk beds there, and participate in staff-led programs to help them process their experiences.

Now ASP invites Volunteers in Mission teams to come and serve this winter at one of these Housing Services Centers. During non-summer months, ASP offers volunteers much more flexibility in scheduling than is possible during the high-volume summer months. “Non-summer volunteers may come for a week of service—just like summer volunteers do,” says Carolynn Bailey, director of volunteers. “However they may also come for two weeks, a weekend or long weekend, over fall break—for whatever time they can make available to serve. Groups or individuals are welcome, and our fees adjust to accommodate numbers and time available.”

Applications for non-summer service are posted on ASP’s website http://www.asphome.org/ or may be requested through the mail from cbailey@asphome.org or Volunteer Department, Appalachia Service Project, 4523 Bristol Highway, Johnson City, TN 37601. Call Bailey at 423-854-8800, ext. 208, with questions or for additional information. Now is the time to arrange for ASP service this winter in Central Appalachia.

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting the new UMVIM blog! Here you will have a chance to talk about your past or future experiences with UMVIM, and each other. On the right menu bar you will be able to select the UMVIM blog about the country or area you have, or wish to visit. There we encouage you to inspire with your words, inform others about your experiences, and interact with members of the UMVIM family. If you wish to post your own story, please send an e.mail to SEJ Info, by clicking here, and we will get you set up. To comment on a story, you must become a blogger.com member. To do this, click on 'comments' below, and sign up for a free blogger account. We hope this will become a useful tool for future teams and a way to share experiences about the past with others.