Category: Volunteers

 EXPECTED RETURN TIME TO JESSE LEE

4:00 P.M

After spending the last week repairing homes in Appalachia, Jesse Lee’s volunteers are on their way home today. The crews drove part of the way home last night, stopping over in Williamsport, MD. Last night they shared a time of worship and this morning they were back on the road, bound for Ridgefield.

 Each caravan will make its way to the rendezvous point, where they will pose for a group picture before being escorted by the Ridgefield Police back to Jesse Lee. Family and friends should meet us at the church. Upon return, the caravan will park in the back commuter parking lot. Parking is available for guests in the main church lot.

  This story will be updated with our latest arrival time estimates.

We know that being away at college makes it very difficult to attend all the orientations and car washes. (That’s why “young adult” leader status is only extended to our veterans.) Don’t worry, we have you covered.

The “young adult” category is tricky, because while it comes with additional privileges, it also comes with additional responsibilities. And yet, we can’t extend quite all the privileges and responsibilities of the older adults.

For example, you aren’t yet old enough to drive the vans, unless it’s an emergency. It’s possible we’ll be putting you on a crew as one of the two adult leaders. You will get to come to all the adult leader meetings at the center. You’ll also have to shower during the adult shower time. You are close to the same age as the youth, so you have a cool factor and they’ll want you to hang out with them–and we want that too. We expect you to know, exemplify, and help enforce the ASP rules, and we will expect the youth to respect your authority the same as any other adult in that regard.

One responsibility that usually falls to the young adults is acting as chaperones in the youth sleeping area during the trips down and back. By counting on you to oversee things, our drivers can be well-rested and our driving time will be safer.

We are really glad to have you coming on the trip again! We know that you can’t make it to all the events leading up to the trip, however, if you are home when an activity takes place, we would expect you to be in attendance.

There will be a separate meeting in June for all the young adults that will be going on ASP this year.  Please check the calendar and be sure to make note of the date.

All adult volunteer (anybody out of high school) need to submit to a background check once every three years. The background check form and a copy of our policy and procedure can be found on our Forms page.

POLICY

• All adults (those out of high school at least 1 year) need to submit to a background check every three years.
• This will be done on the same basis as all other Jesse Lee Memorial UMC background checks.
• If there is a conviction or plea of no contest for any situation that may disqualify an adult volunteer, then the individual will not be allowed to volunteer with Jesse Lee ASP.
• If there is a conviction of plea of no contest for a driving related offense of the individual has had a suspended driver’s license withing the past 5 years, then the individual will be able to volunteer with Jesse Lee ASP but will NOT be able to drive at any time during the trip.

PROCEDURE

1. Our Forms Director will collect the background verification authorization forms in sealed envelopes.
2. The Forms Director will log in who has turned in an envelope.
3. The Forms Director will give the sealed envelope to the church administrator.
4. The church administrator will run the background check by submitting the info on the forms to the Church’s background check company.
5. The church administrator will mail a copy of the report to the individual and file a copy with Social Security number blacked out in a locked, secure storage.
6. If there is any situation that may disqualify an adult volunteer on the report:
   • The church administrator will inform Jesse Lee’s senior pastor.
   • The senior pastor will contact the individual and tell them that they cannot go on with Jesse Lee’s ASP group.
   • Either the individual or the senior pastor will inform someone on the ASP council that the individual will not be going on ASP. The reason for not going does not need to be disclosed.
   • The senior pastor will make sure that the individual is not on the final list of adults going on the trip.
7. If there is a driving related offense on the report:
   • The church administrator will notify one of the ASP council directors.
   • An ASP council director will contact the individual and tell them that they cannot drive on the Jesse Lee ASP trip.
   • The ASP council director will notify the individual’s center leaders that that person cannot drive on the trip.

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, mailing addresses and email on the form. This form must accompany every check. Please reassure your donors that their email is only used to send a digital thank you and not for any other purpose.

Download the ASP Stock Sales Report Form

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.

Download the ASP Stock Certificate
Download the ASP Stock Prospectus

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…

All ASP volunteers are required to attend and participate in all of our pre-trip orientations.

To satisfy the orientation requirement, volunteers must attend all four orientation programs to learn about the Appalachian culture and local poverty as well as the “Three S’s” – safety, sensitivity and stewardship.  Each of the first three sessions will be offered twice – you only need to attend one.  The final orientation will only be offered once.

The 2026 dates are as follows:

• • Orientation 1 – February 4th or February 10th
  • Orientation 2 – March 18th or March 24th
  • Orientation 3 – April 22rd or April 28th
  • Orientation 4 – June 3th – Only one date for this orientation

Contact: Deb Ahle, 203-240-1864