BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — An exchange of gift cards carries a deeper message of hope and encouragement for residents at Addiction Recovery Care’s White Oak Hill in Inez. Once again this year, Appalachia Reach Out (ARO) stepped up to see, support and value these neighbors.
Earlier this month, ARO Executive Director Dwayne Mills presented several gift cards to Matthew Johnson, a White Oak Hill employee, helping spread Christmas cheer throughout the facility.
Johnson was grateful.
“We at White Oak Hill are thankful for Appalachia Reach Out’s help and support throughout the entire year,” Johnson said.
As Mills announced the donation on social media, he reflected on the meaning of the partnership and the work unfolding within White Oak Hill’s walls.
“White Oak Hill is a very special place,” Mills said. “Our neighbors who seek treatment at this facility are seeing their lives being transformed. It is always a blessing for Appalachia Reach Out to partner with them.”
For Mills, the season of giving does not end with Christmas. ARO’s commitment to White Oak Hill remains steady throughout the year.
“We love White Oak Hill and are thankful to help support each neighbor as we serve White Oak Hill throughout the entire year,” he said. “Each staff member and neighbor is in our prayers.”
Behind every act of outreach stands a community of supporters who make the work possible.
“Thank you to each ARO stakeholder that prays and gives financially to our mission and ministry,” Mills added. “We are able to encourage others through serving Jesus by being His love in action because of your generous support.”
ARO, a Christian nonprofit ministry based in Inez, began in the early 1970s when educator Jo Boomsma from Michigan felt a calling to serve in Eastern Kentucky. The organization partners with local churches and community groups to provide addiction-recovery support, volunteer service projects, youth and educational outreach, and assistance through a thrift store and food pantry.
Mills has served as ARO’s executive director since January 2019, after years of ministry in Martin County. Looking back, he recently recounted in a social media announcement how modest the organization’s footprint was when he began.
“When I stepped into this role there were two full-time staff and two part-time staff (ARO Thrift Store),” he said.
That calling, Mills noted, followed a clear sense of purpose.
“I knew God had brought our family to Martin County, Kentucky,” he said. “And after almost seven years of being the pastor at Turkey Creek Nazarene, the door opened for me to lead ARO…”
Seven years later, the growth tells its own story.
“To say God has been faithful would be an understatement.”
Today, Appalachia Reach Out has expanded both its staff and its reach. The organization now employs 14 people—four full-time and the remainder part-time—serving communities across the region.
“It’s part-time pay but full-time ministry,” Mills said.
ARO currently operates in Martin and Perry counties in Kentucky and Scioto County, Ohio. From 2021 to 2024, the outreach also maintained a site in partnership with the West Virginia North & South District Church of the Nazarene in Summersville, Nicholas County, West Virginia.
Along the way, countless partnerships have shaped the journey.
“God has allowed our path these past seven years to cross paths with literally thousands of people who have partnered with ARO in ministry,” said Mills. “To God be the glory.”
The organization remains grounded in its mission as it prepares for what comes next.
“The future is bright, God is great, and it’s an honor to serve Him,” Mills said. “Thank you to all who support us and believe in our mission and ministry, ‘Christ’s Love in Action.’”
He offered a glimpse of what lies ahead.
“There will be some exciting news coming in 2026 about how ARO will be looking to serve more in Appalachia,” Mills said. “Keep your eyes open and heart close to Jesus.”