Another successful SWAP season

The end of summer means the end of another successful season of SWAP (Sharing with Appalachian People) for MCC Great Lakes.

Whether it was fixing leaky roofs, working on plumbing, putting an addition on a house, rebuilding a foundation or painting, SWAP volunteers were hard at work. In total, SWAP had 50 groups and 868 volunteers who served in the five locations in Kentucky and West Virginia, along with 20 summer staffers who worked with the location coordinators.

At the site in Elkhorn, West Virginia, location coordinators Charlene and Keith Barr hosted 17 groups, including 296 volunteers plus nine guests. The volunteers rebuilt foundation for a mountain home, painted interior and exterior walls, installed new plumbing and shingled a roof, among many other tasks.

According to Keith, one of the highlights of the season was the relationships he saw built between some of the homeowners and the volunteer groups. "Groups were able to listen, play along with, and sing with one of the homeowners while he played bluegrass and gospel music on his banjo during work breaks, as the groups transformed the foundation of his home from termite ridden wooden poles to solid concrete block supports, including solid wood framing, new wall covering with insulation and new windows."

In Hindman, Kentucky, Kristin and Peter Farquharson, along with their three teenage children, hosted six groups for a total of 87 volunteers. Their volunteers built porches, repaired roofs, built wheelchair ramps and worked on sheetrock.

Bud and Shari Yordy, location coordinators at the site in Harlan, Kentucky, had 14 groups who worked to make housing safe, warm and dry for homeowners in the area. Volunteers repaired and replaced porches, installed a wood burning stove and repaired roofs for seven homes. They also participated in a special project with the county magistrates where SWAP volunteers helped to dismantle an old school building in exchange for yellow pine lumber worth approximately $7,000.

Marvin and Jaime Trapnell hosted 5 groups with a total of 77 people at the site in Isom, Kentucky. Some of their projects included fixing leaky tin roofs, fixing foundations, putting a room addition on a house and fixing decks. "Some of the highlights were watching the groups interacting with the homeowners and realizing how generous 'poor' people can be and how strong their faith can be," said Jaime.

Peter and Stephanie Broersma, location coordinators in Eolia, Kentucky, had 88 volunteers come through their site. The groups worked on metal roofs, porches, flooring, plumbing and painting as they helped 22 families, as well as helping add an addition to the Eolia Christian Community Church.

Not only were the groups successful in the amount of physical labor they accomplished, but in relationships that were formed and the interest in service that was fostered.

At one of the Harlan projects, two teenagers of the homeowners first watched and talked with the volunteers, and then began working alongside the volunteers as the week went on. "On Friday evening at the closing session the two teenagers came to us and asked how they could volunteer," said Shari Yordy. "They wanted to help others, and wanted to be like those people who had helped them."

The Broersmas had one volunteer who came to SWAP, only because his daughter wanted him to come. "After two days on the job, he felt God working in his life. He couldn't understand how people here could be so happy but have so little, while he has a successful business and was not feeling happy," they said. "By the end of the week, he was realizing that what is important in life has little to do with money."

"One youth responded to his experience here at SWAP in West Virginia as being the best week of his life, even better than any vacation he has been on," said Keith Barr. "And he expressed how his life has been transformed by this experience!"