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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Appalachia Service Project, a Christian ministry that has repaired dozens of homes in Charleston and Huntington in the past few years, has received a grant from the AEP Foundation to continue its work.
The organization received a $500,000 grant to repair and replace 260 homes over a three-year span in West Virginia, Southwest Virginia, and East Tennessee.
All funds will be applied to ASP program expenses, including materials/supplies, labor, and full-time program staff support.
“The material cost is our largest thing because we use volunteers to do all the rest of the work,” ASP President and CEO Walter Crouch told MetroNews affiliate 580-WCHS in Charleston.
In 2022, ASP repaired 31 homes in the Charleston and Huntington area, providing improved living conditions for approximately 52 individuals. Both Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams spoke at the announcement at Slack Plaza.
Crouch said the donation means ASP can meet their byline of ‘we make the home warmer, safer, drier which means healthier.’ Nearly 2,800 ASP volunteers came to West Virginia this summer and spent time repairing homes.
“We confront sub-standard housing, repairing homes, putting on new roofs, fixing foundations, insulating homes, putting in septic tanks and wells,” he said.
Appalachian Power President and COO Aaron Walker said the corporation has a unique partnership with ASP.
“Their goals truly align with ours. They are looking to improve communities and it overlaps nicely with the communities we serve,” Walker said.