Missions at RUMC
2024 ASP TEAM
For 35 continuous years, the Rockford United Methodist Church has been traveling to the poorest counties in Appalachia to make homes warmer, safer, and drier with Appalachia Service Project (ASP). The 2024 Team (pictured above on the steps of the First Christian Church in Berea, KY) consisted of 22 volunteers (four crews) and they traveled this year to Lee County, VA (Jonesville) to repair poverty-level homes. Also pictured is ASP’s CEO Melissa Winburn who is presenting Ruth Reickard, RUMC’s ASP Coordinator, with the 35 Year Plaque (her 30th and last year going on the mission trip). Four homeowners received a quilt made by the RUMC Sewing Ladies! The RUMC Cookie Ladies provide 15-18 dozen cookies each year for the four crews, the Center Staff, and to share with the families. The ASP Team holds two fundraisers each year, a soup-salad/dessert auction in the Spring and cleaning up trash at the Start of Summer Celebration in Rockford each summer. We are so blessed to have such wonderful youth, devoted adults (who know all about construction), and an incredibly compassionate church to support this mission for 35 years (and beyond)!
Crew 1: Devin Cook, Jerrad Reickard, Kaia Blasky, Audrey Wendtland
Crew 1 worked on the home of a very nice lady who has custody of one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter. Her floor was six inches lower at the front of the house than in the back so the crew removed the flooring, leveled out the floor, and then replaced the subfloor and laid wood flooring. The homeowner made each crew member a jar of spaghetti sauce and apple butter to take home.
Crew 2: Rick Schroder, Damon Lautenbach, Curt Lautenbach, Teresa Lautenbach
Crew 2 installed a new bathroom for a family that sometimes had 11 children and 4-5 adults living in the house at times (so they needed a second bathroom). RUMC donated money to purchase the new Tub Surround. The child’s nickname was the “Boss”!
Crew 3: Brandon Roach, Carol Murphy, Blake Murphy, Jacob Bissell, Brooke Kaule, Jack Filhart
Crew 3 worked on the home of a lady that you could see into her house from the outside between the roof and back wall. They replaced flooring, installed a temporary wall until a roof later this summer could be installed, fixed her electricity according to Code, and helped fix up her bedroom closet (among other things). The neighboring farm had sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, etc., and baby goats were born while we were there.
Crew 4: Roman DeJong, Larry Lindemer, Ron Radunzel, Blake Lautenbach, Nathan Wolford
Crew 4 worked at the home of a mother and daughter. They installed stairs off the side of the home that the door was 10 feet off the ground and the opening led to nowhere. West Virginia building regulations are quite strict so the stairs were extra wide and the stairs will probably last 100 years (a lot longer than the home!).
Floaters: Ruth Reickard and Jake Lindemer
The two floaters delivered the necessary building supplies to each crew every day in a 3/4 ton White Ford Diesel Truck! They ate lunch each day with a different crew. Even though it was very hot, the work on the four homes was very rewarding and we are blessed.
