FARMINGTON — SugarWood Gallery is hosting an appreciation reception for Mission at the Eastward volunteer teams Sunday for the work they are doing in Franklin County.

The reception for them and their local volunteer support groups will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 7 at 248 Broadway in Farmington. The public is invited to meet the volunteers and to bring a potluck hors d’oeuvre to share. The visiting teams this coming week are from Doylestown, Pa. This will be a return trip for many of the workers.

The North Parish Housing Ministry is a ministry of the Mission at the Eastward and is an area of coverage served by the Fairbanks, New Portland and North New Portland churches. It has been in existence for about 35 years.

Volunteer Mission teams from all over the Northeast come to Western Maine during June, July and August to share their talents and caring with area homeowners, who without assistance with labor and/or materials, would be unable to make needed repairs and maintenance to their homes.

Many of the volunteers take vacation time to be here. Painting, roof repairs, porches, steps, ramps and simple interior and exterior repair are likely prospects for the teams. Wherever possible, they ask homeowners and families to participate in the work and its cost.

At times the mission can help with materials through grants and donations. The primary source of funding is from donations from the volunteers who come to do the work. This year, North Parish Housing Ministry will be working with 14 churches that are sending a team of volunteers over the next nine weeks.

Ed Jesteadt has assumed the leadership role of coordinator formerly held by the Rev. Scott Planting. The ministry has two people who do all of the preparatory work for the almost 80 requests for housing repairs received this year — Steve Brennan for the greater Farmington area and Ken White for the New Portland area. There are numerous local volunteers who perform many tasks to support the work teams during their stay.