A Community of Care - The Mountain Spirit Spring/Summer 2017

IN THIS ISSUE nn Five-Star Child & Family Development Centers nn Professional Counselors, Compassionate Services nn Texas Roadhouse Serves with CAP nn Along the Appalachian Trail

Vol. XXXVI No. 1 Spring / Summer 2017

A COMMUNITY OF CARE HOW CAP’S NETWORK OF PROGRAMS & SERVICES IS EMBRACING FAMILIES IN NEED IN APPALACHIA A Publication of Christian Appalachian Project

editor’s letter

“A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other’s lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.”

– Wendell Berry, The Long-Legged House (1969)

T

Spirit EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Clay Lester

he harsh topographical realities of Eastern Kentucky have long engendered close-knit communities. These communities are defined by a shared land, mutual goodwill, and the common pool of resources available in these spaces. Over time, the bonds between neighbors have grown tight and the bonds of the family tighter still. Even as advancements in transportation and communication have reshaped much of the region, the ties of community remain largely intact. A common commitment to one another’s concerns, joys, sorrows, needs, desires, and inherent value is at the core of Appalachian community.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tina Bryson, Brinda Campbell, Sharon Goff, Clay Lester, Bridget McCormack, Judge B. Wilson II

Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) is deeply-rooted in the shared place of this community. Over the course of five decades, a myriad of distinct programs and services have emerged and evolved to address the specific concerns of our neighbors. That these programs are so interwoven with one another reflects the reality that people – children and their families, the elderly, people with disabilities – cannot be reduced to the sum of their needs. Living in community urges the building of relationships, the recognition of the totality of one’s neighbor, and the compassion to care for the whole person.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Tina Bryson, Clay Lester, Judge B. Wilson II

CAP and its programs form a community of care. This issue of The Mountain Spirit highlights that community and the ways in which staff and volunteers are engaging the holistic needs of families and individuals.

You will find the story of a former employee and current participant for whom the Elderly Services Program has been nothing less than an answered prayer (pg. 6). You will read a meditation on how this community cultivates growth and encourages one to find the reflection of God in a neighbor (pg.

8). You will learn about the pioneering work of CAP’s Child and Family Development Centers and the methods by which they are empowering and equipping the next generation (pg. 10). You will discover how CAP is addressing more than just physical needs through its award-winning Counseling Program (pg. 19).

Each of these stories of faith, service, and compassion illustrates the interrelated nature of CAP’s services and their ability to wrap people in need into a community of care. You are a vital member of this community.

Your compassionate donations, volunteerism, support, partnership, and prayers have made these stories possible. You have chosen to share this place with us and because you continue to do so, our community grows.

Blessings,

Clay Lester Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director

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CONTACT US By phone: 859.269.0635 Toll-free: 866.270.4227 Email: publications@chrisapp.org Website: christianapp.org Mail: Christian Appalachian Project P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555

SUBSCRIPTIONS

The Mountain Spirit is published twice a year.

The suggested donation is $20.00. Subscription requests and other correspondence should be sent to : The Mountain Spirit Christian Appalachian Project P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555

contents OUR MISSION

Building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia.

faith Living on a Prayer

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A Community of Growth

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Bridget McCormack

service Classroom Stars

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Compelling Reasons for Change

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How CAP’s Family LIfe Counseling Program is Leading the Conversation on Transformation

compassion Colleagues in Compassion

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arts + culture Copyright, 2017, Christian Appalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Christian Appalachian Project is a nonprofit Christian service organization operating throughout Appalachia.

Christian Appalachian Project is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is qualified to receive tax deductible contributions.

Along the Appalachian 27 Trail Judge B. Wilson, II

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SHORT-TERM TRIP LONG-TERM IMPACT

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MISSION TRIPS

Christian Appalachian Project offers week-long (Sunday-Friday) mission trip opportunities for church, school, and corporate groups, ages 14 and up. We need your help to make homes safe, warm, and dry for people in need. Your group will transform lives, including your own!

To learn more about any of our mission trip opportunities, contact us at

groups@chrisapp.org

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Living on a Prayer n A Community of Growth n

faith

Living On A Prayer D onna is a praying woman. In her daily conversations with the Lord, she seeks understanding, guidance, and comfort. She listens and recognizes the remarkable ways by which her prayers are answered. For Donna, CAP feels like an answered prayer.

“It’s the Lord. The Lord sees my needs and hears my prayers,” Donna affirms. “When the first caseworkers from CAP came to visit me shortly after my stroke, I knew the Lord was in it and had a purpose for it.”

In 1999, Donna was praying to find a job. She had worked in restaurants, a few factories, and had even spent some time volunteering at the local welfare office in McCreary County. It was in this volunteer role that she learned the skills to operate in an office setting, so when she came across an ad in the local paper for a position with CAP’s program for people with disabilities , it appeared to be the right job opportunity at the right time. It felt like an answered prayer.

Donna explains, “When I saw the listing in the paper for the job, it felt like it was written for me. As someone 6

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with a knowledge of advocacy and having raised a son with disabilities, it seemed like a perfect fit.”

“AFTER I PRAYED, THESE LADIES IN THE CAP VOLUNTEER PROGRAM ARRIVED AND ASKED IF I’D MIND IF THEY BUILT A RAMP FOR MY PORCH."

Donna served for more than a decade in what was then called the CAPRICE Program, which provided advocacy and support to individuals with disabilities.

After leaving CAP in 2012, Donna suffered a stroke.

Homebound and confined to a wheelchair, Donna was in need of support. Being able to participate in CAP’s Elderly Services Program felt like another answered prayer.

As she tells it, “I found myself in a situation where I had very little help and I hated to ask for help from the volunteers at CAP because they had already done so

faith much for me. I just didn’t want to tie up their time too much. So I was paying out of pocket for transportation to the doctor, I was paying out of pocket to go to the store – so I eventually did ask for help, but not often.”

For some seniors in Eastern Kentucky, CAP’s Elderly Services Program is a lifeline. Like Donna, many elderly individuals rely on the program’s caseworkers for transportation, advocacy, and socialization. Because of a range of factors, including the migration of young adults to areas with more job opportunities, an inordinate number of seniors in Appalachia lack the presence of adult children to care for them.

Carolyn Lindsey, manager of CAP’s Elderly Services Program in the Cumberland Valley Region, explains, “Some people may not realize or understand just how isolated some of our elderly participants are. And it may not be isolation like living out in a geographically remote area, but just isolated from other people in general. And the only contact they have is with our CAP caseworkers.”

Donna with her caseworker, Sam

“I had a participant who rarely got out of the house who kept cancelling her doctor appointments,” recounts Samantha Rhodus, a long-term volunteer and Elderly Services caseworker. “I eventually convinced her to let me take her to the doctor and when we got home that day, she described it as ‘the best day ever.’ She said it was so much fun – just going to the doctor!”

"AND I STILL SEE THE LORD AT WORK IN THE SERVICE OF THE ELDERLY PROGRAM...CAP RESPECTS ME AND THEY TREAT ME WITH DIGNITY.” Rhodus is also Donna’s current caseworker. Donna, describing the relationship they have formed, says, “I get visits from Sam whenever I call. I’ll call and ask, ‘Are you going to be free on Thursday?’ and she’ll look on her calendar to see if she can. Anytime I call, she’s never failed me. She’s like one of my own young’uns, my own child.”

Donna and her husband, Lowell, both suffer from a number of physical ailments and have limited mobility, so a few years ago, the lack of safe access in and out of their home became a serious concern. Donna would have to be lifted on and off of the porch in her wheelchair, roughly three to four feet from the ground.

So she prayed.

“After I prayed, these ladies in the CAP Volunteer Program arrived and asked if I’d mind if they built a ramp for my porch. It was just an absolute blessing,” Donna shares.

With materials and tools supplied by the Elderly Housing Program, the volunteers at CAP’s McCreary County campus spent their weekends building the ramp that now stretches around the front of Donna and Lowell’s home. Safe accessibility couldn’t have come at a more crucial time, since Lowell is now also using a wheelchair. Donna views this providence as nothing less than the work of the Lord.

“This is something I want donors to know – the ways the Lord has used CAP.” Donna continues, “I experienced this and could tell you stories for hours about how the Lord used me during my time at CAP. And I still see the Lord at work in the service of the Elderly Program. They truly see me. Sam respects me.

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By Bridget McCormack

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rowth takes time. Relationships take time.

Building a community of care – one that lifts, gives hope to, and walks alongside people in need – takes time. It also takes grace and the belief that when everyone’s gifts are brought to the table, miraculous things start to happen.

My CAP journey has been its own lesson in growth. It started when I was a college senior who traveled with a group of friends to Eastern Kentucky for the first time.

The next step was becoming a long-term volunteer caseworker in the Elderly Services Program that served Owsley County. Later, I returned with students for WorkFest as a campus minister. Another step was working with Volunteer Alumni and partners who have given and continue to give so much of themselves to the work and mission of CAP. Each leg of the journey, each step along the way, has been filled with moments of both incredible beauty and heartbreak, exciting discovery and peaceful tranquility, tears of joy and tears of sorrow. On any given day, these moments of growth might feel as colorful and exuberant as the redbuds in April, or as frightening and unpredictable as a creek on the rise.

One thing is certain, though. Whatever shape our individual growth takes, our ability to learn, love, and thrive happens in community. It comes along when we shake off the things that hold us back or keep us separated and put on Christ. When we come to not only recognize ourselves in our neighbors – when we recognize God in them, too – we grow. When we bring whatever humble offerings we have to give and combine

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them with the gifts of others and, like the story of the loaves and fishes, Jesus makes it enough.

As for me, my life is incalculably richer for nights spent laughing around a giant dinner table in the Jackson Volunteer House with folks who have completely different backgrounds and experiences. My life is fuller for long afternoons spent on front porches with seniors in Owsley County, hearing the stories of their lives and getting to love their families. My life is more joyful because of the thousands of people who have come to Kentucky to serve God and one another, and for the ways in which each of them has had a profound impact on the lives they have touched.

When we come to not only recognize ourselves in our neighbors – when we recognize God in them, too – we grow.

The phrase “life happens best in community” used to adorn the wall in one of CAP’s volunteer houses. For as long as I have been blessed to count myself among the thousands of people who make up the CAP community, I have witnessed the numerous ways it makes so many lives better. This is a community that challenges and encourages us – employees, volunteers, participants, partners, and supporters – toward constant growth.

May we all continue to grow in love, faith, and community.

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Classroom Stars n Eddie –

Grace –

Compelling Reasons for Change n

How CAP’s Family LIfe Counseling Program is Leading the Conversation on Transformation

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n nearly every child’s classroom in America hangs a chart. These charts vary in size, shape, décor, and even in the content of the data they measure. Some represent good behavior or kind deeds; others may gauge academic accomplishments or completed assignments. These charts are indeed public records, intended to provide visual accountability and encouragement, but they are also deeply personal for any child whose name appears on one of the rows – because those rows are meant to be filled with gold stars.

Some children see an empty row next to their name at the beginning of the school year and see hope, possibility, and potential. These children know that it’s only a matter of time before the teacher will peel star after star from a shiny sheet of stickers to reward their success.

There are some children, however, who have never seen a gold star by their names. For these children, this chart can be an unfamiliar and intimidating reminder that perhaps gold stars aren’t meant for them.

Many children living in poverty in Eastern Kentucky believe that gold stars aren’t meant for them. Due to various circumstances, including fractured family units, unidentified special needs and learning disabilities,

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lack of access to basic resources and support systems, unstable home environments, and parents with limited levels of education, some of these children are facing overwhelming challenges before they ever set foot in a classroom. The high school completion rate in some Eastern Kentucky counties is as low as 64 percent, much lower than the national average of 86 percent, which means that many children are born into a generational cycle of academic stagnation. In spite of the educational obstacles facing children in need in Appalachia, Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), through its Child and Family Development Centers, is making sure each of them know that gold stars are meant for them.

CAP operates two Child and Family Development Centers (CFDC) in Eastern Kentucky – Eagle CFDC in McCreary County and Family Life CFDC in Rockcastle County. Central to the myriad of interconnected services provided by these centers are their highly commended preschools. Over the course of the past few years, the staff and volunteers of these preschools have worked diligently to become the top early-care and education programs in their respective counties. In May 2017, both centers achieved the highest possible rating

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by Kentucky’s All STARS program, a designation that cannot be overstated in its significance.

Both the Eagle and Family Life CFDCs were awarded a Five Star rating, making them the premier early childhood education centers in the region. The criteria for assessment in this program is comprehensive, extremely rigorous, and focuses on areas like curriculum, child safety, instructor-to-child-ratios, and facility specifications. These standards are above and beyond any form of accreditation or licensing requirements and demand attention to detail, continued professional development, and excellence in every single aspect of early childhood education. CAP is one of the few organizations in the region with the resources, staff, and volunteers to even attempt such an accomplishment.

“Through CAP’s other programs we are able to offer a web of additional services... whatever we can do to support each family and each child.”

There is a direct correlation between the Five Star ratings received by CAP’s CFDCs and the number of gold stars they are helping children and families achieve through their programming. Brinda Campbell, manager of Eagle CFDC, explains, “One of the major things that makes us uniquely successful is the fact that we see the children and serve the children four full days a week. That consistency makes a big difference for these children. It’s also the love that this staff radiates – the children know that they truly care about them and their families.”

Sharon Goff, manager of Family Life CFCD, offers some other insight into what makes CAP’s early childhood services so exceptional. “We do family activities and provide parenting and developmental information and resources to equip families for success.

We work closely with the whole family and advocate for them and their particular needs. Through CAP’s other programs we are able to offer a web of additional services – winter coats from Grateful Threadz, home repairs from the Housing Program, Christmas baskets through the Family Advocacy Program – whatever we can do to support each family and each child.”

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KINDERGARTEN PREPAREDNESS

BY THE NUMBERS

Percentage of School-Age Children Prepared for Kindergarten

67%

Family Life CFDC

43%

Rockcastle County 0

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40

20

30

40

50%

Kentucky 0

10

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percentage of School-Age Children Prepared for Kindergarten

78%

Eagle CFDC McCreary County 0 12

10

20

30

39% 40

50

60

70

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90

100

50

60

70

80

90

100

service on a personalized level. One of the demographics most served by CAP’s centers is children with special needs.

According to Goff, “Of 31 students, 26 will be classified as special needs. And that could be as simple as speech or it could be something like a behavioral disorder or autism.”

Staff work at the beginning of each year to identify each child’s development level and any special needs that may have yet gone undiagnosed and then work with other specialists to develop an individualized plan for success. Campbell explains, “The first thing teachers do is test each child to define exactly where that child is in relation to where that child needs to be. They start working with the child in the specific areas in which they need growth. Children who may need speech therapy or who may have a developmental delay are identified through our initial testing and we are able to get them the resources, support, and help they and their families need immediately. Teaching strategies are catered to each child’s need and the instructors are constantly updating notes on progress made.”

Every child’s progress is tracked meticulously throughout the year through observation during carefully planned activities designed to demonstrate progress in each learning domain, preparing them for

E

EDDIE

ddie has been involved in our CAP programming here at Eagle Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) since he was around one year old. It was evident from the start that Eddie struggled with some developmental delays and would require extra time and attention. Eddie was enrolled in our Infant Toddler Program, which utilizes proven strategies to address a child’s developmental delays and provides education to assist the parents as caregivers. Ms. Sharon Patrick, our Infant Toddler caseworker, worked closely with Eddie and his parents in their home on a regular basis.

After some initial success, Ms. Patrick noticed a rapid decline in Eddie’s advancement and diminished support from his parents. Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, Eddie was eventually removed from his home and placed in the custody of his grandmother. Ms. Patrick continued her home visits at the grandmother’s home and in this more stable environment Eddie was once again making progress.

As soon as Eddie turned three, he was enrolled in the Eagle CFDC preschool. He began receiving special needs services to assist with his speech, developmental delays, and behavioral issues. Eagle CFDC’s staff worked alongside Eddie’s grandmother and other professionals to develop a personalized plan to address all his needs.

He attended Eagle preschool for two-and-a-half years.

Eddie’s grandmother has always been committed to his potential for success and eventually moved them into an apartment. CAP’s Family Advocacy Program assisted Eddie and his grandmother in a number of ways during this transition, including purchasing them a washer/dryer.

Eddie is now doing very. He will continue to require additional support for his developmental delays and cognitive challenges, but he is now on track for success.

Thankfully, Eddie’s loving grandmother is his biggest advocate and she has been equipped with a network of resources through Eagle CFDC. And, of course, we will continue to be a champion for Eddie and will always work to ensure that he fulfills his potential.

Brinda Campbell Manager of Eagle CFDC

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service kindergarten by the time they complete preschool. And prepared they are. It’s difficult to put into perspective the success of CAP’s CFDCs in relation to state and county percentages when it comes to kindergarten preparedness rates. In the state of Kentucky, only half of schoolage children are ready for kindergarten. In Rockcastle County, 43 percent of children are kindergarten-ready, while 67 percent of Family Life CFDC graduates are ready.

Every child CAP prepares for the classroom is one more child who will see an empty row next to their name on a chart and see hope, possibility, and potential.

In McCreary County, only 39 percent of school-age children are prepared for kindergarten compared to a whopping 78 percent of the graduates of Eagle CFDC. In addition to preschool, each CFDC has a homebased component that works with children from infancy through preschool and beyond. The Parents are Teachers program in Rockcastle County and the Infant Toddler Program in McCreary County are focused on early intervention and preschool preparation. The after-school SPARK (Scholastic Preparation, Arts, and Recreation for Kids) program at Eagle offers schoolage students activities, nutritious snacks, homework support, and even college tours. For some high school graduates in McCreary County, CAP is a part of their educational experience from the moment they are born until the day they receive their diploma.

For Goff, the hardest part of her job is when she has to narrow the list for enrollment at Family Life. “We’re always filled to capacity and we maintain a waiting list that is two years out. It’s always difficult to tell a parent or grandparent that there are no open spots.”

CAP’s leadership intends to make space for even more children by operating and/or partnering with five additional development centers over the next 30 years.

This will be a massive undertaking requiring the support of donors, partner organizations, and volunteers, but if Five Star centers like Family Life and Eagle are any indication, it is a vision well worth the investment.

Every child CAP prepares for the classroom is one more child who will see an empty row next to their name on a chart and see hope, possibility, and potential – they will see gold stars in their future. n 16

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service disabled, spends most of his time at home taking care of Grace. Tommy sees to Grace’s basic needs and puts her on the bus each morning with a smile. In order to allow safe access in and out of the trailer for Tommy, CAP’s Housing Program built a ramp at the front door.

Grace is one-of-a-kind. She is a very independent little girl who loves to help out in the classroom and remind her peers of the classroom rules. Teachers work with Grace daily to address any behavior issues that may arise. The staff of Family Life CFDC equips Grace’s grandparents with behavior techniques, suggestions, and resources so they can address her development at home. Grace has made substantial progress in the year that CAP has been involved in her life.

Jennifer Didelot, head teacher at the preschool, has observed a remarkable transformation in Grace since the beginning of the year. Grace initially had trouble interacting with her peers and struggled to follow the classroom rules – this is certainly no longer the case.

Grace has bloomed into a social butterfly. She has become an asset to the classroom, helping her teachers and her peers alike. Grace graduated from the CFDC program a few weeks ago and in the fall she will attend kindergarten. Our staff and volunteers are confident that Grace is prepared to succeed as she takes that next step.

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GRACE

Sharon Goff Manager of Family Life Child & Family Development Center

n 2016, Debbie came to Family Life Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) with hopes of enrolling her four-year-old granddaughter, Grace, in our preschool program. Since it was almost the end of the school year and no preschool slots were available, Grace was placed on the wait list for the program. Debbie was concerned about Grace’s behavior and inquired about alternatives to the preschool program, so we connected her with Ms. Suzann Fenton, who oversees our Parents Are Teachers program. After some initial consultation with Ms. Fenton, Debbie enrolled Grace into the program. Grace and Debbie immediately began receiving regular in-home visits through the Parents Are Teachers program, providing them with support, resources, one-on-one attention, and advocacy. Grace started preschool at Family Life CFDC the following fall.

Grace’s grandmother, Debbie, and grandfather, Tommy, provide her with a loving and stable home.

Debbie works outside of the home and Tommy, who is SPRING / SUMMER 2017 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive

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Stay connected.

You can connect with us and other

Christian Appalachian Project supporters on the social networking sites you’re already using.

Use the hashtag #shareCAP to join the conversation and see what others are saying about our mission.

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on

“One of the great things about CAP is that we have a network of programs doing a beautiful job of addressing immediate, basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing.

We have programs that will patch your leaky roof, nourish your hunger, or drive you to town for a doctor’s appointment. It’s safety and shelter and critical needs being met,” explains Chris Griffith, manager of CAP’s Family Life Counseling Program. “CAP approaches this work from a very holistic, relational point of view, so when other needs come to the surface we want to address those as well. One of those layers of need is mental health.”

Currently celebrating 30 years of service in Eastern Kentucky, CAP’s Family Life Counseling Program seeks

“ONCE CAP HAS SATISFIED IMMEDIATE NEEDS THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS, THE COUNSELING PROGRAM ADDRESSES NEEDS AT THE NEXT LEVEL.”

to address the mental health needs of children, families, and individuals. Griffith and his team of four full-time counselors conduct counseling sessions with clientele who have been referred by other CAP programs, partner agencies, churches, and other clients. Issues associated with mental health are not unique to Appalachia, but the prevalence of generational poverty in the region creates its own unique set of presenting problems and requires some very intentional methods of treatment.

Griffith explains, “There’s a rigor to dealing with generational poverty, more than anything else. Multigenerational poverty, where you’ve never really known anything but hand-to-mouth – there are implicit stresses that create mental health issues like depression.

It’s a burden. If you’re hungry or water is dripping on you from a hole in the roof, you can’t concentrate on anything else. When you look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you can’t get to any higher levels of being if you’re worried about safety, food or other basic needs (refer to chart on pg. 20). Once CAP has satisfied immediate needs through other programs, the Counseling Program addresses needs at the next level.”

When people have secured basic necessities, they are able to begin focusing on mental health needs that may have existed beneath the surface for years or even decades. According to Griffith, “A family may get their SPRING / SUMMER 2017 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive

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service porch fixed and that’s no longer a worry, but what’s left over? There may be unresolved traumas, depression, anxiety, or other more severe issues like bipolar disorder – they can now attend to those issues since we’ve worked with them to achieve that first level of being.”

the family unit to function with more stability, support, and strength. These children can now benefit from an environment that allows them to thrive and advance because of better models of mental health management in the home.

One of the ways Family Life Counseling fits into the broader landscape of CAP programming is by equipping families and individual family members with the tools, skills, and healthy practices to eventually break free from the cycle of generational poverty. Working with parents and children to identify, acknowledge, and treat previously unresolved mental health concerns enables

The lack of resources available to many Appalachian families increases the severity and chronicity of mental health issues. In more urban areas, treatment is aided by higher average education levels, easier access to public transportation, and exposure to a variety of supplemental coping techniques. In Central Appalachia, there is a scarcity of specialized counseling opportunities such

SELF-ACTUALIZATION ESTEEM LOVE & BELONGING SAFETY NEEDS PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS

MASLOW’S PYRAMID HIERARCHICAL MODEL OF HUMAN NEEDS

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service as trauma specialists, art or movement therapists, or providers offering concentrated treatment options. All of these factors contribute to the need for a different approach to counseling.

“In more typical counseling sessions, a lot of times it’s bridging small gaps. It’s insight and understanding,” Griffith expounds. “And you have these epiphanies that take place. At the end of that kind of session there’s an instant payoff. With our folks, in many ways the payoff is far greater, but that level of education and resources – where I ask if they know a certain book that would be helpful or suggest outside activities – there are limitations on those. Sometimes it takes money to do those supplemental things. The issues we see with many of our clients are multi-layered. There may be a problem that you can’t get to for weeks or months because you need to work through the other layers in order to get to the core thing. Sometimes it takes months and months, and even years.”

“OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON THE FAMILY. OUR SERVICES ADDRESS ISSUES INVOLVING THE FAMILY.” For counselors at CAP, treatment can often be an elongated process. Establishing a foundation by assessing the problem and building rapport, working to do skill building and enhancement, offering insight, and developing healthy practices takes time. Each step in this sequence needs to be reached before progressing to the next. Moving the client to a point where they are in a more functional state, capable of maintaining their progress and ready to terminate treatment, can take double, triple, or even quadruple the time of more typical counseling settings. This thorough process is worth the effort when participants are eventually able to experience lasting positive outcomes from their treatment.

Another factor that plays a role in treating mental illness is the distinctive familial culture of the region.

The family unit holds an elevated position and function in Appalachia, serving as the primary, and often lone, support system. There is typically great value in this dynamic. However, sometimes the implicit tendency to resist assistance with problems outside the confines of family can strain relationships and become an obstacle

TRAUMA RESOLUTION

INCREASED ASSERTIVENESS

ABILITY TO SET BOUNDARIES

LESS ANXIETY

A FEW BENEFITS OF COUNSELING

STRESS RELIEF

GREATER SELF-CONFIDENCE

BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

REGAINING EMOTIONAL BALANCE

to dealing with serious mental health issues. Family Life Counseling approaches treatment differently from other providers in order to account for this reality.

Griffith explains, “Our primary focus is on the family.

Our services address issues involving the family. We’re one of the few providers that offers family counseling, as well as marital and relationship counseling. A lot of folks don’t do that. We also provide individual mental health sessions, but from the beginning, our principal objective has been to serve the family unit.”

Dale Hamilton receiving the 2016 Mental Health Counselor of the Year Award.

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service “Most other providers are generally concerned with individual outpatient mental health treatments and outcomes.

Even if multiple family members seek treatment there, each one would be in a vacuum. Family Life, in contrast, views the entire family or the couple as the client. For example, consider a family of four – mom, dad, two kids – whom we’re seeing individually. We may be seeing mom for unresolved trauma, dad for anger management, and the children for behavioral problems resulting from the unstable home environment. We would also meet with them all together in family counseling. We’re able to integrate those things in a manner that recognizes the reality of familial relationships in Chris Griffith receiving the 2015 Mental treatment. There are, of course, rules and Health Counselor of the Year Award. Griffith legalities about transferring information also won the award in 2013. from one to the other which we always follow, but the point is that we’re able to The outstanding performance of Family Life deal with the whole family in a way that feels like an Counseling’s staff has not gone unnoticed by their peers integrated, relational service.” in the field. A counselor from CAP has won the Mental Health Counselor of the Year Award three of the last four years – Chris Griffith was honored in 2013 and 2015 and Dale Hamilton won the award in 2016. The advanced level of service at Family Life Counseling is a testament to the commitment of the staff to CAP’s mission and to their own motto, “Professional Counselors, Compassionate Services.” It is clinical excellence operating at the level of human relationships that makes this program so vital and effective.

“WE PRESENT COMPELLING REASONS FOR CHANGE, AND ULTIMATELY THAT HAS THE POWER TO LEAD TO LONG-TERM TRANSFORMATION.”

On average, the staff of Family Life Counseling conducts around 4,000 sessions each year. Beyond their individual, family, and couples counseling services, the program strives to be a resource for the community at large and for CAP. Counselors lead training sessions for a number of partner agencies and organizations, as well as for other CAP programs. Counselors at Family Life are breathing new life into their local, regional, and state mental health organizations by establishing innovative partnerships, shaping policy, and providing guidance through leadership (Griffith has served the past two terms as chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors). The CAP Counseling Program was at ground-zero of one particularly pioneering initiative designed to make it easier for professional licenses to be transferable between bordering states – an initiative never before attempted anywhere else in the country.

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Griffith summarizes, “It’s just something we all kind of carry, like an oral history passed down. One of the things that sets us apart at CAP is that we don’t rely solely on a medical model, where a client is assessed in a cold way. Our approach is much more humanistic.

What we do is both an art and a science. There’s an empiricism to it, and if there wasn’t it would just be like talking to a friend – there has to be an empirical approach to change. So we find ways of making cases to people that there’s value in this process. We present compelling reasons for change, and ultimately that has the power to lead to long-term transformation.” n

compassion

Colleagues in Compassion n

compassion

COLLEAGUES IN COMPASSION Much of the work accomplished by CAP is made possible by the generosity, support, and service of community and corporate partners. Louisville-based Texas Roadhouse has been a valued corporate partner for the past seven years, sending volunteer teams annually to complete an array of projects. Through this partnership, Texas Roadhouse is helping to transform the region, directly impacting the lives of Appalachian children and their families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

We reached out to Diania Ciresi, Sr. Manager of Community Relations for Texas Roadhouse, to learn more about this partnership, what drives their volunteer efforts, and their continued commitment to the region.

How long has Texas Roadhouse worked with CAP and how did that relationship begin?

Texas Roadhouse began its relationship with CAP in 2010. A rep with CAP reached out to meet with me – I had always had an interest in reaching beyond our local community and had interest in the Appalachian region. I explained to him that we don’t just write checks but strive to involve our employees in as many of our philanthropy initiatives as possible. He rose to the challenge and within only a few weeks had a project to discuss.

Housing Program. We spent time with families, making improvements to their homes by building ramps, replacing windows, and providing general property enhancements. We then returned to Camp Shawnee for the past two years.

“[We] strive to involve our employees in as many of our philanthropy initiatives as possible.”

On what kind of projects has your group worked?

After my tour of Eastern Kentucky with a CAP representative, I approached our Accounting Team about a potential project – enhancing the Eagle Community Center in McCreary County. We painted, cleaned and organized, and installed a huge sand volleyball pit. We also hosted a party for the community with food, line dancing, and games.

This year at Camp Shawnee, our team of 16 volunteers assembled bunk beds (Note: Texas Roadhouse has now provided EVERY bunk bed and mattress in the camp), built shelves and tables for the new Craft Room, and organized the clothes closet (for campers in need) in the community center.

We worked at Camp Shawnee for two years after that, then spent two years working in the Elderly

Our volunteer teams have completed a variety of projects at Camp Shawnee over the years. We screened

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compassion in the gazebo by the lake, built picnic tables, painted and furnished the Counselors’ Lounge, and replaced and stained wood for the Theater (Chapel). We also laid the framework and stained all the wood for siding installation on several buildings and added a roof to the outdoor dining area.

How do your employees respond to this annual project?

Our employees look forward to the annual trip. We have a core group of around 10 who volunteer each year and various people who will join here and there.

Our volunteers love the opportunity to do something outside the norm and give back to a community that is so under-served. They also look forward to the camaraderie they build by working alongside colleagues with whom they don’t get to work on a normal basis.

“We return every year because we feel the personal impact of what we are doing for the children and families of the region.”

Why have you continued to return every year?

We are able to have a positive impact on a community that is in great need. Appalachia is practically in our backyard, yet we never realized the scale of the need until we were approached by CAP. We return every year because we feel the personal impact of what we are doing for the children and families of the region.

Why CAP? CAP came to us with a real need – not just a need for our money, but the need for our people to make a difference directly.

Would you recommend similar partnerships for other companies and organizations?

Absolutely. I challenge companies to tour the area with a CAP representative and really grasp the need and realize they can have a positive impact.

I continue to be amazed year after year by the passion exuded by the CAP staff and their singular focus to enhance the lives of people in need in the Appalachian community. They inspire me to be a better person and I think every person on our volunteer team would say the same.

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The future is in your hands.

Charitable Gift Annuity Program Make a gift to Christian Appalachian Project and receive an income for life.

This is possible when you fund a CAP charitable gift annuity.

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between you and CAP. In exchange for cash or other assets (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.) of $10,000 or more, CAP guarantees to make fixed payments for the rest of your life (and the life of a second beneficiary, if desired). Following your life, the assets remaining are used to fund the work of CAP. Please use the following information to calculate my charitable gift annuity: Name (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss)__________________________________________ Address__________________________________________________________ City_________________________________State______ Zip_______________ Telephone (_____)___________________Birthdate: _______/_____/________ Amount of Gift Considered $___________________________ Frequency of Payment Desired: qAnnual qQuarterly qMonthly

Yes, I am interested in a Two-life Charitable Gift Annuity illustration.

q

Name of Second

Beneficiary____________________________Birthdate______/_____/________

• Rates far superior to CDs or Money Market funds.

• Fixed payments for life.

• A charitable income tax deduction the year the charitable gift annuity is funded and an additional five years, if necessary.

• A portion of each lifetime payment considered a taxfree return of principal.

• An opportunity to make a significant commitment to Christian Appalachian Project and enable us to help people in need in Appalachia.

Please Complete & Return Form to: Christian Appalachian Project Planned Giving Department P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555 or Call: 1-866-270-4CAP (4227) (All information provided is confidential)

arts + culture

By Judge B. Wilson II

T

he Appalachian Trail is America’s first longdistance trail, stretching 2,190 miles – from Springer Mountain, Ga. to Mount Katahdin in the wilderness of Maine’s Baxter State Park.

Like Christian Appalachian Project, the trail began as the dream of one person and became a reality through the tireless efforts of thousands of dedicated supporters and volunteers. From a regional planning proposal by Benton MacKaye in 1921, the idea for the Appalachian Trail eventually gained momentum and was completed in 1937.

In 1938, a hurricane ravaged the trail, particularly in New England. Many of the original volunteers who had blazed the trail were called into active duty during World War II and the rationing of transportation and other scarce resources made it increasingly difficult to maintain the trail. It gradually fell into disuse and disrepair. In spite of these setbacks and false starts,

the first continuous “thru-hike” was completed by a young veteran, Earl Shafer, in 1948. Prior to this, most assumed that a thru-hike in a single year was impossible.

Shafer’s hike led to increased public awareness of the Appalachian Trail (referred to by hikers as the “AT”) and boosted efforts to restore the trail. This restoration was accomplished by 1951 and a series of volunteer clubs, coordinated through the Appalachian Trail Conference, assumed responsibility for maintaining the trail and promoting its use. By the 1960s and 1970s, there were growing numbers of hikers and campers enjoying the trail. In 1968, Congress passed the National Trails System Act and the AT became one of America’s first National Scenic Trails.

I was raised in East Tennessee, about 20 miles from the AT. My first trail hike was as a Boy Scout in 1969.

We walked from Devil’s Fork Gap to Sam’s Gap on the SPRING / SUMMER 2017 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive

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arts + culture Judge Wilson in the Gulf Hagas, 100 Mile Wilderness, 2014.

hikers with rides, food, directions, medical assistance, and just about any sort of assistance that a sojourner would need to continue their journey). Like these angels, CAP supporters and volunteers provide help to people in need when help is most needed. The parallels between the two are extraordinary.

Along the way to becoming an Eagle Scout, I completed many AT walks in the southern Appalachians. During and after college, I trekked across the Smoky Mountains National Park multiple times, once with my good friend and fellow Berea College alum, CAP President Guy Adams. Later on, I explored the Grayson Highlands of southwest Virginia, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and numerous sections in the southern Appalachians.

Almost every AT hiker can name at least one favorite spot on the trail. Mine is on the “balds” of the Roan Highlands along the Tennessee/North Carolina border.

These open ridges, at elevations of 5500’ to 6300’, are blessed with diverse flora and fauna, as well as seemingly endless vistas in every season.

Wilson on the AT with his brothers, 1975.

North Carolina border. It was a great experience and I was hooked for life. In 1972, I met my first AT thruhiker near the Nolichucky River and pushed a bicycle up a mountain just to talk to this interesting person, an English professor from the University of South Carolina. I became overextended and this hiker aided my safe return to town. This was my first experience with a “trail angel.”

“LIKE CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT, THE TRAIL BEGAN AS THE DREAM OF ONE PERSON AND BECAME A REALITY THROUGH THE TIRELESS EFFORTS OF THOUSANDS OF DEDICATED SUPPORTERS AND VOLUNTEERS.” Over the years, I have encountered many trail angels (persons volunteering their time and resources to help 28

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Over my 45 years of hiking (apart from the annual Roan hikes), there were many years when I was working too hard and our children were so young that I didn’t get on the AT. I hiked the trail in 20 of those 45 years.

Yet, by 2003, I had accumulated 800+ miles and made the decision to stop repeating my favorite hikes in the south and to complete the entire trail.

I’ve encountered all sorts of weather – downpours, thunderstorms, mists, ice, snowstorms, gales, heat, and muggy days without a breeze in sight. Just as often, there have been “blue bird” days with clear skies, puffy white clouds, and cool, crisp air.

I’ve run into almost all of the trail critters one can imagine – bears, moose, deer, rattlesnakes, copperheads,

arts + culture

The Goats on Jane Bald, Roan Highlands AT, 2011.

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arts + culture

Wilson hiking Baxter Peak, 2014.

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

shelter rats, goats, wild boar, eagles, owls, ticks, and newts. I’ve ridden a train to the AT in New York State, accessed it by car, bike, and on foot. I’ve been lucky enough to fly into remote areas to start hikes and twice flown in and out from the AT by pontoon plane. I’ve walked mostly solo but also have enjoyed the company of my father, family, and friends, new and old.

While the natural challenges and experiences of the AT have been great, the trail is also a social experience.

It is populated with all sorts of people – the young and the old, the fit and the not so fit, locals and travelers, thru-hikers and casual walkers. I’ve been helped by trail angels and have been a trail angel myself countless times.

I “finished” my walk from Georgia to Maine in August 2014, a mere 45 years after first setting foot on the trail.

Summit day on Katahdin was a beautiful, breezy day and the mountaintop was filled with a score of thruhikers finishing their journeys. It was a joyful, uplifting experience.

One never really completes the AT journey. I return again and again, as time permits, to enjoy favorite spots on the trail and maybe, someday, I’ll start again in Georgia and “hike north with spring” in another thruhike to Maine, as so many have done in the past.

It has been a blessing to walk the AT and being a trail angel continues to be a part of my life. Becoming a CAP supporter and director has also been a blessing and getting to know CAP’s generous donors and volunteers has been an inspiration. These angels continue to make a big difference in the lives of many folks in Appalachia at times of crisis or natural disaster. I am grateful for them all.

Judge B. Wilson II, general counsel at Berea College and long-time CAP board member, is an avid hiker whose love for the Appalachian Trail is almost as big as his love for CAP and the people it serves.

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Christian Appalachian Project

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Direct service and intentional community in Eastern Kentucky.

Christian Appalachian Project volunteers serve people in need in Appalachia through educational programming, home repair projects, elderly services, hunger and poverty relief, and much more. Join us to transform lives—including your own.

Serve for a month, a summer, or a year.

Contact us today for more information or to receive an application!

christianapp.org volunteer@chrisapp.org 800.755.5322

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Christian Appalachian Project

P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555-5911 The Mountain Spirit

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Christian Appalachian Project