Appalachia Help Weeks: More Than Building Homes—Building Community

For almost 40 years, volunteers from St. Vincent Martyr have traveled to the mountains of West Virginia, dedicating a week each summer to serving others through our Appalachia Help Weeks ministry. This ministry began in 1986 as a flood relief effort led by 7 teenagers from St. Patrick's Church in Chatham. They answered God's call to help those affected in Preston County.

Since then, generations of parishioners, both teens and adults, have continued the mission, putting their faith into action with boots on the ground, mud on their sleeves, and God in their hearts. From repairing roofs and foundations to improving drainage and making homes safer, volunteers have left a physical and emotional impact on countless families.

This year, volunteer Carolyn Bambici experienced Appalachia for the first time alongside her daughter.

"It's so much more than just the building, it's about the community," shared Carolyn. "The hospitality of everyone in West Virginia and how grateful and thankful they are that this community has been coming together for so long is truly inspiring."

Adding to the significance of this year's trip, 3 of the original 7 volunteers who first traveled to Appalachia in 1986 returned as part of the Week 2 team, a powerful reminder of the ministry's lasting legacy and the countless lives it has touched over the decades.
For many, Appalachia is not simply a service trip, it becomes a second home.

"My daughter is already talking about next year and is hoping more family members can join us," Carolyn shared.

As our third group departs this Sunday and our final team prepares to travel the following week, we give thanks for the thousands of hours of service and generous donations offered by parishioners over the past four decades. Thank you to Anne Marie Gisoldi for leading, organizing, and funding for this impacting effort. Appalachia Help Weeks remains a living testament to what is possible when a community answers God's call to serve.

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