A Michigan church connects with other congregations, the district, and the conference to provide two vehicles for Red Bird Mission. These “mobile hardware vans” will keep volunteer teams on task.

KAY DEMOSS
Michigan Conference Communications

United Methodists have always known that collaboration is a good thing. It’s a core value of what we call “the connection.” So, when First United Methodist Church’s Brighton and Whitmore Lake campuses chose the van drive for Red Bird as their “Mission of the Year,” they didn’t go it alone.

Retired Army Major Jeff Knop spearheaded the coalition that combined the efforts of Brighton, Howell: First UMC, and St. Paul’s UMC in Rochester Hills. The Michigan Conference Board of Global Ministries put Ministry Shares dollars to work, granting $5,000 to the project. An additional $1,000 grant came from the Heritage District.

Knop, a believer in teamwork, drafted a blueprint for the van drive and then briefed other churches. “I wanted to shake the tree to get top-down support for those in the trenches in Kentucky.” While this did not materialize from the General Board of Global Ministries, neighbors in Howell and Rochester Hills were natural partners. Rev. Jon Reynolds, co-pastor at Brighton, adds, “I am very thankful for the connectional support to help our church raise enough money to buy two new vans for Red Bird. It’s amazing what we can do when we work together.”

The Need Is Great

Red Bird Mission, located in Beverly, serves a tri-county region in southeastern Kentucky. The area is ranked among the top 20 poorest counties in the United States. Founded in 1921 by the Evangelical Church, today, Red Bird serves the needs of approximately 50,000 families.

The home page of Red Bird’s website states: “The need remains critical in this isolated, rural distressed area. Chronic poverty, lack of jobs, poor housing, and rugged mountainous terrain provide obstacles to a fuller life for the residents of this area. Red Bird Mission and Clinic strive to meet these needs. Their program areas include education, health, outreach, housing improvement, and economic opportunities.

• • Education: Red Bird Christian School serves students in pre-K through 12th grade. Adult education provides health, gardening, farming, business, and other essential knowledge, depending on the current needs of the community.
  • Health: Initiatives include a farmers’ market, food assistance, a dental clinic, a visiting health nurse, prescription assistance, and wellness training.
  • Outreach: They provide clothing and household assistance through a community store, clean water, a baby pantry, Meals on Wheels, and holiday help.
  • Economic Opportunities: The mission provides education and support for individuals who desire to use their talents and creativity as a source of income. Hand-made items, used items, and produce are sold to the public on campus.

Home Repair Requires Wheels

The van drive has deep roots at Brighton: First UMC. That church family has supported Red Bird’s housing improvement efforts since 2010. Brighton has been involved in 36 home repairs over the past decade.

“Every week, from March until November, as many as 2,000 volunteers come to Red Bird for a week to help those living in poverty,” Knop states. “Teams replace anything and everything from roofs to floors and windows to walls to create healthier and safer home environments.”

Knop explains, “Without the ‘Mobile Hardware Store’ van, which contains tools, nails, plumbing supplies, hammers, shovels, prybars, lumber, roofing materials, the work will never get done.” In the past, churches across the country contributed Campbell’s Soup labels that went toward purchasing vans. Those vehicles began service in Kentucky transporting school children. That soup label program was discontinued in 2003. The work van fleet has lost vehicles to mechanical failure and accidents, jeopardizing the efficient operation of work teams. Knop reported in early 2024, “Out of 12 work vans, Red Bird is down to only four which mostly work.” One Red Bird staffer was heard to comment, “I often pray that the brakes will work.”

Brighton set a goal of $35,000 to buy two low-mileage used vans. Promotion began in February 2024. Individual contributions flowed in. Fundraisers included a puzzle drive, plant exchange, and scrap metal collection.

Goal Met and Surpassed

By spring, $33,000 was in hand. As significant progress on the van drive was achieved, a 2008 Ford 350 Tool Truck was donated. This “bonus” vehicle was delivered to Red Bird in March. A 2014 E250 ¾ ton cargo work van with 65,100 miles was dedicated on Easter Sunday and went on the roll to Kentucky with the church’s blessing. Knop thanks John and Jenny Conely of Conely Auto in Brighton for their assistance in procuring the van, making repairs, and doing necessary maintenance. “There are many lemons out there when it comes to extended vans,” Knop says. Conely Auto helped in the search for one that was “not too tired and within the start of its life cycle.” Van Drive Phase 1 was now complete.

Van Drive Phase 2 then got underway in late summer. Knop continued to work with Conely Auto until a one-ton “Southern Bell” with less than 100,000 miles was located in Virginia. It is anticipated that Red Bird should get 15 years of service from both vans. Brighton: First UMC raised over $40,000 to purchase both cargo work vans.

Fourteen members of Brighton/Whitmore Lake traveled to Red Bird in early October to deliver the second van and lend a hand in support of several Red Bird ministries. The van did not arrive empty. Before leaving Michigan, it was filled with building materials, school supplies, personal care products, and baby items. “It became a Mobile Santa’s Sleigh,” Knop notes.

Kari Collins, Executive Director of Red Bird Mission, reports fewer volunteers have come to Red Bird since the pandemic. “In 2019, we had 2,400 people involved in work camps,” she says. “Last year and this year, only 1,200.” Short-term and long-term help is needed. Learn how individuals and groups can put their hearts and hands to work. The “Friday Finish” blog tells the story of how Red Bird’s programs are changing lives. “We welcome anyone who has Christ in his or her heart to be a part of Red Bird,” Collins notes. 

Connection Makes a Difference

By whatever name — teamwork, coalition, connection — organization and cooperation make a difference.

This story of connection makes a difference to thousands of people in Kentucky by keeping Red Bird’s volunteers equipped for home improvement. Collins expresses her gratitude: “These vans provide reliable transportation for our counties’ hills and hollers. With these vans, we can improve homes with safety issues, that are desperately in need of repair.”

“These two vans breathe life into sustaining the work camps,” Knop adds. He adds a note of caution, however, because blown transmissions and motors will continue to happen. Knop encourages Red Bird leadership and those who love that mission in the hills to become intentional about funding and procuring replacement vans.

Connection makes a difference to the Michigan churches that contributed dollars, time, and energy to the van drive. Without them, the $35,000 goal would not have been reached. They reap the joy that comes from a job well done for Jesus and neighbors. 

And connection makes a difference to individuals like Jeff Knop. Jeff retired last year after 40 years of service in the United States Army. Through Brighton: First’s “Mission of the Year,” Jeff used his skill set to do something that mattered. “It gave me a sense of contributing to my fellow Americans,” he says. “I grew up in a house in Michigan like those we rebuild for Red Bird. So, I was honoring my parents by helping others,” he concludes.

Editor’s note: Red Bird Mission is a Ministry Partner with the EngageMI program of the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church. Online contributions can be made to Red Bird Christian School #773728, Red Bird Clinic Community Health Center #773724, and Red Bird Mission #773726. Checks payable to the Michigan Conference may be sent to this address: Conference Ministry Shares, P.O. Box 72472, Cleveland, OH 44192-0002. Be sure to include the Red Bird project name and number on the memo line of your check.

Red Bird has started fundraising for Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving on December 3, 2024. Gifts may be designated to any part of their program, including vehicles.