Severna Park volunteers Sara Schulkowski and Sarah Davis take a break from roofing in Appalachia during the 2010 ASP trip.

To say Severna Park United Methodist Church (SPUMC) has a very active youth ministry is an understatement. The United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF), led by the Reverend Lee Ferrell, has special programs, trips, and teen-oriented events. But perhaps the most meaningful activity they participate in is the Appalachian Service Project (ASP), which MYF has been attending for the past 30 years - as long as Ferrell has been in charge. This summer the trip will be from June 25 – July 2, and will have the highest number of participants ever, over 100, as they begin their fourth decade of service. During that week, the young volunteers, high school and college students, will repair homes for low-income families in Appalachia.  This year's trip will focus on Kentucky and West Virginia.

To fundraise for the trip, the group holds an annual public auction, which was on March 27 this year.  Refreshments are served, and the auction is so popular with the community, there is usually a standing-room-only crowd.  Eager young workers auction off such items as yard work, babysitting, and computer training, in addition to copious gift baskets stuffed with goodies from the community. With funds raised from this auction, the ASP workers will purchase building supplies and tools for their work.  Local businesses are invited to give the youth their support by donating services or items; in return they will get as much publicity as possible.  (Thanks this year to The Cottage, Menzies Tax Service, Grant Thornton LLP, and more). 

In these modern times when many are critical of “lazy” teenagers, it is refreshing to see these ASP volunteers so eager and enthusiastic to give their strenuous labor for free for a whole week. Not only do they give of themselves unselfishly, but they actually claim to get as much out of it as do the poor families they help. “It’s the best week of my summer,” would be how most of the youth from ASP would describe their week of home repair in the Appalachian Mountains, said Ferrell, adding, “They get a great satisfaction from making a difference in the living conditions of the people there.”

Sarah Davis, a Rowan University sophomore, is a case in point. Sarah has participated in ASP for many summers, and has many close friends who serve with her. She explained, “To me, ASP means a chance to do good in the world. It’s an opportunity to help those who really truly need help. It also makes you appreciate all the friends and family you have been blessed with. I am so thankful to have been able to go on ASP for multiple years - I believe this project is something everyone should experience in their lifetime.”

ASP is a nonprofit home repair and relational ministry, affiliated with, but not limited to, the United Methodist Church. Each summer, youth and their adult leaders from Severna Park travel to some assigned county in central Appalachia, where they then break down into work crews for home repair. The crews have done everything from roofing to foundational work, digging drainage ditches, repairing broken steps and porches, replacing rotted flooring, adding new sheetrock, and much more.  This year the group is splitting into two teams, one heading to Pike County in Pikeville, KY, and the other to Logan County in Chapmanville, WV.

Even though the workers put in long days sweating in the hot sun, they do get to relax in the evening and have fun at the local swimming holes or ice cream shops. Sometimes they have game nights and talent shows, and even do line dancing and clogging with the local families they are serving. The camaraderies that form during this week are deep and lasting.

The ASP missions are not always seamless. Like anything else in life, mishaps happen, although no one has ever been seriously injured in 30 years. “Very often we have been there on the Fourth of July,” recounts Ferrell. “We have witnessed fireworks. The locals don’t have the same controls as we would here, so we’ve seen fireworks shot right into the crowd!” Another memorable moment was when one of the Ryder trucks got stuck under a low bridge. “It ripped a hole in the truck roof, which is not covered by insurance!” said Ferrell.

Interested youth must: be attending members of UMYF or college alumni; attend informational meetings and training; participate in fundraising and follow-up activities; complete a simple application and medical forms; and pay a registration fee. To support the ASP program or learn how to participate, contact the Reverend Lee Ferrell, minister of Christian Education and Youth, at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 410-987-4700. To visit the ASP website, go to www.asphome.org.