Young Neighbors in Action L a Sampler of Service Opportunities

The Appalachian Experience -- A Sampler of Service Opportunities

No two Appalachian Experiences are exactly alike. While the program format may be identical, the work opportunities offered each year at program sites help guarantee that each event is a unique experience. Job sites are selected to offer teams a choice among different kinds of service involvement. Some teams prefer outdoor, physical labor, like scraping, painting or repairing a roof; others prefer an opportunity for close, indoor interaction with children in need. Some want to do the same job, daylong, for the entire week. Others want a bit more variety and exposure. While there is no set, or truly "typical" site, the following sampler of job sites from the past programs provides you with an idea of the breadth of work options available at each Appalachian Experience site:

 Scraping, painting, and minor repairs to the homes of poor families in suburban and rural areas;

 Making sandwiches or soup, cutting vegetables and fruit, serving and talking with the people that count on the soup kitchen for their major meal

 Painting over graffiti on the walls of public parks, private homes and businesses

 Assisting with a morning bible school class for a multicultural mix of children; cleaning up and repairing homes in the area for the remainder of the day

 Playing with toddlers in a day care that specializes in loving care for abused, battered and addicted babies

 Cleaning and painting rooms in a homeless shelter for young families in need

 Providing day care, tutoring assistance and recreational opportunities for children who live in crowded shelter conditions

 Working in a head start program organized to care for the children of migrant workers

 Cleanup and repair work in facilities dedicated to serving pregnant teens and young mothers, young addicts.

 Sharing in the daytoday life of a Social Community Worker, responding to the needs of neighbors as they arise

 Working with “Habitat for Humanity” type projects, building and renovating homes, providing lasting shelter and dignity for people in need

The work is sometimes messy and often hard, but it's always needed and rewarding. And it's accompanied by opportunities to talk with and learn from those in need and the groups organized to help them. Appalachian Experience job sites offer the chance to use your muscles and stretch your mind!