Appalachia Service Project President and CEO Walter Crouch Inducted into Fahe Hall of Fame

Appalachia Service Project President and CEO Walter Crouch Inducted into Fahe Hall of Fame.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (September 21, 2023) — Appalachia Service Project (ASP) President and CEO, Walter Crouch was named to the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (Fahe) Hall of Fame today at the Fahe Annual Meeting in recognition of his accomplishments and legacy during his time at ASP.

The Fahe Hall of Fame honors members or partners who are retiring after many years of outstanding service to their community or the Fahe Network. The nominee must have retired in the past year or is planning to retire before next year’s annual meeting and must have outstanding career performance in the areas of housing programs, services, development, or finance. With a focus on leadership, housing, education, health, social services, and economic opportunity, Fahe empowers the people and communities of Appalachia with the resources, opportunities, and tools needed to build a better life.

“Walter’s legacy is one of positive change. His commitment to bringing together volunteers and partners to address the basic need of shelter in Central Appalachia through home repair and replacement has had a profound impact on the trajectory of so many lives,” said Sara Morgan, Fahe President. “We’re truly fortunate to have such an exceptional individual who has made a real difference in our region, and we thank him for his outstanding contributions.”

“I am honored to be inducted into the Fahe Hall of Fame alongside many people who have made such a significant impact in the Appalachian region. ASP and Fahe have a fantastic partnership, and I am thankful to have served alongside them,” said Walter Crouch, ASP President and CEO. During Crouch’s more than 13 years of remarkable service at ASP, he has built relationships with the families served by ASP, as well as the donors, volunteers, and staff that partner and serve alongside our organization. ASP’s core Home Repair program has flourished under his leadership. In his final summer as ASP’s CEO, he traveled over 5,000 miles to personally visit over 2,000 volunteers, demonstrating his appreciation for their invaluable contributions to ASP
and families in need. Additionally, Crouch has spearheaded ASP’s New Build program, resulting in hundreds of families receiving keys to new, mortgage-free homes.

Further, Crouch’s impact reached beyond ASP’s traditional service area and scope. In the wake of devastating flooding in 2012, he met with community leaders to forge a new and necessary Disaster Recovery program, which has resulted in ASP’s involvement in numerous Long Term Disaster Recovery efforts in West Virginia (flooding June 2016), Gatlinburg (wildfires November 2016), Middle Tennessee (flooding August 2021), and, most recently, Eastern Kentucky (flooding July 2022). These homes have changed the trajectory and legacy of their owners’ lives forever. Walter’s unwavering dedication to ASP's mission has left an indelible mark on our organization and the communities we serve every year in Central Appalachia.

(L) Jim King, Fahe CEO, and (R) Walter Crouch, ASP President and CEO.

Appalachia Service Project (ASP) is a Christian ministry, open to all people, that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia. Since 1969, ASP volunteers have been making homes warmer, safer, and drier for families in need in Central Appalachia and providing life-transforming experiences for everyone involved. In recent years ASP has expanded its outreach to include building new homes for low-income families whose homes were destroyed by fire or flooding and others whose homes are beyond repair. Each year, ASP typically hosts approximately 10,000 volunteers working in four different Central Appalachian states, serving over 250 families with home repairs and new home construction. In recent years ASP has expanded its outreach to include building new homes for low-income
families whose homes were destroyed by fire or flooding and others whose homes are beyond repair. These homes come as gifts of grace to the families at no cost to them.