By Glenn McGlothlin

glenn.mcglothlin@gmail.com

AdventureServe Ministries in Wilmore partnered with two churches last week to help repair homes in Wilmore and Nicholasville. Avon United Methodist Church from Avon, Ohio, and St. Dunstan Episcopal Church from Washington D.C., finished their four homes in Jessamine County June 21.

Kayla Lutes, public relations manager for ASM, said the clients served included a single grandmother caring for her four grandchildren, a couple with disabilities, an elderly couple and a veteran. Repairs included re-shingling, installing drywall and insulation and building porches.

ASM’s mission is to encourage growth through sometimes confrontational experiences with God, self and others, Lutes said.

Guiding participants, particularly youth groups, is one of the ways the organization works to accomplish this goal. ASM sends at least two leaders on each trip.

“Some groups want trip leaders to facilitate devotional times and be really hands-on during service projects,” Lutes said. “Others want trip leaders to take a step back and let the kids lead, which is our typical AdventureServe style.”

Lutes said church groups can select the difficulty level of their projects before raising their own funds. To help facilitate the work, ASM received a grant for $5,000 from the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund.

Lutes said helping in such a tangible way is a special experience for all involved.

“We see an impact every time our group serves our clients,” Lutes said. “I just spoke with a group that came on a home repair trip last year and is back again his year. They were planning to have dinner with the homeowners they served last year. I think that kind of relationship building is radical in showing home repair is not about a physical project but about the family and the lives inside the home.”

For more information, call 1-800-884-8483 or visit ASM online at www.adventureserve.org.