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By Jenny Greene
The Central Appalachian Missionary Conference (formerly Red Bird Missionary Conference) in Kentucky is in the poorest area of the U.S. The people of Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky, have huge hearts for this region and they also have some of the best scenery! First United Methodist Church in Hershey has had a long history of sending work crews to serve the mission.
A Volunteer in Mission (VIM) team of ten left the first week of October, 2022, to help a lovely, elderly widow, Marilyn, whose house was literally falling in from foundation damage. When working on an older home, it is common to discover more problems as you work. This was the case for Marilyn’s home, which was found to have gutter and flooring issues too. Our team was able to rebuild the rotten foundation and keep water from coming into the home. We also winterized other areas of the home for the cold weather ahead.
Red Bird Mission is a helpline for those in need in this area. They provide medical and dental services, a community store, Meals on Wheels, Volunteer in Mission teams for home repair, a Christian school, mothers and children programs, and senior citizen center activities. Marilyn was among many who have been helped by VIM teams coming to volunteer in this remote region in the Appalachian Mountains. Marilyn was so thankful for the help she was given because of the outpouring of love and prayer. Check out their website at rbmission.org. For assistance in planning a Volunteer in Mission journey contact Michelle Schwartzman, VIM Coordinator at vim@susumc.org.
