Extend the REACH of

730 W. Magnolia Ave. Auburn, AL 36832

(478)718-144 cep000@auburn.edu

October 21, 2010

Beth Ann Hopkins Program Director Alabama Rural Ministry 131 S. Gay St. P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, AL 36831 Dear Ms. Hopkins, Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to work with Alabama Rural Ministry this semester. The experience we will gain through working with your organization will be invaluable to all of us as we embark on careers in public relations.

Your willingness to take time out of your busy schedule to meet with us was greatly appreciated, and the information you gave us regarding team interest will be helpful as we work on our project.

We hope our media kit will be useful for your organization in the future. Again, we want to thank you for this opportunity to work with Alabama Rural Ministry and we look forward to working with you on this project. Cordially, Kelsey Brown Rebecca Lakin Carra Monteverde Chelsea Pound Haley Rennick

 

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, AL 36831 www.arm-al.org/

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 19, 2010

Alabama Rural Ministry Seeks Project Teams

AUBURN, Ala.—Are you looking for a way to serve a deserving community and grow in your

faith? Alabama Rural Ministry offers an opportunity for church youth groups to lend a hand to

those in need through camps that build relationships with each other and the community.

ARM camps aim to meet the needs of the rural poor through home repair, to build

relationships with the homeowners and the youth groups and to provide Christian and academic

education. ARM can only meet these objectives with the help of youth groups that are willing to

show Christ’s love with their actions.

“These camps not only provide a benefit to the families,” Beth Ann Hopkins said, “but

show the campers how important compassion and love are in building a community.”

When registering, a youth group chooses how to serve, whether it be home repair, day

camp or both. Our staff will assign the youth group to a county area depending how it would

like to serve and availability. To secure the group’s dates, a non-refundable registration fee is

required. Registration is $25 before December 1, $50 before February 1 and $75 after February

1.

-more-

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Beth Ann Hopkins Program Director

334-501-4276 bethann@arm-al.org

 

ARM  page  2  of  2    

Alabama Rural Ministry is a home repair and day camp ministry that holds summer

camps for groups to do missions in rural communities in the Black Belt Region of Alabama. We

host junior high, high school, college, and adult groups from all over the United States for week

long or extended weekend trips. ARM strives to provide a place for individuals to fellowship

with one another, build meaningful relationships with people in the community they are working

in, grow in their faith and truly serve God’s people.

###

October 21, 2010 8:00 AM Central Time

Alabama Rural Ministry Seeks Project Teams

AUBURN, Ala.—Are you looking for a way to serve a deserving community and grow in your faith? Alabama Rural Ministry offers an opportunity for church youth groups to lend a hand to those in need through camps that build relationships with each other and the community. ARM camps aim to meet the needs of the rural poor through home repair, to build relationships with the homeowners and the youth groups and to provide Christian and academic education. ARM can only meet these objectives with the help of groups that are willing to show Christ’s love with their actions. “These camps not only provide a benefit to the families,” Beth Ann Hopkins said, “but show the campers how important service and love are in building a community.” When registering, a group chooses how to serve, whether it be home repair, day camp or both. Our staff will assign the group to a county area depending how it would like to serve and availability. To secure the group’s dates a non-refundable registration fee is required. Registration is $25 before December 1, $50 before February 1 and $75 after February 1. About Alabama Rural Ministry Alabama Rural Ministry is a home repair and day camp ministry that holds summer camps for groups to do missions in rural communities in the Black Belt Region of Alabama. We host junior high, high school, college, and adult groups from all over the United States for week long or extended weekend trips. ARM strives to provide a place for individuals to fellowship with one another, build meaningful relationships with people in the community they are working in, grow in their faith and truly serve God’s people.

Contact

Beth Ann Hopkins, Program Director 334-501-4276 bethann@arm-al.org

   

 

BACKGROUNDER

Founded in the summer of 1998 in Sumter County, Alabama Rural Ministry is a

hands on ministry, responding to people through Christian love with an emphasis in

housing repair and children’s ministry.

Today, ARM serves Macon County through home repair and serves the Sumter

County through home repair and a children’s day camp ministry. Alabama Rural Ministry

coordinates home repair efforts and children’s day camps in rural parts of Alabama.

ARM is an interdenominational ministry but is connected to the United Methodist Church.

All denominations are welcome to come and serve.

Identifying home repair needs in these Alabama counties has become the main

concern of ARM. Home repair projects, done through ARM, include roofing, dry wall

repair, minor plumbing, floor repair, wheelchair ramps, porches, interior structure, etc.

The future of ARM is brighter than ever now that church youth groups have been

pouring in year after year to participate in home repair, day camp or both.

Contact:

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Phone: 334-501-4276 Fax: 334-887-3231 www.arm-al.org/  

Beth Ann Hopkins Program Director 334-501-4276 bethann@arm-al.org  

 

Teaching Youth How to Serve

Allen Burton from Riverton United Methodist Church in Front Royal, Va., is one of

many people involved with and affected by Alabama Rural Ministry. Burton joined with

two others on a mission to start a repair ministry in Livingston, Ala. Burton spent a

summer building the foundation of the organization and seeing God’s work to build the

project into a major ministry in Alabama. This group eventually turned into ARM.

Years later, Burton’s Virginia church was seeking guidance on where to go for a

national mission trip. Even though Burton had never mentioned his past experiences

with ARM, one of the youth came across ARM’s website and was convinced this was the

perfect mission trip for the group.

“We typically take adult teams with a handful of youth. However, we were really

led by God to push our church to turn this trip into a primarily youth trip this coming

summer,” Burton said.

He expects ten youth group members to road trip to Alabama this summer.

Last summer Burton’s team worked on a wheelchair ramp and floor for a

disabled man named Jimmy.

“He is an elderly man living in a trailer who we became good friends with. By the

end of the week, we were quite sad to have to say good bye,” Burton said.

Burton said at ARM, it is clear who is in the driver's seat of the ministry, and it is

clear what the purpose of the ministry is.

“Everything is spirit led and everything is focused on ministering to people, not

just fixing physical things,” Burton said.

The church members at Riverton UMC tell Burton that they like how spiritual

development of the missioners is a priority at ARM. They believe that the week-long

mission trip turns into an experience that creates life-long missioners. In the future,

those missioners seek ways to reach out in their own community.

“I think most importantly I have heard our students talk over the years about how

they learned about service to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,” Burton said,

“They find that sometimes just spending time in conversation with someone is more

meaningful than thousands of hours spent hammering nails.”

“What makes this ministry worthwhile?” Burton said, “It all boils down to the fact

that God is clearly driving this ministry. It was founded on faith and faith truly can move

mountains.”

 

Sarah Smith ARM Camp Coordinator

 With after college graduation plans set for a nutrition graduate program at Auburn

University, Sarah Smith needed something to do over the summer before school started back

again. She knew she did not want to just spend her summer lazing around her hometown. She

knew that she wanted to find a way to make a difference in the area and spend time with

Alabama youth—that’s how she became one of eight coordinators with Alabama Rural

Ministries.

“I wanted that summer camp experience,” Smith, ARM day camp coordinator said. “I

wanted an experience, where I could work with youth. ARM really picked me. Training started

on my birthday, May 13. It was really special because it was like starting a new phase of my life,

which I was. ARM was giving me a fresh start.”

Smith first heard about ARM through a friend at church, Beth Ann Hopkins, who is also

the program director of ARM.

“I heard that Beth Ann was going to be at Auburn University’s summer internship and job

fair,” Smith said, “so I decided to check it out. The opportunity was great. I could plug into kids’

lives. I wanted to do something different and help kids and that’s what ARM was doing.”

Some of Smith’s duties included working with the weekly volunteer teams to coordinate

activities and provide the love and attention for the 30 children from low-income, under-served

families who attended ARM’s summer day camp.

Each team would plan out a week full of Bible lessons, crafts, recreational activities and

educational activities for the day campers.

In addition to working with the 30 kids who attended ARM’s summer day camp, Smith

led worship and devotional with the teams each night of the week while the volunteer team was

there working on homes and leading the day campers.

“The most memorable times with the teams were always during the small groups

breakout sessions,” Smith said. “You could tell by the questions they would ask who was really

looking to grow from the experience and hungered for something more than what they had

before. That’s not us, it’s totally God helping them get what they need to get out of their time

there.”

In addition to watching the kids who attended the day camp and the volunteer teams

grow from their time at ARM during the 2010 summer, Smith said she learned a lot about herself

as well.

“I definitely learned quickly that I had to rely on other people,” Smith said. “I’m a very

independent person and don’t like to ask for help. You learn quickly about your weaknesses and

learn that the people around you are there to help you.”

###

The Extension of ARM

Alabama Rural Ministry is an organization focused on sharing Christ’s love

through home repairs and children’s ministry. Over the past 12 years, ARM has held

youth mission camps during the summer and helped dozens of families in desperate need

of home repairs. The continued success of ARM would not be possible without the

individuals that established the organization.

The organization was created in 1998 by Lisa Pierce, the founder and director of

ARM.

Pierce graduated from Auburn University and became the director of the

University of West Alabama Wesley Foundation. While she was director of UWA

Wesley Foundation, she came up with the idea for ARM after seeing the injustices of

substandard housing in rural Alabama.

After the initial idea was conceived, Pierce moved back to Auburn in 2000 and

attended a worship service at the Auburn Wesley Foundation to discuss the new home

repair ministry she was starting. The idea caught the attention of a fellow Auburn

University graduate.

Allen Burton decided to join the fledgling organization.

“I had just spent the previous summer working in the construction trade and really

felt God tugging at my heart to join,” said Burton. “So I talked to her and decided to give

it a go.”

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, AL 36831 Phone: 334-501-4276 Fax: 334-887-3231 www.arm-al.org/

With the help of Burton and others willing to invest their time in the startup

organization, Pierce built ARM from the ground up. Her goal of ministering to children

and helping underprivileged families was met and even exceeded expectations.

“She is an incredible person and my respect for her faith and connection with God

made it easy to trust that signing on that first summer was the right thing to do,” Burton

said. “If Lisa hadn’t answered her calling, there would be no ARM.”

The Little family was one of the first to receive help from ARM. The Littles have

nine children and lived in a trailer that was once a classroom. Their running water was a

spigot by the road, and electricity was an extension cord plugged into the utility pole by

the road. The trailer had not been put on adequate footings and needed significant

repairs.

While some of the ARM volunteers had construction experience, there were some

doubts about the crew’s ability to perform the task.

“I consulted a copy of the ASP construction manual Lisa had somehow gotten a

hold of, and it gave general instructions on how to do this,” Burton said. “But at multiple

points throughout those instructions were bold cautions describing catastrophic

consequences to the slightest mistake when ‘jacking up’ a house.”

With old-fashioned perseverance and a great deal of prayer, Burton and the crew

were able to renovate the family’s home.

“They were such an awesome family, and the experiences we had with them were

a testimony of things to come with ARM,” Burton said.

ARM continues to grow and advance the organization’s mission of “hands on

ministry, responding to people through Christian love with an emphasis in housing repair

and children’s ministry.”

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Phone: 334-501-4276 Fax: 334-887-3231

ALABAMA RURAL MINISTRY

FACT SHEET

o Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM) began as a summer mission in 1998 in Sumter County which is one of the 100 poorest counties in the United States with 39 percent of its population below poverty.

o In 2002, ARM started serving Macon County and 33 percent of its population is below

poverty.

o ARM is a home repair and day camp ministry that holds summer camps for volunteer groups to do missions in rural communities in the Black Belt Region of Alabama.

o A region once known for its wealth and industry, the Black Belt is now known for its

poverty, substandard education and lack of industry.

o Home repair projects include roofing, dry wall repair, minor plumbing, floor repair, wheelchair ramps, porches, interior structure etc.

o The Sonshine Kids Day Camp is free for children ages 5-12 years old. The children

participate in Bible studies, songs, games, crafts and more.

o ARM serves the Macon County through home repair and serves the Sumter County through home repair as well as a day camp ministry.

o When a group registers to serve, it can chose whether it would like to participate in home

repair, day camp or both.

o A week-long trip (Sunday to Sunday) will cost $280, while an extended weekend (Wednesday to Sunday) will cost $220.

o The cost covers room, meals (Monday-Friday), construction materials and an ARM t-

shirt.

o For more information, visit the ARM website at ARM-AL.org

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Phone: 334-501-4276 Fax: 334-887-3231 www.arm-al.org/

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Phone: 334-501-4276 Fax: 334-887-3231

ALABAMA RURAL MINISTRY Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the mission of Alabama Rural Ministry? The Alabama Rural Ministry seeks to express the love of Christ to people in need. Alabama Rural Ministry coordinates home repair efforts and children’s day camps in rural parts of Alabama. Volunteers assist with these efforts.

What does the Alabama Rural Ministry do? The Alabama Rural Ministry hosts mission work teams and volunteers who repair homes for underserved families and provide Christian education opportunities with children in summer day camps. Who can participate in the projects? Church youth groups, college groups, adults, intergenerational groups and local volunteers near the communities are all welcome to partake in the experience. How can someone get involved? There are several ways a group can get involved whether it is home repair, day camp or both. Our staff will assign your group to a county depending on how you want to serve and availability. To register a group visit ARM-AL.org, print the registration form, fill it out and send it in to the address on the form. How much does it cost? A non-refundable registration fee is required. If your group registers before Dec. 1 the fee is $25, before Feb. 1 the fee is $50, and after Feb. 1 the fee is $75. A weeklong trip from Sunday afternoon to Saturday morning cost $280. An extended weekend trip form Wednesday afternoon to Sunday morning cost $280. What do the fees include? The payment includes a room, meals, construction materials and ARM T-shirt. What other costs should be considered as you plan your trip? Your group should factor travel expenses, meals on the road, medical kits and tools that will be needed for the home repair.

P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, AL 36831 Phone: 334-501-4276 Fax: 334-887-3231 www.arm-al.org/

Extend the REACH of

We believe Christ’s love must be expressed in action to people in need. ARM is a hands on ministry, responding to people through Christian love with an emphasis in housing

repair and children’s ministry.

Alabama Rural Ministry coordinates home repair efforts and children’s day camps in rural parts of Alabama. We

are interdenominational, but are connected to the United Methodist

Church. All denominations are welcome to come and serve!

“For the service that you give is not only supplying the needs of everyone but is an expression

of many thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11-12 P.

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HomeAlabama Rural Ministry focuses on

sharing the gospel through home repair and children’s ministry mainly in Sumter

and Macon County.

Potential team projects: • Leading summer day camps for area

underprivileged kids• Roofing• Constructing wheelchair ramps• Dry wall repair• Minor plumbing • General repairs for rooms

ARM looks for church youth groups, college groups, adults, intergenerational groups and local volunteers. ARM hopes that your team will not only experience the joys of helping a family with repairs or teaching children

Bible stories, but that your team will gain an understanding of Christ’s call to serve. Your

group will enjoy an experience that allows you to engage the community and gives you a dose

of southern and Christian hospitality.

ARM wants to provide you with a mission experience that allows your team to develop personal relationships, challenges and builds

upon their relationship with Christ, and meets physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.

In Deuteronomy, God said, “There should be no poor in the land.” In Acts we read where the

early church formed such a bond that “there was no poverty among them.” It is God’s desire that

everyone has their needs supplied, and it is up to us, the body of Christ, to see that through.

• If you send in your registration before December 1 the fee is $25, before February 1 it is $50 and after February 1, it is $75.

• A week long trip from Sunday to Saturday costs $280.

• An extended weekend from Wednesday to Sunday costs $220.

• These fees cover room, meals, construction materials and an ARM t-shirt.

Located at the western end of the Black Belt region of Alabama, Sumter County is where

ARM started. Due to lack of industry in this area, this county is one of the 100

poorest counties in the United States.

Macon County is home to historical Tuskegee University, The George

Washington Carver Museum and Tuskegee Airmen. This county is one of the poorest in Alabama. With 33% of the population below poverty, and ARM serves Macon County through home repair ministry.

www.arm-al.org/