Flyers for Life
52 years of service and counting
By Peter Tierney ‘19
Author bio
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite UD home: 1903 Trinity Ave.
UD Role: The best parts about being the UDSAP treasurer are that I see how the program operates and have a hand in each service we offer. I also learned how to create a documentation system that works for me and is simple for every member to understand.
UD Summer Appalachia Program turned to the Flyer Funder crowdfunding platform for support last spring. Sitting here today, I am proud to say generous donations are the reason UDSAP is 52-years-old and counting.
UDSAP is a volunteer program unlike any other. Each summer, a community of about 15 students travel to Salyersville, Kentucky and serve the community for nine weeks from a 5-bedroom farmhouse.
With the support from past UDSAP community members and UD alumni alike, UDSAP is able to pay our farmhouse water bill and drive to that kid who lives an hour out from us. We are able to serve, and be present without worrying about where money will come from if a van needs an oil change or if we need a new screen door.
Last year I was a civil engineering student in year four out of five. As I watched the sun set on the UD Chapel, I realized summer 2018 would be my last free bit of time before entering a new life chapter. A chapter where a University house is no longer where I go home to at the end of the day, and a full-time job (not Kettering Labs) is my first stop at 8 a.m.
I wanted it to all slow down, and I wanted to serve. That’s when I found UDSAP.
And slow down it did.
Days at the UDSAP farmhouse are simple -- we weed whack, tend to the garden bed, cook meals, and enjoy the presence of God and each other. We don’t build anything or fix anything tangible, but instead, we serve by being present.
In the mornings we take the 5 to 12-year-olds to the park for some controlled chaos and in the afternoons we bring the teens over to simply hang out. We also go to the nursing home twice a week to visit residents and play the occasional bingo game.
However, UDSAP has bills. Our humble farmhouse needs to operate; we need gas to pick up every kid, every day; and we need resources to operate our programs.
Because of Flyer Funder, UDSAP will be around for another 52 years, and more students like me will experience the humbling beauty found in relationships with the residents of Salyersville, Kentucky.
