Appalachia Help Week

CHATHAM   For the 32nd consecutive year, teens from the youth ministry program at St. Patrick Parish here are traveling to Rowlesburg, W.V. to repair homes for families in need.

This summer time mission began in 1986 following a flood that devastated Appalachia. The mission trip to help those who live in extreme poverty there was started by three teenage parishioners of St. Patrick’s and has continued since as a highlight of the youth ministry experience. That initial trip, now named Appalachia Help Week, annually connects Chatham to West Virginia.

For three decades, more than 750 teenagers and 300 adult St. Patrick parishioners have participated in this trip that gives of their time and physical labor. This year, 48 teenagers and 27 adults will spend one week in West Virginia. Participants are divided into work teams that span several weeks during the summer. Each team is assigned one family with a house in need of significant structural repair.

The Appalachia Help Weeks run for six weeks. The first group arrived on June 24 and the last group returns to Chatham on Aug. 4. There are six groups in total that rotate in and out. Projects often include replacing a roof, building an access ramp or reconstructing homes for comfort and safety. In some instances, the work spans the six weeks and various teams visiting from St. Patrick Parish will hand-off the project until completed by end of the teens’ time in West Virginia.

Currently, there were two projects going on at one particular location. One was to bring running water to the home and the other was to build an addition onto the one-room house that was built by last year’s volunteers. A trench needed to be dug from the house to the creek behind it, then tubing was laid to connect to a pump that was being installed under the house and finally the trench was filled in. The other project will ultimately be a bedroom and bathroom for the owner of the home. St. Patrick’s teens dug holes for the foundation pilings, made cement, and began building the floor of the addition.

The Appalachia Help Week is a part of the Justice and Service component to St. Patrick Youth Ministry. According to its mission statement, the process fosters the faith development of all who participate and provides an opportunity for the community to be the Body of Christ for others. The goals of Appalachia Help Week is: to support the area of Preston County physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially; let the families who are served know that Catholics are people of Christ who care about others and want to help those in need; to seek to help eliminate the isolation of the deprived poor by “helping others help themselves;” and to foster a deeper awareness of Catholic social teaching among volunteers and youth.

Father Robert Mitchell, St. Patrick’s pastor, said, “Our youth are very active in the parish and in Chatham. This mission is a favorite and cherished volunteer opportunity as the youth find it so enriching to aid and connect with this special Appalachian community in need. It isn’t only about home repairs, but also learning more about yourself and your relationship with God.”

When asked about her experience, Lizzie O’Neill, a junior at Chatham High School and active in St. Patrick Youth Ministry, stated, “It was an incredible learning experience to share with my friends from St. Patrick’s. This experience changed my perspective of what is needed to be happy. The people I met in West Virginia seemed truly happy with what seemed like so little. We were able to improve the quality of life for one man by helping to expand his home and to bring him running water. I can’t wait to go again next year.”

The trip and all its building supplies are funded by contributions that the teens helped to raise during the year. Fred Mercadante, the program coordinator, said that without the generosity of those in the Chatham community, the trip could not take place.
 

[Those who wish to contribute to this ongoing outreach may send donations to: St. Patrick Youth Ministry Appalachia Help Week, 41 Oliver St., Chatham, N.J. 07928.]