For nearly a decade, Trinity has been sending a team of people, along with supplies, to Caldwell, Ohio for a week each summer. This team works with the organization, HARP, or Helping Appalachian Rural People, which helps those who are seeing self-sufficiency, leading to independence by providing spirtual, emotional and material support. Sometimes this comes in the form of building wheelchair ramps, weeding, painting, cleaning and more. Our team recently returned from a trip to assist HARP. Many of the supplies they took on the trip were donated and funded by Trinity members. Here is how your generosity made a difference.
To prepare for the trip, the HARP team worked for over a week to gather the necessary supplies. A large moving truck was stuffed with household items for people in need. The team also assembled more than 200 flood buckets and hygiene kits for disaster response.
The team of six left on June 12 and they were joined by four people from Zio Lutheran Church. The team worked on various projects at one mobile home, completing projects such as including leveling and stabiliazing the home, cleaning and painting; and building a porch roof. In phases, as work was finished, the team moved to a second mobile home where outdoor work of mowing, weed-eating on a hill, treating a large poison ivy trail, demo of soggy drywall, muddying drywall joints, cleaning, installing lights and last but not least cleaning the inside of a 3000-gallon water tank.
The team completed their work in challenge conditions. The heat index, most of the days, was over 100 degrees. Additionally, storms and four-inches of rain caused flooding in the area. However, the group members were able to accomplish a lot and still have fun. Even Pastor Gary was able to make the trip for a day.
2022-HARP
