Judy and Gary Ritts have served the Appalachia community with thousands of students over 28 years.  The Appalachia Service Project (ASP) makes homes dryer, safer and warmer for the residents of the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and Kentucky.  Students (and leaders) donate 10 days from their work schedules to drive two days down and two days pack, sleep on gymnasium floors and shower in cold water to serve the poor communities who desperately need our love and building  skills to improve their living situations.  The families are carefully selected to receive new roofs, decks, wheelchair ramps, stairs, floors, plumbing, electrical... whatever they need to be warmer, safer and dryer.  Judy Ritts has taught sixth grade special education for decades in Cohasset and retired last year.  Rev. Gary Ritts will be preaching his last sermon next week after two decades at the Second Congregational Church of Cohasset.  they look forward to leaving in two weeks for their last trip to Appalachia as the head of the project, but fear not - they will continue in some aspect as volunteers with ASP.

Pictured with Judy Ritts are two of the high school students attending the trip this year.