Location
Culp Ballroom
Start Date
4-7-2022 9:00 AM
End Date
4-7-2022 12:00 PM
Poster Number
85
Faculty Sponsor’s Department
Community & Behavioral Health
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Bethesda O'Connell
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Project's Category
Community Health
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Central Appalachia experiences disproportionate rates of poverty. Historical exploitation has resulted in a lack of trust in others. Appalachia Service Project (ASP) utilizes interpersonal interactions as a way to market their free home repair services to a hesitant region. This study is an extension of a qualitative project about the link between housing repairs and health. The purpose is to highlight the impact that positive interaction with ASP has on willingness to receive assistance through service organizations in rural East Tennessee. Twenty-eight phone interviews were recorded through Zoom and thematic analysis was done using NVivo software. Twenty-four (86%) of those interviewed increased in their willingness to receive assistance based on their positive experience. Themes included being treated with dignity and respect, quality time, the intergenerational interface, reciprocity, and being spiritually uplifted. Further research is suggested regarding the affect religious communities, honor culture, rurality, and industrial ties have on willingness to receive assistance.
The Importance of Positive Interaction within Assistance Work in Appalachia
Culp Ballroom
Central Appalachia experiences disproportionate rates of poverty. Historical exploitation has resulted in a lack of trust in others. Appalachia Service Project (ASP) utilizes interpersonal interactions as a way to market their free home repair services to a hesitant region. This study is an extension of a qualitative project about the link between housing repairs and health. The purpose is to highlight the impact that positive interaction with ASP has on willingness to receive assistance through service organizations in rural East Tennessee. Twenty-eight phone interviews were recorded through Zoom and thematic analysis was done using NVivo software. Twenty-four (86%) of those interviewed increased in their willingness to receive assistance based on their positive experience. Themes included being treated with dignity and respect, quality time, the intergenerational interface, reciprocity, and being spiritually uplifted. Further research is suggested regarding the affect religious communities, honor culture, rurality, and industrial ties have on willingness to receive assistance.