Kentucky
Sharing with Appalachian People (SWAP)
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. 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, such as working at a local Mennonite Church camp and reforestation and trail work, as well as visits to cultural sites and events, hiking in an old growth forest, and presentations by musicians, folklorists and others. 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 program fee are preliminary estimates
Leader: Darryl Nester
Dates: May 13-28, 2023
Program fee: $1,250
Students: 14 max.
Vaccinations: COVID-19 encouraged, but optional
Contact
Elaine Suderman, Asst. Director of Cross-cultural Programs
sudermane@bluffton.edu
419-358-3360