In December 2005 we participated in a mission trip called Operation Warmup, where we passed out warm clothes to people in McDowell County, West Virginia. It was a great opportunity to serve the Lord. We arrived back home on Sunday night after spending an entire weekend in the communities of Coalwood, Panther and Roderfield, WV. By Tuesday morning the phone call came. Steve, one of our leaders on Operation Warmup, called and said, “We’re going back.” While he was up there, Steve had been talking to some of the kids asking what they were getting for Christmas. One little girl answered by saying, “probably nothing. We haven’t had a Christmas in three years.” This broke Steve’s heart. He couldn’t get the thought of what the little girl had said out of his mind. Back at home on Monday, the Lord woke Steve up and spoke to him and said “do something.” Steve called some of us that had been on the trip and said how do you feel about going back and this time taking toys to the children up there? There was no hesitation. In a matter of a week and a half, we contacted local churches, businesses, and people that we knew. We told them what we were doing. By the morning of Friday, December 16th we had three box trucks filled with toys for the children, one box truck loaded with canned goods for the food pantry, and one truck piled high with fresh fruit. The support was amazing. In West Virginia, we gave out all that we had brought. The children’s eyes lit up as they came into the rooms and saw the mountain of toys we had brought for them. The parents were so grateful that their children had a present. We were just glad that we could help.
Since 2005 we have made four trips to Southern West Virginia in hopes of bringing Christmas and the love of Jesus to the children of Appalachia. Over the years we have been able to reach approximately 1,000 families 2,400 children. The team has grown quite a bit as well. Starting with a small group of 35 volunteers in 2005, we have grown to over 100 volunteers in 2008.
Seeing the need for growth and continued mission, AMP created another mission under its umbrella. Backpacks 4Kids is a summer mission project designed to provide school-age children in West Virginia and Kentucky with backpacks filled with school supplies. Each backpack will contain age and grade level appropriate supplies, toothpaste and toothbrush, and great children's books. The idea behind this project is to supply the kids with the supplies they need to help them succeed in education. Backpacks will be collected for specific children who you can sponsor. This one on one kind of approach is specific and intentional for this mission. It is our hope that a personal connection can be made. If you would like to take part in this mission please visit the Backpacks 4 Kids page for more information or email us at info@appalachianmissionproject.com.