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Appalachian Center service trip to Perry County to aid in flood relief

By Tori Santiago 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 6, 2022) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center, in collaboration with the Housing Development Alliance, is seeking volunteers for a service trip to Perry County, Kentucky, on Saturday, Oct. 15, to aid in flood relief 

The trip will involve mucking and gutting homes so that the homeowners have a cleaner slate to start again, after the devastating floods. Participants can expect to be removing mud/debris from homes and crawl spaces, removing damaged materials and treating the homes with fungicide to reduce the risks of unwanted moisture and mold in the homes. 

This trip is open to all UK students, faculty and staff, and volunteers are expected to be signed up by Thursday, Oct. 13. Transportation will be provided by the Appalachian Center. Participants should meet at the Appalachian Center at 624 Maxwelton Court at 7:15 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, and will return around 7 p.m. that same day. 

Volunteers are recommended to wear long pants, boots and long sleeves. The Appalachian Center will provide transportation, snacks and water, but participants are expected to pack their own breakfast, lunch and water bottle. Volunteers should plan to take a COVID-19 test ahead of the trip (at-home antigen tests are permitted) and are asked to not participate if they are feeling ill or experiencing COVID-like symptoms.

For more information, and to sign up for this service opportunity, visit https://appalachiancenter.as.uky.edu/flood-relief-service-trip-1.

This will be third service trip to the region arranged by the UK Appalachian Center, with the previous two taking place Aug. 27 and Sept. 17. The center also held a flood relief drive in August in partnership with the Appalachian Law Caucus. For more information about how to get involved with the center and flood relief efforts, visit https://appalachiancenter.as.uky.edu/node/520848.

The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center contributes to the land-grant mission of the university by fostering community-university partnerships in research, learning and engagement in Appalachia, a region faced with unique opportunities and challenges toward sustainable development in a globalized context.

The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers."  We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.