Appalachia Site Partner Webpages
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ASPI's focus is to find solutions to increasing environmental problems through research and advocacy for public policies which favor the environment. ASPI's philosophy involves living simply in ways that are healthy for the earth and for ourselves. While litter clean-up has been the main service component of this site in the past, students have also been involved in organic gardening, maintenance of the cordwood house and other buildings, and the promotion of a local recycling campaign. Students can anticipate getting down and dirty (literally) while engaging in their clean-up projects. Learning is emphasized, with students exploring the roots of environmental problems and thinking critically about current and possible solutions. In addition to learning about sustainable living and assisting in ASPI's projects, students will have the opportunity to eat dinner with local residents and attend social events such as bluegrass concerts and barn dances. |
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Appalachia Service Project connects volunteers from around the country to rural Appalachia to repair homes for low income families. Since 1969, they have made homes warmer, safer, and drier for families and provided transformational service experiences for volunteers. |
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Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic community in Appalachia that transforms lives through service in the local community and the teaching of sustainable practices. Those who participate with this community are invited to join them in living the Gospel cornerstones of service, prayer, simplicity and community. Formerly a Catholic Worker community Bethlehem Farm was founded in 2004 in Summers County, WV. During their week at the Farm, volunteers serve the surrounding community, pray together, learn about and from the people of Appalachia, and experience ways of practicing and living a sustainable life. While Bethlehem Farm serves our sisters and brothers primarily through low-income home repair and work with local community organizations, our work involves much more than just the physical labor. We go beyond hammering nails and painting walls and dig deep into the basic need for people to feel loved and appreciated. With a focus on social justice and the cornerstones of community, simplicity, prayer and service, we emphasize working with people rather than for them, and we strive to always learn from one another. Consider joining this community as part of the Appalachia Seminar and you will be encouraged and challenged as you invest your time, energy, and a listening ear. |
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Big Creek People In Action, Inc. (BCPIA) was founded in 1990 by citizens of McDowell County, West Virginia to address family, community and economic concerns in the area. Since that time, this nonprofit organization has been serving the community of McDowell County in the realms of early childhood development, education and literacy, leadership development, volunteer service, arts and culture, housing, recreation, and collaborative partnerships. Its mission is to “foster a community in which people learn, work, play, and grow together and prepare themselves for success in the 21st Century”. BCPIA's vision of McDowell County is one of empowered and self-sufficient people living in communities that are economically vibrant, democratic, and socially just. Immersion into the local community is important. Thus students will often work on projects alongside local families and those they are serving. There are opportunities to attend services at a number of local churches of various denominations. |
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The Binns-Counts Community Center is a non-profit grassroots organization committed to education, health care and decent housing for all. Students will work in partnership with community members on home repair projects in Clinchco, VA, and the surrounding area. Community engagement will also be an important part of this Appalachia immersion experience. |
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Catholic Charities of Logan County is a home repair organization focused on the communities of Logan County, West Virginia, which has a high poverty rate and many homes are devastated by frequent flooding. Low-income residents never fully restore their flood ravaged homes and many suffer from chronic health conditions due to untreated mold. Students who travel to Logan County will work in a community setting with local families making necessary home repairs for safe, sound, and sanitary homes. |
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CAP is a well-established, non-denominational volunteer organization with an organized and expansive core of long-term volunteers and paid staff. Its mission is to "help people help themselves" through education, economic opportunity, employment, and a sense of Christian community. University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's College students have a long history of service-learning with CAP. Students participate in a structured program of work and prayer, and volunteer efforts are focused on home repair and construction. Students have the opportunity to attend diverse denominational church services throughout the week. During the spring semester break, CAP hosts an event they call “Workfest” that includes students from colleges and universities throughout the country. Upon arrival, ND students will be teamed up with other students in addition to a ND team member. |
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COAP is a housing construction and repair organization that provides safe, warm, and dry housing for low income families in Harlan County located in southeastern corner of Kentucky. Home repair projects in recent semesters have been room additions, new home construction, window installation, and roof repair, as well as water and septic upgrades families in Harlan County. COAP's ultimate goal is to help build a community in Harlan that meets the responsibility of caring for itself. |
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The Clearfork Community Institute partners with the Woodland Community Land Trust, a community-initiated organization, whose mission is to purchase and hold lands for local residents who might otherwise be landless. This part of rural Appalachia has a majority of the land owned by out of state and out of country corporations. Through re-purchase of land, local residents have a secure base with which to begin holistic community development from a rural perspective. Students will have the opportunity to interact and build community with neighboring residents through visits to local churches and share meals with members of the community. |
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Volunteers will work with the FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway's Fisher Peak Chapter to preserve and protect the natural resources of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Students will work on trails, landscaping, and fencing. They will interact with local members of the community during meals and entertainment. The majority of the Parkway work will be done in and around the Blue Ridge Music Center. Nearby Galax, VA is the home of Old Time music. Students will have time to see performances, interact with the musicians, and participate in the local culture. |
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Located in Grainger County, Tennessee, the Glenmary Home Missioners operates a retreat like mission immersion program which welcomes volunteers to join in the Mission and ministry of the Glenmary Home Missioners to the poor, the lost, and Catholic minority in rural United States known as the Glenmary Volunteers on Joppa Mountain or Toppa Joppa. Volunteers serve those most in need in Union and Grainger county through home repair, work with a home for disadvantaged children, food pantry work, and visiting a local Nursing Home. While service is the foundation of the program, it also strives to develop community and to deepen faith through the context of shared experiences. Volunteers come not only to serve but also to learn about the rich culture and traditions present in the Appalachian regions where they serve. It aims to broaden volunteers' understanding of the causes of poverty, oppression and injustice—and how their life choices can impact these issues. |
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Grow Ohio Valley’s Food Justice Immersion Program provides an opportunity for students interested to increase their social awareness around food justice. Through first hand experiential-learning and solutions-oriented service, students will explore food justice through the prism of poverty and disability, food subsidies, social services, food deserts, nutrition and health, urban agriculture, food industry economics and how food insecurity impacts individual community members. Students will identify the systemic nature of food justice issues; issues that affect most communities around our nation and the world at large. Participants will learn how successes and failures can be linked together, and experience firsthand how we can have active roles as beneficial change agents within our spheres of influence. This week-long program combines fun, hands-on community interaction with education and getting dirty in gardens. The program is designed with a focus on locally produced foods as an important and mindful part of the immersion experience. Meals will be sourced from local gardens when available, and will be prepared to accommodate special dietary requirements as needed. |
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Hurley, Virginia is a small community that has experienced many financial hardships and widespread unemployment due to the closing of a large number of coal mines over the last few decades. Hurley Community Development is dedicated to continue the tradition of improving the spirit and living conditions of the community. Students will assist them in their efforts to complete community cleanup and building projects at various sites in the region. Housing repair projects in recent semesters have included painting, rebuilding a porch, repairing plumbing, and building a wheelchair ramp. During the work day students will interact with the residents and families, and there will be community events in the evenings such as a church service at one of the many churches in the area. |
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A Catholic community of volunteers inspired by the Gospels and Social Teachings of the Church, Nazareth Farm is a retreat-like setting focused on prayer, community, simplicity and service. The organization is devoted to developing relationships and eliminating sub-standard housing through home repair in rural West Virginia. It provides a communal experiencewith Church as the center of action and prayer. Nazareth Farm was established in June 1979 as a place for volunteers to experience a week of simple living, service to the poor, and the joy of Christian community. Located in rural West Virginia, Nazareth Farm is a place of great beauty where volunteers can discover God’s presence in nature, in the people of the mountains, in each other, and above all, in God’s call of love to each one of us. Nazareth Farm’s religious retreat structure means days are highly structured from morning to night and allowing for plenty of reflection and prayer. |
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Located in southern West Virginia, New River Gorge National Park protects 53 miles of the New River as a free-flowing waterway, much of which is beautiful white water rolling through deep canyons. The park and the surrounding area are rich in cultural and natural history, and contain an abundance of scenic and recreational opportunities. Projects for students could include working on trails, planting trees, painting signs, and cleaning along the beach and campground. |
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Students will work with the FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway's Northern Highlands Chapter to preserve and protect the natural resources of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Students will work on trails, landscaping, and fencing. They will interact with local members of the community during meals and entertainment. |
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Using the efforts of volunteers, SWAP addresses sub-standard housing in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. Participants will work with and for local clients "In the name of Christ", sharing the message of God's love and building relationships that serve to enrich all involved. |
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The David School, originally founded in 1974, has been recognized nationwide for its success with disadvantaged youth. With a strong connection to the local Benedictine community, The David School serves students who have fallen through the cracks of public education system. The school provides a second chance for these students by giving one-on-one attention, encouragement, and a strong sense of community. Partnerships with Catholic colleges and parishes from around the country help to strengthen this mission, and in turn The David School provides a wonderful opportunity for college students to engage the education issues that rural communities face. |
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WVMAW works with several community and religious organizations in eastern West Virginia, helping with outreach and development projects. Students should expect work projects at individual homes as well as opportunities that provide interaction with the community. Housing repair projects in recent semesters have included repairing plumbing, hanging drywall, and building a staircase for local residents who are need assistance to restore their houses into safe and comfortable homes for their families. |
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Partnering with the Appalachian Institute at Wheeling Jesuit University, this immersion will have two elements. First, students will explore the environmental health concerns in the West Virginia Coalfields, particularly those caused by mountaintop removal and to learn first-hand of the unconventional and eccentric health care philosophies of Patch Adams, founder of the Gesundheit! Institute. Second, students will provide service for the partners of the Appalachian Institute and learn about the coal and labor history of West Virginia and this industry's impact on the poorest state in the U.S. This immersion is centralized in one of the most beautiful and progressive areas of West Virginia and there will be time to visit some of the natural wonders and significant historic sites in the state. This immersion provides perspective on the complex realities in West Virginia and is a great site for students interested in the environment, energy, public health realities, and truly understanding a region in which you are serving. This unique and objective education, coupled with daily reflections, result in a “call to action” for each individual and group to implement upon returning home. This immersion will likely include some opportunities for direct service but is primarily focused on engaging the full spectrum of learning about energy and environmental public health in the region. |
“Appalachian Seminar Sites.” Appalachian Seminar Sites | Center For Social Concerns, ND CSC, socialconcerns.nd.edu/content/appalachian-sites.
