Houses of Hope

Immaculate Conception Parish has long supported our Appalachian Mission by sending students from Immaculata High School, along with adult chaperones, to participate in a week-long Work Camp each summer. This experience led one returning chaperone to ask, “Can we do more?” The Work Camp focused on minor repair of houses – often merely shacks, trailers and log cabins, which are truly beyond repair. The “more” that was imagined was an effort to build modern houses in Appalachia, one at a time, to significantly impact the long-term need of families in Appalachia.

Wayne County is a rural area with rugged mountains and deep valleys.  The area is typical of much of Appalachia: rich natural resources (primarily timber and coal) and rugged, hilly land traversed by winding roads, sharing the narrow valley floor with creeks which often overflow their banks. With the economic challenges of high unemployment, declining population and low tax revenues, the communities and residents are faced with many problems.  Despite these hardships, the people of Appalachia are rich in faith, love and generosity. 

The Wayne County Work Camp provides a service experience for youth and adults who desire a “hands on” opportunity to put their faith into practice by serving those who are in need.Its mission is to glorify God; to share the love of Christ by addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people; to work together to make homes warm, safe and dry; and to experience Christian community by living, working and worshiping together.
The success of Houses of Hope transcends the five houses that have been completed since the program’s inception. The families that have been given new hope, the concrete example of Christian love in action, and the testimony of what an individual can achieve with a simple question and the will to pursue the answers, are all part of this ministry’s true success.

Our typical house measures only 300-500 sq. ft. for a single person and 600-900 sq. ft. for a family of four. Total construction cost (excluding land) is $14,000-$20,000. Volunteers donate all of the labor required to build the house.

A question most frequently asked by those interested in this Mission effort is “Who funds the Work Camp?”  Simply stated, it is supported by the generosity of individuals such as you.  Each group participating in the Work Camp is expected to contribute a percentage of the cost of building supplies and materials that will be used throughout the course of the week.  Our group’s required contribution will be $12,000 this year.  We realize that while 40 people will make the journey to Appalachia, our actual number of participants is far greater, as it is your contributions that enable us to make the trip.   You make this Mission possible, year after year, through your generous support !

Immaculate Conception, together with Houses of Hope Founder, Bob Duffy, and local site coordinators in Appalachia, raise funds for the houses and organize volunteers to travel to West Virginia to assist in building the homes. Typically, 4-5 volunteers will dedicate a four-day weekend of travel and labor, and work wonders in the most remote reaches of rural Appalachia.