Orientations
Due to the current COVID environment, we are not permitted to have large in-person activities at this time. To satisfy the orientation requirement, volunteers must attend three online programs to learn about the Appalachian culture as well as the “Three S’s” – safety, sensitivity and stewardship. Each of the three sessions will be offered twice; you only need to attend one. The interactive meetings will begin promptly at 7:30 and last approximately one hour.
The dates are as follows:
- Orientation 1 – February 2nd and February 15th
- Orientation 2 – March 23rd and March 29th
- Orientation 3 – April 27 and May 3
- Orientation 4 – June 8
Skills Training
We want to ensure that our volunteers are properly trained whether they are going to Appalachia or will be participating in our At-Home version of the project.
BASIC SKILLS TRAINING
Anyone who has not been on ASP before is required to attend a 2-hour session that will include brief lectures and demonstrations on work site safety. It will also include instruction and supervised individual practice on the safe use of the circular saw, power drill, and hammer. Click “read more” to get additional information and sign up.
Youth and adults who have not been on ASP before are required to attend a 3-hour in person session that will include brief lectures and demonstrations on work site safety. It will also include instruction and supervised individual practice on the safe use of the circular saw, power drill, and hammer. These sessions are held rain or shine in the back parking lot of Jesse Lee Church.
Everyone needs to wear proper work site attire: long pants, a shirt that tucks in (no sleeveless shirts; no low necklines), work boots (no sneakers). If you have long hair, please tie it back. Participants with improper attire will be sent home.
Everyone needs to bring a 16 oz. claw hammer, a 12′ or longer retractable tape measure, pencil, speed square, wonder bar, a pair of safety glasses and a pair of work gloves.
You will need to register and turn in your Jesse Lee ASP Waiver & ASP Volunteer forms prior to participating in Basic Skills. (Jesse Lee Waiver & ASP Forms)
The 2024 basic skills sessions will be held at Jesse Lee Church and are offered on the following dates:
| Saturday, April 20 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM 1:45 PM – 4:45 PM Sunday, April 21 |
Saturday, April 27 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM 1:45 PM – 4:45 PM Sunday, April 28 |
Contact: Nik Parker, 203-788-6704
RAMP BUILDING SESSIONS
All ASP participants are required to participate in a wheelchair ramp building session. This 3.5-hour session is designed to imitate a standard workday on the ASP trip. Participants will be assigned a work crew based on experience and will assist in the assembly of several segments of a wheelchair ramp. Click “read more” to get additional information and sign up.
All ASP participants are required to participate in a wheelchair ramp building session. This 3-hour session is designed to imitate a standard workday on the ASP trip. Participants will be assigned a work crew based on experience and will assist in the assembly of several segments of a wheelchair ramp.
Participants should bring their own snack and water bottle. Everyone needs to wear proper work site attire: long pants, a shirt that tucks in (no sleeveless shirts; no low necklines), work boots (no sneakers). Participants with improper attire will be sent home. Everyone needs to bring a 16 oz. hammer, a pair of safety glasses, a pair of work gloves, a tape measure, a speed square, and a pencil. If you have a battery operated drill/driver, please bring that as well (no need to go out and buy one as it is not a mandatory tool for the trip).
You will need to register and turn in your Jesse Lee ASP Waiver & ASP Volunteer forms prior to participating in Basic Skills or Ramp Building. (Jesse Lee Waiver & ASP Forms)
If you are interested in reviewing the ramp building designs, you can download them here: .
The 2025 ramp building sessions will be held on the following dates:
| Saturday, May 3 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
Saturday, May 17 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
| Sunday, May 4 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM |
Sunday, May 18 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM |
Contact: Andre Lerchi, 203-918-7499
Contact: Dave Sigworth,203-648-7063
Car Washes
ASP participants are required to work a car wash prior to the trip. Car washes are held on Saturdays from April through June, in the front driveway of Jesse Lee, with two shifts: 10:30 AM – 1:45 PM, and 1:30 PM – 4:45 PM. Click “read more” to get additional information and sign up.
ASP participants are required to work a car wash prior to the trip. Car washes are held on Saturdays in April, May and June, in the front driveway of Jesse Lee, with two shifts: 10:30 AM – 1:45 PM, and 1:30 PM – 4:45 PM.
Shorts that are not too short and sandals or flip-flops are permitted at car washes. T-shirts need to adhere to the same guidelines as work site T-shirts (long enough to tuck in, no sleeveless shirts, no low necklines).
In case of rain, you might get a message that the car wash has been canceled. If you do not receive a message, you should report at the regular time, as there may be an alternative project for you to work on.
Contact: Bill and Sharon Dornfeld, 203-241-8705
Stock Sales
Everyone participating in ASP is expected to sell at least 25 shares of $10 “ASP Stock.” This is our largest fundraising effort and it gives your family and friends an opportunity to contribute towards the amazing work you will be doing. Click “read more” to get additional information.
Everyone participating in ASP is expected to sell at least 25 shares of $10 “ASP Stock.”
Contact: Karen Doman, 630-251-4320
Here is how you sell ASP stock:
1. Reach Out & Contact People.
Reach out and contact people who might be able to support you for $10. Checks should be made out to “Jesse Lee ASP Group.”
2. Stock Sales Report Form.
Keep track of everybody to whom you sell stock. Record their names and mailing addresses on the form. This form must accompany every check. It’s how we send them the thank you notes, so write legibly.
3. Stock Prospectus and Certificate.
Make sure the each person receives a copy of the Stock Certificate.Print the prospectus double-sided and fold it in half for the best presentation.
4. People Can Also Buy Stock Online.
People can also buy stock on your behalf online with a credit card. Anybody who uses this option will be able to download the prospectus and certificate themselves. You will not need to record their information on the report form because the online form will capture all the information we will need.
5. Sample Letter to Friends & Relatives
If you would like a sample letter/email that you can send to friends and relatives, feel free to use this text:
Dear Aunt Sally (obviously, change this if your aunt’s name isn’t Sally),
I’m writing to let you know that I will be participating in the Appalachia Service Project this summer. We will be going into the Appalachian region for a week to work on homes and help make them warmer, safer, and drier. We will stay in a center, probably a school, with volunteers from other parts of the U.S. and we will work along side the families who live there.
We’ll be doing stuff like repairing roofs, fixing or replacing floors, installing sheet rock and insulation, painting, digging drainage ditches, building room additions or porches, siding the exterior or perhaps some simple plumbing and electrical work.
To get ready for this trip, each one of us has to spend at least eight hours learning carpentry skills; at least eight hours learning about the people in Appalachia and about living in the center; and at least eight hours fund raising. We have two main fund raising efforts: car washes and stock sales.
You probably guessed that that’s the reason for my letter.
I need to sell at least twenty-five shares of stock in our Project at $10 per share. I’d like you to consider investing in our Project. It is a great way for me to learn and to serve! And, it’s also a way for us to help people who need it. I think that you will find being a part of our Project is a great return on your investment!
Although the Appalachia Service Project volunteers from Ridgefield are from many denominations and faiths, our Project is sponsored by Jesse Lee Memorial United Methodist Church. This means that all donations are tax deductible.
If you would like to invest in our Project by buying one or more shares of stock, please send me $10 for each share you would like to buy. Checks should be made payable to “Jesse Lee ASP Group.” Or, you can go online to www.JesseLeeASP.org and purchase the stock there.
I really appreciate your help because we couldn’t do it without the support of our friends and families.
Thanks, and I’ll try to write more often…
ASP National
The national ASP organization has added a number of COVID safety protocols for this summer’s trip including: limiting the number of volunteers who can stay at its “centers”; requiring that masks be worn unless volunteers are eating, sleeping or showering; and prioritizing exterior home repairs, like roof and siding replacements.
For more details, please check out the links below: