Once a year, a team of Trinity members volunteer to spend a week with the HARP (Helping Appalachian Rural People) Mission in Caldwell, Ohio, which serves people in areas experiencing high levels of poverty, unemployment rates and low levels of education and infrastructure. Trinity’s team often serves the disabled, elderly and veterans help with home repairs and modifications to dilapidated houses.
Trinity member Shawn McCormick leads the Trinity’s group on the trip and she said not only does HARP offer new beginnings for the people they serve, but also for the volunteers who get to be part of it. Shawn said last year, the group served at the home of a man named Chuck. He was disabled and getting in and out of his house was a challenge. Without intervention, he would have likely become homebound.
“Chuck kept asking the group ‘why are you doing this?’ He couldn’t understand why we were there. He couldn’t believe our group was working for free,” said Shawn.
She said the group worked to put a ramp on his house to make it easier for him to get in and out. Also, they sealed his roof, which leaked and caused water damage on the inside. “We gave him a Bible and told him we are the hands and feet of Jesus. This is what we do. We were giving him a new beginning. He was able to use the ramp that we built and meet us at a restaurant we eat at for dinner. It was just so special.”
Shawn said stories like Chuck’s are not uncommon during the mission trip. The group makes connections with the people they serve each year. She said having those relationships enhances the experience.
“When we leave there, we like to see that we’ve been able to help them get a fresh start or a fresh outlook on life. They either don’t have a lot of hope for their health or their financial situation, but we come in to make it a bit easier and share the message of Jesus,” Shawn said.
Five years ago when Shawn joined the group, she, too, made a meaningful connection–with the other members of the team.
“It was my first connection with people who had similar beliefs in life. It was a new beginning for me at 48 years old to say, ‘wow! I found my people,’” she said.
While working with the group, Shawn says others have shared similar stories. One she remembers clearly. She said the volunteer had experienced so much negativity in their life that they couldn’t believe an organization with such positive outcomes exists.
Each June, the roughly 20 member team from Trinity (sometimes joined by those from smaller churches), heads to the region for the week. They work on everything from painting and demolition to hauling and yard work. There are also some organizing and gardening.
Volunteers can be those of any skill level and of almost any age. Shawn said children as young as 10 years old are invited to join them on the mission.
“I love this option, because it allows the children and their parents to connect with each other more deeply, with other members of the church and with those we serve,” Shawn said. “And we don’t just leave kids to play kickball all day. We work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it is all hands on deck.”
Part of the program involves mentorship. Shawn said more experienced members of the team are paired up with those who want to learn. The mentors can show them how to use power tools or demo a bathroom and more. She said this helps the next generation of volunteers grow into the skills they can use to help HARP or others in the future.
Shawn said the group also hopes to develop some of the team members into the next group of leaders.
“Honestly, when I took over HARP, I never thought I could lead a mission trip. I’ve learned and I’ve grown and I can teach those skills to others,” said Shawn.
Shawn said the experience HARP differs from some of the other missions because it’s not local. She said she appreciates local projects and mission opportunities but traveling five hours from home, disconnecting and being away from the normal routine often helps the volunteers to connect with the God, each other and the people they serve in an immersive way.
“ We do devotions in the morning and then we head out to work,” said Shawn. “We’d love to take more people to experience this mission.”
To learn more about Trinity’s HARP mission involvement, contact Shawn at