A Letter From The
Founder
In November and
December of 1996, members of my family and I
began providing Thanksgiving and Christmas
dinners to qualified families and individuals
in Harlan and Bell counties in Kentucky.
Volunteers from various communities joined
with us to expand distribution of food, new
clothing, and other items necessary for daily
living. We have added five additional
counties, have over one hundred volunteers,
and continue to grow. No one receives a
salary; we are an all volunteer organization.
Our mission has
always been to assist the neediest of the
needy. We have grown from making deliveries
on a stock trailer to the use of large
tractor-trailer trucks delivering as much as
44,000 pounds of quality foods at a time. We
now serve as many as 15,000 individuals in
Bell, Clay, Estill, Harlan, Leslie, Letcher,
and Perry counties. There is never a charge
for any of the products distributed.
The elderly on low
fixed income are the first group to receive
our assistance. Parents working at low income
wages to provide a home for their children
also, rightly, deserve our assistance. We
direct our programs to these two groups.
Other special needs are served when possible.
I believe we are
unique because we welcome other Outreach
Ministries to join Appalachian Region
Missions to meet the needs of the less
fortunate. Many have done so and we thank
them for their efforts. I also wish to thank
the churches, companies, and individuals that
provide finds, products, and services that
keep this great service ongoing. It is truly
a joint effort. I hope all are blessed in
spirit for their efforts.
Personally, I am very
proud of all the folks who make this effort
possible. I serve with the best!
There are no paid
salaries at Appalachian Region Missions, Inc.
Dedicated Volunteers from the communities
being served provide the labor to prepare
boxes of food and other items and make
deliveries to the homes. Without these
volunteers we could not provide free service
to the less fortunate. I ask you to remember
these dear volunteers in your prayers.
Thank you for your
interest and support.
Sincerely,
John
H. Payne
Founder
