Appalachian Voice Fall 2019

APPALACHIANVOICE

A NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS

FALL 2019

MOUNTAIN OUTREACH BUILDS WALLS OF FAITH PROFILES IN SERVICE - MOUNTAIN OUTREACH Mountain Outreach has finished constructing its 151st home for a local family in need.

places, trying to do something, but nothing ever worked out,” Christopher explained.

Christopher and Bridgett Dezarn

Bridgett, cradling their newest

of London, Kentucky had never

baby girl in her arms, added, “By

heard about Mountain Outreach

February, I figured we hadn’t gotten

(MO) before Bridgett’s friend

chosen for the MO house. Then

mentioned to a co-worker that the

one day, they called and said they

Dezarns were struggling with their

wanted to come meet us. To look

mobile home. The family of seven

out our window today and see this

had outgrown their two-bedroom

house, I’m still blown away.”

trailer, and the list of problems that

The new home lies on the

needed fixed – including leaks, old

Dezarns’ property, directly in front

flooring, an open stream of sewage

of the family’s trailer. Once the

runoff in their front yard, and

home construction was finished,

flooding issues in their driveway –

MO demolished the old trailer,

was just too long and expensive for

cleaned up the area and fenced

the young family to handle on their

it in so that, for the first time, the

own.

The 2019 Mountain Outreach team and the Dezarn family display Dezarns’ five daughters have a real

“We were looking at different the newly completed family home.

backyard to play in. Not that the

Story continued on page 2

girls didn’t already play in what yard space they had – they did, regularly, often pulling over the MO workers to “cook” delicacies with them in their play-kitchen, bounce on the trampoline with them, or push them on the neighbor’s swings. The workers happily obliged.

The MO team, which consists of MO staff and Cumberlands students, “fell in love” with the family immediately, according to Marc Hensley, Director of Mountain Outreach.

“All five girls have different personalities,” Hensley said. “What stands out to me is how well these parents interact with their children. They are tuned into their girls all the way from the oldest to the youngest. I’m impressed with their family relationship; they’re good people.”

Christopher Dezarn is employed by the U.S. Department of Forestry, and Bridgett stays home to take care of the girls.

The new home includes three bedrooms, a kitchen area, a living room area, two bathrooms, and a front porch. Mountain Outreach raised the house’s foundation high enough to avoid potential flooding and used the best materials and equipment possible to ensure the home was high-quality.

“Is it more expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes,” said Hensley.

The MO team uses newer building techniques and quality materials to build good homes for the families they serve. Yet secret blessings are hidden inside the houses themselves. Once the interior beams of an MO house are up, the workers write prayers on them.

The prayers are soon covered by drywall and paint, but families inside MO houses can gaze at their walls anytime knowing that, somewhere underneath, there are words of blessing which were prayed over them by a Cumberlands student before the house was quite a home.

“My dad always says, ‘It’s not about the projects, it’s about the people,’” said Jenna Hensley as she held a sleepy Dezarn girl in her arms, the girl’s arms drowsily wrapped around Jenna’s neck. Jenna is Marc Hensley’s daughter and a senior at Cumberlands. “Thinking about these girls growing up in the home we’re building makes you want to build more houses and do it even better. It makes you feel like you’ve done more than just build a home.”

In truth, much more than construction work occurred over the summer. The common sentiment from MO summer team members across the years is that, while they are busy doing construction on the house, God is busy doing construction on their hearts.

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THE FRINGE IMPACT - APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES PROFILES IN SERVICE - APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES The impact Appalachian Ministries (AM) has on the local children they serve is obvious. The return influence those local children have on the AM team is also easy to spot. Yet there is an additional fringe impact rippling under the surface, subtle but potent.

Church groups sometimes volunteer with AM for a week as a summer mission trip. Liberty Christian Fellowship (LCF) in Missouri has brought a youth group each summer for several years. The past few summers, the group has consisted of children heading into sixth grade. These kids are not part of the AM team, nor are they the children AM officially serves. Yet the impact Appalachian Ministries leaves on them runs deep.

“We live in suburbia, so, not an economically diverse area,” said Katherine Cole, Assistant Children’s Pastor at LCF, who brought this year’s group. “Being able to see brokenness in a different way and ask, ‘How do I respond? How do I react in a way that is honoring and obedient to the Lord?’ has been really impactful for our kids.”

Appalachian Ministries organized outreach opportunities for the group, like helping run AM’s children’s camps, unloading trucks at the nearby recycling center, and interacting with residents at the local nursing home.

(Side note: “pool noodle baseball” is just as fun as it sounds.)

Middle school can be tough. Everything in life can seem like it is shifting, and many middle schoolers experience frequent emotional waves as new classmates arrive at school, hormones rebalance, and relationships with their family and friends change. The deep question of “Who am I?” bubbles to the top of their minds, and the struggle to discover the answer and confidently embrace their identity stretches them in new, often difficult ways. Taking a week to get away, serve alongside friendly college students, and make a difference in someone’s life helps ease the pressure. Coming to a poor section of Appalachia this summer also gave the LCF kids the opportunity to form a more appreciative perspective of their home lives.

“A loving, supportive home and family may be a given to our kids, but they come here and see that is not the situation for everybody,” said Cole.

“We’re trying to teach our kids not to judge based on life circumstances, to show people God’s love in action regardless of anything.”

Mothers from LCF who came with the team said the experience with AM was opening their kids’ eyes to the real world outside their suburban bubble.

“They’re able to do things they don’t get to do back home,” said one mom. “It’s great for them to see how other kids live and learn how other things in the world get done, like at the recycling plant. My daughter really enjoyed seeing that.”

To Appalachian Ministries, mission trips like this are ways to connect with other members of the Church and complete more service projects for those in need. To the adults at LCF, the trip was a chance for their children to get a firmer grasp on how to apply Scripture in their daily lives. To the LCF youth themselves, it was a fun way to meet new people, work hard, learn about God, and enjoy something different than their typical day at home.

Some LCF kids are the oldest children in their families, so connecting with college students was a special bonus; they got to be the “younger siblings” for a week, learning about life from kids older than them.

Of course, those aren’t necessarily the people expected to be influenced

by AM’s summer work. After all, the LCF youth and parents don’t even live in the same state! Yet they are impacted nonetheless, whether they worked on site or they hear stories about the trip from their children. Then, possibly, those parents decide to volunteer for some kind of ministry later on because of their kid’s example… and then someone who sees those adults serving the community is inspired to do the same… and then people who have never even heard of Appalachia begin serving their communities… … and the fringe impact continues.

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MOUNTAIN OUTREACH HELPS TO MAKE SUMMER A PICNIC PROFILES IN SERVICE SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM Who doesn’t love sitting out at a picnic table on a nice day? Whether just talking with friends, playing games with friends, or finishing up homework, students at both Pleasant View and Boston Elementary Schools now have extra picnic tables where they can kick back and enjoy themselves.

Members from Mountain Outreach’s summer team constructed the base of the picnic tables, then walked the children through assembling the remaining parts. The kids utilized their math skills by measuring how far the boards hung off the base on both sides, the size of the gaps between the boards, and the distance between the screws they needed to secure the boards to the base.

The children, under careful supervision, got to use power drills to screw the boards in place (definitely the kids’ favorite part of the activity).

The children all participate in 21st Century, a nationwide after-school program that provides academic enrichment opportunities focusing particularly on reading and math.

While Mountain Outreach does construction projects for the elderly and local families all the time, it was a refreshing opportunity for the team, interacting with a group of kids and passing on some of their construction knowledge.

My gift, in the amount of $

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To pay by credit card, please complete the section below:

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Please return this coupon, along with your gift, to: The President’s Office • 6191 College Station Drive • Williamsburg, KY 40769

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CUMBERLANDS STUDENTS SERVE ON MLK JR. DAY PROFILES IN SERVICE - UC ENGAGE More than 450 students from University of the Cumberlands volunteered at four different locations throughout Williamsburg in

investing in the community. Cumberlands has always done that, been able to put feet and hands to work.”

honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The sites included Williamsburg

The men’s and women’s soccer teams volunteered at the Mountain

Independent School District (WISD), Whitley County High School,

Outreach (MO) warehouse in Emlyn, preparing the warehouse for MO’s

Cedaridge Ministries and Mountain Outreach’s warehouse. The service

annual Spring Break construction projects. Both Cumberlands’ men’s

work is part of the University’s student service initiative - UC ENGAGE.

and women’s wrestling teams served at Whitley County High School.

Students came ready to serve, some arriving at WISD more than an

These students helped by cleaning the schools’ wrestling facilities. The

hour early. These students donated their time by sanitizing desks and

football team went to Cedaridge Ministries to assist in their recycling

chairs. They also left letters of encouragement on desks and lockers.

services.

“The true nature of education is learning how to serve your fellow

“I was really excited to get to encourage the kids,” says Sarah Hunter,

man,” says Dr. Amon Couch, Superintendent of WISD and a Cumberlands

a junior at Cumberlands who served at WISD. “I love getting to serve and

alumnus. “To be able to do that is to be able to understand you’re

being able to do little things like this.”

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PROFILES IN SERVICE - SPRING BREAK

FROM CUMBERLANDS TO CALVARY “We’re giving back to the community through God. That’s not happening much anymore. To see such a small group of kids come together to worship God and serve the people in the community who need help is refreshing.”

Kassidy White

Freshman at University of the Cumberlands As always, Spring Break came around, and while other students were kicking back, Mountain Outreach (MO) was hunkering down. Armed with toolbelts, safety goggles, a lot of know-how and even more heart, the team got right to work completing construction projects at multiple sites around Letcher County.

The most in-depth project this break was an outdoor classroom for Letcher County Central High School. The classroom includes birdfeeders, flower boxes and other similar features for students to learn more about nature and farming. With the decline of the coal industry, teachers in the area have been looking for ways to teach children skills like farming which can help provide for their families and provide the kids with possible future career options. Denise Yonts, the superintendent at Letcher County Central, was thrilled that MO agreed to build the outdoor classroom.

“Every time we have volunteers come in, they act as role models to our

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students,” said Yonts. “For our kids to see others give their time and energy to a project is such a ministry. It’s such a wonderful thing for all of our kids and our staff to see people out here giving. It makes a difference.”

Other Spring Break projects included renovating a building on Calvary Campus, which has hosted the MO team during Spring Break the past few years; constructing one wheelchair ramp for a 20-year military veteran and another ramp for an elderly gentleman named Mr. Potter; and fixing the gutters and a pre-existing wheelchair ramp for a woman named Theresa.

Temperatures were low, but spirits were high. Teammates bonded with each other in a number of ways that week. Experienced members grew closer to newer teammates through teaching them construction skills and sharing stories from projects past. A lot of team bonding occurred over dinnertimes and card games in the evenings at Calvary. Some workers preferred to build friendships by teasing their less-experienced teammates,

sending the newbies on wild goose chases around the worksites. (A few rookies obediently searched for a “wood-stretcher” for several minutes before realizing… wood cannot be stretched.)

The team also built relationships with the community members who received the projects. Baylea Bunch, a freshman from Berea, had a conversation with Mr. Potter as her group worked on his ramp.

“He’s a wonderful man,” said Bunch. “We finished the ramp and he came out and said, ‘You guys want some Cokes?’ and he had two cases of Coke ready. It was great. Working together and seeing all the progress you make in a day, coming closer to God, all the bonding – it’s awesome.”

There is an increasing number of senior adults in Letcher County who have almost no income and may be disabled. Rick Fleenor, Associate Professor of Missions & Ministry, who has served with MO for years, has noticed that sometimes people say things like, “You just need to get some help” to this older population, but never actually offer to help them. Fleenor is grateful that MO steps in to serve in tangible, impactful ways. Yet he and the rest of MO knows: the larger purpose of the projects is not the construction work.

“We’re here to meet a physical need, but we’re also here to talk to folks about their spiritual need,” Fleenor explained. “Sometimes the construction projects open the door for that second conversation, which is really much more important. This ramp is not going to last forevermore. This is a way for us to make a difference that will last beyond this week and into eternity.”

This was the first year Marc Hensley, Director of MO, sent out an email to Cumberlands’ entire campus, notifying everyone about MO’s Spring Break projects, requesting volunteers. This year’s team had almost 40 helpers, 34

of which were Cumberlands students or staff.

Some volunteers have served for years. Jenna Hensley, Marc’s daughter, has been connected with the ministry since age eight and is now MO’s Student Coordinator. Caleb Dixon, a senior from Pine Knot, has helped before and was a Site Leader this Break. Both Fleenor and Chris Leskiw, Vice President for Academic Affairs, are familiar faces at MO functions. Yet every year, new faces join the group and enjoy the seemingly paradoxical experience of impacting someone greatly while simultaneously being greatly impacted.

“It’s a cool experience to go through,” said Kassidy White, a freshman from Strunk. “We’re giving back to the community through God. That’s not happening much anymore. To see such a small group of kids come together to worship God and serve the people in the community who need help is refreshing.”

Brad Hall, Executive Director of Medical Education, joined the crew for the first time since hearing about MO as a student back in the 90s.

“I am blessed beyond measure from coming,” Hall said. “This could be a recurring Spring Break for me. It’s well worth the time. It’s life-changing not only for the people that we help, but also for those of us who come out and serve.”

Hunkering down, getting to work, bonding with teammates, sharing the Gospel and making a difference – that’s the MO way. From one worksite to another, in good weather or bad, God’s love is making its way into the lives of countless locals through Mountain Outreach.

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GANNON COUCH Gannon Couch’s story began in a little town known as Carrie. If you stand at one end of Carrie… then you’ve seen all of Carrie.

It isn’t big. He had always heard, “Graduate high school, then get out of this town,” and agreed that that was the best option. But gradually, his mind has changed.

Gannon knows the economy of his area is “complicated” and that adults have to “sacrifice their time” to help the next generation turn out better.

Gannon recognizes that it is the heritage of little Carrie that has etched into him the deep desire to help his hometown prosper someday. His dream now is to open a recreation facility where children can come play and learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“My community has made it possible for me to set my goals high,” Gannon says. “The least I can do is give back to the people who have given so much to me.”

Gannon assists the track office through his workstudy placement is a 2019 recipient of the Lewis Appalachian Scholarship, aimed at helping students achieve academically while giving back to their communities.

MEET OUR STUDENTS ERIKA CREECH Erika Creech is from the area commonly known as the “deep, dark hills of Eastern Kentucky” – Harlan County. The area, once booming in coal industry, now suffers from a dwindling economy and a largely uneducated workforce.

Erika faces the facts of her hometown’s hardship without flinching.

“We know we have to rely on money from other resources and keep what jobs we have,” she says. “That is why we are so connected – we depend on each other, support each other, and stand together. We must work to survive. Without work, there’s no money, and with no money, you starve. Here, you learn young that things are not given to you easily; you earn what you work for, or you get nothing at all.”

Erika knows Harlan doesn’t seem like a nice living situation, but she looks deeper and finds something special. The work ethic, gratitude for the little things, and strong ties to her community members have shaped her morals and given her grit.

Her goal in getting a college education is not only to give herself a better future, but to give her hometown a little extra hope.

Erika’s time at Cumberlands includes workstudy with the softball office. She is also a 2019 recipient of the Lewis Appalachian Scholarship.

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Together - We MOVE MOUNTAINS “I want to help provide hope through educational opportunities that moves mountains for deserving students with great financial need to achieve their dreams of bright and promising futures.”

GIVE AN UNRESTRICTED GIFT ― Gifts given to our unrestricted fund enable us to meet a variety of needs for our students. Your gift will help provide first-class educational opportunities that promote student success.

GIVE A SCHOLARSHIP GIFT ― Over 99 percent of our students receive some type of financial aid to assist with educational expenses. Your contribution to our scholarship program will help remove an obstacle from their lives, so they can follow their dreams.

GIVE A WORKSHIP GIFT ― The most wholesome type of financial assistance involves helping students help themselves. Gifts for our workship program will benefit those students who are working diligently in the classroom, as well as outside it, to achieve their aspirations and earn their diplomas.

You can make an everlasting impact by giving to educate servant-leaders with the tools of a quality education and with the knowledge that comes from their service experiences. Help share the most important lesson: that the greatest use of one’s life is to serve others.

Twenty-six percent of our freshman class are first-generation college students. Our mission is clear. We believe in the power of education to change not just a single life, but the lives of generations to follow.

Together - We MOVE MOUNTAINS.

My gift, in the amount of $ , is to provide hope and educational opportunities to students with great financial needs so they may achieve their dreams of a bright and promising future. I would like my gift to benefit: Unrestricted Scholarship Workship I would like to make this a Please select a method of payment: Check Credit Cash recurring monthly gift To pay by credit card, please complete the section below: Visa

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Please return this coupon, along with your gift, to: The President’s Office • 6191 College Station Drive • Williamsburg, KY 40769

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Honor or Memorialize a Friend or Loved One

Tribute Program at University of the Cumberlands How are Tribute Gifts acknowledged?

For an Honor Gift, the person being honored is sent an appropriate card listing the honor giver, as well as the occasion for the honor. The name of the giver and the honoree will be listed in the next issue of the University’s newsletter.

What is a Tribute Gift?

A Tribute Gift shows love and respect for the person being honored or memorialized. It says that the world is a better place because of this individual.

Through a Tribute Gift to University of the Cumberlands, a memory of the past or an honor of the present is tied to the future as it is made to live on in the lives of students in need.

The size of the gift is up to you. Many send the amount they would spend on floral arrangements, candy, or other appropriate gestures. Gifts generally range from $15 to $1,000, but the right amount for you is the amount your heart tells you to send.

For a Memorial Gift, the family of the individual you wish to memorialize is sent an appropriate card the same day that the gift is received. The name of the giver and their loved one will then be listed in the next issue of the University's newsletter.

An Honor Gift is a gift that shows admiration and respect for a loved one or a friend on a significant day in his or her life, such as birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, or Father's Day.

The amount of all Tribute Gifts, including Memorial Gifts and Honor Gifts, is kept confidential. Also, all gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law.

TRIBUTE PROGRAM

How will a Tribute Gift make a difference?

Your gift will provide a lasting legacy for students in need as it is used to provide scholarship and workship assistance, books and supplies, food and housing, and many other supportive services.

Listings reflect Tribute Gifts received Feb. 1, 2019 through Aug. 31, 2019. In preparing this list, every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness. If a mistake was made in the way you were identified or if your name was omitted, we sincerely apologize.

You can help us set the record straight.

Please notify the President's Office regarding any changes in the way your gifts should be recorded in future reports.

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A Memorial Gift is a gift made in memory of a departed loved one or friend. It is a wonderful way to express sympathy and high regard, as well as a means to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries or other special days.

AT UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS

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Please return this coupon, along with your gift, to: President’s Office • 6191 College Station Drive • Williamsburg, KY 40769

TRIBUTE GIFTS

February 1, 2019, THROUGH August 31, 2019

CREATE A LASTING IMPACT AT UCUMBERLANDS.EDU/GIVE IN MEMORY OF: SIDNEY “PETE” GARRETT Given by:

Mr. & Mrs. William Barnett Mrs. Mary Dohrman Mr. Mark Hodges Mr. Robert Leeth

ANDY J. DECKER Given by:

Mr. John Blakely Mr. & Mrs. Andy Decker Mr. Ben Smith

MR. & MRS. LEWIS BIZZACK Given by:

Ms. Martha Childress

WILMA M. FORMAN Given by:

Reverend W. Forman

KENNETH R. FOSTER Given by:

Mrs. Wilda Foster

MAVIS F. BROOME Given by:

Ms. Marsha Griffith

PATTY S. MCFARLAND Given by:

Mr. & Mrs. Gary Harp

Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Harp

Mr. & Mrs. Norman Harp Jr.

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Ms. Mary Powers

Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Shackleford

Mr. James Skeen

TERRY P. DIXON Given by:

Mrs. Patsy Howard

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Dr. & Mrs. James Manning

JOHN B. MILES Given by:

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THELMA NEWBERRY Given by:

Mr. Dennis Newberry

GORDON L. BEIL Given by:

Mrs. Becky Niehoff

CLIFFORD C. SLATON Given by:

Ms. Maude Randall

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Mr. Gardner Slone, Jr.

IVAN THOMPSON Given by:

Mr. Forrest Thompson

REV. IVAN & BLANCHE THOMPSON Given by:

Mr. Forrest Thompson

HOWARD & EDITH WIEBEN Given by:

Mr. Paul Wieben

IN HONOR OF: MICHAEL B. COLEGROVE

MELODY L. COPPOCK

EVELYN DIXON

GEORGIA J. DUPIER

PATRICK & LEAH M. NORVELL

NORMA B. PATRICK

HAROLD F. HUBBARD

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ERICA A. HARRIS

Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Ellison III

Mrs. Patricia Gratton-Riebenack

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DEBBIE M. HARP

JAYNE KLEIN “CROSSWORD CHAMPION”

ANDY J. DECKER Given by: Given by: Given by:

Mr. Kenley Bidwell Mrs. Melanie Bloomer Mrs. Melanie Bloomer Mr. Alan Bruce Mr. & Mrs. Wesley Cornett Mr. Shannon Warmoth Ms. Ann Wohlfarth

ANNA D. HALCOMB Given by:

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JENNIFER A. SIMPSON Given by:

Dr. Carrie Collins

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Mrs. Patsy Howard Ms. Pamela Jones Dr. Harry Winkler

FLOYD C. STROUD Given by:

Mr. & Mrs. Brian Logan

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THOMAS E. FISH Given by:

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DANIEL R. REEVES Given by:

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BRADLEY D. SHELTON Given by:

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MARIE L. VON HERTSENBERG Given by:

Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Von Hertsenberg

DENNIS J. TRICKETT Given by:

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Ms. Setera Sears

Anyone interested in making a Gift-in-Kind donation is encouraged to contact the Office of the President or visit www.ucumberlands.edu/give2uc. Please make support payable to University of the Cumberlands.

Office of the President 6191 College Station Drive Williamsburg, KY 40769

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University of the Cumberlands Office of the President 6191 College Station Drive Williamsburg, KY 40769

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‘TIS THE SEASON TO GIVE As lights and decorations go up and temperatures continue to drop, Mountain Outreach prepares for another holiday season.

The holidays are a time of festivity and family, hope and merriment.

For some families, however, the holidays represent a period of struggle and disappointment as stockings remain empty and tables stay barren.

That’s where Mountain Outreach steps in.

Each year, at the start of December, Mountain Outreach works to provide food, clothing, shoes, and household items to families in need across the community. Most notably, the organization hosts Gift Day, which allows children in need to wake up Christmas morning with gifts under the tree and food in the pantry.

The need is great for many families but funds remain limited as Mountain Outreach strives to serve as many people as possible.

Through a single charitable act, you can make a difference for a family in need.

SHARE THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT ucumberlands.edu/give2uc