Chicago – Two adults and four students from Mount Carmel High School traveled to Wolfe County, Kentucky over their summer vacation to participate in the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). 

Located in the eastern coalfield region of Kentucky, Wolfe County is an eight hour drive from Chicago.  Of the many sites that the project serves it is among the poorest with a 27.6% poverty rate (39th highest poverty rate).  Wolfe County itself has a population of close to 7,070 people, based on a 2005 estimate.

The students, sophomore Ian Driscoll (Chicago - Lincoln Park), and juniors Marty Boyle (Chicago - Beverly), Jack McLeod (Chicago - Beverly), and Alex Hill (Chicago - South Shore), along with two faculty chaperones, Ms. Melissa Link and Brother David Genders, O. Carm., left for the site early Sunday morning July 22and returned home the following Saturday night.  While in Wolfe County, the team stayed at the Bethany Christian Mission Center, where they were introduced to simple living, as well as cultural, social, and economic diversities that exist within our own country.

The specific mission was the rebuilding and refurbishing of a family home located in the region.  Working hard from about 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, the young men laid linoleum flooring, hung and painted dry wall, and learned how to put up vinyl siding on a home.  Together, with the local family and other youth groups from Iowa, Ohio, and Michigan, the young people learned lessons of faith and humanity in an environment so far removed from their local surroundings.

Boyle observed that he knew poverty existed, “but this experience gave me the opportunity to witness it, and that witness really changes your perspective.  It definitely encourages me to get more involved in volunteer work in general.”

Link, the Campus Minister and adult leader of the Mount Carmel team, said, “The students worked really hard.  I think the experience was engaging physically, spiritually, and mentally.  It was also an experience in economic, cultural, and social diversity.”  The ASP is not only a project about work, it is also a project dedicated to experiential learning and the students were exposed to a number of lessons throughout their week of service.

The Mount Carmel team worked closely with a widowed single mother and her three children ranging in ages from 1 to 14 years old.  Through interaction with the local community, the young men learned of the many challenges the residents of Wolf County face.  Perhaps more importantly, for one week, the students were able to experience these challenges, which in turn reinforced lessons of humanity, compassion, and care for others.  “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that will hopefully affect their lives positively in the future,” said Link.

Upon return to the Bethany Christian Mission Center, the students were then faced with a whole new set of challenges.  Every night there was an evening gathering in which all participants at the site gathered to discuss and express their experiences of the day.  Such topics as being thankful for what you have, not taking anything for granted, and not stereotyping were common themes and lessons that were discussed on a daily basis.

The young men put their faith into action, they learned about the integrity of work, realized that service is directly connected to Christian Values, and this ultimately all came to fruition as they were able to experience the immediate impact their actions had on the family.