The time in Appalachia will be coordinated by SWAP, a Mennonite Central Committee program that serves low-income families. SWAP addresses sub-standard housing in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. Participants will work with and for local homeowners, building relationships that serve to enrich all involved. Students will do a range of work from painting and fixing leaky roofs to assisting with home additions and renovations, all the while getting acquainted with the families whose homes are being repaired. Students will be challenged to compare their own lifestyles, values, hopes and dreams with those of the people we meet and work with each day. The experience will incorporate a variety of assignments in community agencies such as public health research organizations, health care clinics, transitional housing organizations for victims of domestic violence, day care centers, schools, and homes for the elderly as well as visits to cultural sites and events. These combined experiences will familiarize us with the social and environmental effects of the coal mining industry and other challenges faced by residents of the region.
Dates and costs are estimates
May 7-23, 2012
Program Fee: $1,000
25 students
Leaders: Greg Hartzler
