Dr. Patrick Scott, Professor of Political Science and MPA Program Director, spent a portion of his summer vacation in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. During the second week of June he traveled to Johnson City, Tennessee to volunteer with a nonprofit organization, the Appalachian Service Project (ASP). Their work involved putting in a new floor in a home for an elderly man who was stricken with polio from a young age.
Founded in 1969, ASP deploys over 17,000 volunteers annually to repair the homes of more than 650 low-income families across five states in Central Appalachia. The mission of ASP is to see substandard housing in Central Appalachia eradicated by providing volunteer service opportunities to make homes warmer, safer and drier for families in need. ASP operates year-round service centers in four states—Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia—that help provide safe, affordable housing for low-income residents.