After being involved with service projects for the past several years, freshman communication studies major Kiley Coster said it seemed natural to continue serving the community.
Shortly after arriving on campus in August, Coster began to plan for a new club on campus. College Service Project, or CSP, will be a nationally affiliated extension of Appalachia Service Project, a national home repair ministry that, according to asphome.org, works to make homes in the community warmer, safer and dryer.
“I have worked with ASP for the past few years and attended a sit week this past summer, which is sort of like an introduction for what it means to be a staff member of ASP,” Coster said. “After attending sit week, I found out that ASP was going to start a new national initiative – CSP. Since I am a freshman, I thought it would be great to start an Appalachian chapter of CSP, that way I could work with it and help it grow over the next few years.”
Coster said members of CSP will be fundraising, advocating and serving in the Watauga County area to help improve the living conditions of families in this region, while also developing lasting relationships with the community.
Coster is currently in the process of getting CSP approved by Appalachian State University, and is looking for a faculty or staff member that can advise the club.
“The process of starting a club is a long one,” Coster said. “First you have to go through the CSIL office and Club Council, then submit some paper work and an application. The school requires new clubs to have staff advisers to help guide the club and make sure they are using all of their resources correctly.”
Once Coster finds a staff member willing to support CSP, she will go before a board of students and staff members and explain her reasons for wanting to establish CSP, in hopes of approval from the university.
“Once we get approval from the school for CSP, we have to apply for national recognition from ASP,” Coster said. “That way we can use their brand for recruiting purposes, and be officially affiliated with the organization.”
Freshman English major Sarean Metzinger said she believes that CSP will be a good way for her to get involved on campus.
“I really wanted to get involved in college and volunteering is something I absolutely love to do,” Metzinger said. “When I saw that [Coster] was creating a club I thought that it would be wonderful to support the club and also volunteer and do service projects like I wanted to do.”
Coster agrees with Metzinger, but also believes that CSP will be a great way to get involved off campus as well.
“The beauty of CSP is that it is affiliated with ASP, which already has connections in Watuaga County and surrounding areas,” Coster said. “CSP will allow students to strengthen relationships with those in need beyond just the Appalachian community. I think it’s important to help the surrounding areas as students, since we live here for the majority of the year.”
Coster has already been receiving applications from families in the community that need work/help, and hopes to get started on these projects within the next few weeks.
“Since CSP will be working with ASP, any projects we don’t finish during the school year will be given to the ASP crew that comes to the area during the summer,” Coster said.
For more information about CSP or ASP, visit www.asphome.org, or contact Coster at costerke@appstate.edu.
Story: Madison Barlow, Intern News Reporter