Nazareth Farm has been around since 1979 and I was there from the start and I am still involved with its ministry today. This is a testament to the great work they do with the poor of Applachia.
I have gone to Naz Farm twice so far, and will hopefully be going more than that. I was reluctant to go the first time that I went, but ended up having the time of my life getting to know the other volunteers there. We split into groups (away from the people that we traveled there with) and these groups became our work groups which we spent the week with. During the day we would do anything from split wood, clean the farm, build a roof or deck in the community, paint someone's house, the list was endless. At night, we got to just spend time with all the volunteers and really enjoy each others company. One of my favorite nights was tuesdays, because members from the community would come to the farm and join us for dinner and we would get to sit and learn their life stories. They just wanted someone to talk to. Overall, I would have to say the weeks that I have spent at Nazareth Farms have been some of the best weeks of my life. Nazareth Farms is a place where you can relax and be yourself and just enjoy other people's company.
My experience was absolutely incredible. It is hard for me to find the words to adequately describe the great works that Naz Farm does. They educate their volunteers on issues that effect the nation as a whole (mountain top removal, gas fracking, etc.). Naz also lives out their cornerstones of Community and Service by going out into the surrounding area in West Virginia and fix homes. My time there has radically changed my life for the better and I will be forever indebted to Naz Farm.
The week I spent at Naz was easily one of the best weeks of my life. Helping to repair homes sounds great on paper, and it is, but the Naz experience is much more than that. Just hanging out with everybody on Community Night was awesome, and I think that all the volunteers had as much fun as the community members who stopped by. Talking to all of the homeowners across WV really was an eye opening experience. My week at Nazareth Farm was three years ago by now, and i remember everything as if it were yesterday. It changed my life for the better.