Eighteen Bellarmine University alumni and friends are in Auxier,
Ky., on a four-day service trip to help repair homes in the Appalachian region.
The trip is organized by Bellarmine's
Alumni Association in
partnership with
Hand in Hand Ministries, which works to transform lives in Kentucky and Central America by repairing homes, providing medical care and educating children.
This
is the Alumni Association's eighth annual service trip to Appalachia.
"The biggest need in the Appalachian community is just really repairing the homes, making sure that they're ready for the winter," said Lauren Holtzmann, a 2004 Bellarmine
graduate. "You've got rotting floorboards, you've got roof issues -- we even did a house that the lady didn't even have a roof. They have no running water, and sometimes no electricity. So it's really important that we spend this time during the warmer
months to get them prepared for winter, so that they can survive."
The group left for Appalachia on Wednesday and will return on Saturday. While most of the group carpooled from Bellarmine's campus, one participant - Bradley Champagne '64 - drove in from New York.
"This opportunity directly fits
into Bellarmine's mission to respect each individual’s intrinsic value and dignity and develop in our community members, leadership and service to others," said Peter Kremer, executive director of the Alumni Association, who is making the trip for
the seventh time. "It also respects the long history and tradition of Bellarmine students giving back through service to others, which has happened since our founding. Bellarmine students have been traveling to Appalachia for service work since the 1960s
and that continues today. The Alumni Association is proud to offer alumni a chance to put their beliefs and faith into action through serving others in need.”
