APPALACHIANVOICE APPALACHIAN VOICE
EMPOWERING STUDENTS AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES
FALL 2021
IN THIS ISSUE INTENTIONALITY 1 NOURISHING FAMILIES
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LIFE OF A TIE
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BROOME SCHOLARSHIP
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152ND HOME UNDERWAY
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INTENTIONALITY, CHANGING LIVES APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES SERVED 375 CHILDREN THIS SUMMER, FOCUSED ON BEING INTENTIONAL From the start, this summer was different. Local families and college students alike were coming off of a year of lockdowns, unrest, health crises, and varying degrees of social isolation. That plus other experiences with Appalachian Ministries (AM) in the past led the AM director, Caitlyn Howell, to revamp this summer’s AM schedule. Before, the AM summer team (approximately a dozen Cumberlands students, plus a few Campus Ministries staff members) spent a whole week visiting one local site every day for a few hours. The next week, the team visited a different site, and so on. While the system has merits, Caitlyn realized this schedule meant that local children got to see the AM team for one really great week – and then didn’t see them again until fall. Yet relationships flourish with consistency, and trust takes time to build. So, this year,
AM spent the bulk of the summer visiting all four local sites once a week. That way, kids didn’t have to wait a month or two before seeing AM again; they knew the nice college students would be back next week to play with them, teach them about Jesus, and, of course, give them snacks. “While no strategy is perfect, I am very happy and thankful for how the change has made a positive impact,” said Caitlyn. “Going to the sites once a week proved to be much more intentional and provide ways to deepen relationships with the children.” Not only did the children experience the difference that extra intentionality brought, but the college students were also impacted. For instance, one intentional decision made by Campus Ministries staff was to have the AM team meet together every day before Story continued on page 2
