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N o v e m b e r -D e c e m b e r 1989

The Mountain Spirit T h e M agazine of the C h ristian A ppalachian Project

T h e M o u n ta in Spirit:

The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project V ol. V III, N o. 6

N ovem ber-D ecem ber 1989

Contents Features 4

C A P ’s M ission Statem ent by C A P M a n a g e m e n t In this an n iv ersary issue we w ant to share w ith o u r read ers the w ords th a t define o u r w ork— the C A P M ission S tatem en t.

T he F am ily that W orks T ogether by M a rg a re t G abriel T o celebrate the 25 years th a t C A P been w orking w ith an d for the people o f E astern K en tu c k y , the C A P fam ily g ath ered to g e th er for th ree things th a t we do best. W e w orked, played an d p ray ed togeth er.

A L ook Back

Ruth Warmoth, p.14

C A P P hoto A rchives

The November-December Theme

Since C A P ’s earliest days, F ath e r B eiting an d m a n y o th e r people have been p h o to g rap h in g the people, places an d things th a t m ake up w hat C A P has becom e today. T h is photo story has been condensed from a display th a t w as p ro d u ce d in co n ju n ctio n w ith the an n iv ersary celebration.

C A P h ad a great p arty in early A ugust! In celebration of the 25 years of living and w orking w ith the A ppalachian people, the first w eekend of A ugust was devoted to gathering and rem em b erin g an d w orking. H ere we share w ith the rest of the C A P family how we celebrated w ith h ard w ork, co untry m usic, good com pany, some rem inisces, and a lot of p ray er. O n the C O V E R , Les L arsen works on one of the eight houses th at were rep aired as p art of the celebration (photo by G abriel). O n the B A C K C O V E R some Jack son C ounty d o g g ers en tertain ed the C A P fam ily d u rin g the perform ance at the R enfro V alley O ld B arn (photo by G abriel).

Departments 3 13 14 16 19

From Our P resident Letters T he CAP C loseup A round the Project R andom T houghts

* P ublished by the C hristian A ppalachian P roject. Editor: M arg aret G abriel. A dvisory Board: F ather R alph W . Beiting, M ike M cL au g h lin , Leslie B L arsen , Bill Begley, R andolph Jo rd a n , J u n e W idm an, K athleen F ord Leavell; P atricia M iracle P adgett. G raphics Coordinator: E lizabeth R eed M iller. C irculation: L in d a C u rtis G rider. The Mountain Spirit is published six tim es a year. T h e annual subscription price is $5.00. Subscriptions and o ther correspondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, C h ristian A ppalachian Project, 322 C rab O rch ard R o ad , L ancaster, K entucky 40446. C opy rig h t, 1989, the C hristian A ppalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. M em ber, C atholic Press Association. T h e C h ristian A ppalachian P roject is a non-profit C h ristian service organization operating throughout E astern K entucky. T h e project operates on the philosophy th at “ helping people help them selves” is the best approach to A ppalachian poverty.

From Our President Twenty five years is not such a long time —a third of the average lifetime. Time enough for a baby to be born and sent through school, time for college, a first job, marriage and perhaps a child. Time enough to get “fairly started” in life, have a direction and a goal, an aim for a lifetime. So it is with CAP. With God’s help and the leadership of Father Beiting, we are “fairly started.” Indeed we have come a surprising distance in such a short span. Anniversaries are a time both to look back and assess, to look forward and take aim. There is a time for rejoicing-and we did just that at our 25th anniversary celebration at Renfro Valley. You will read about that in the pages that follow. How thankful we are for the generosity of our donors, that by your help, we have been able to serve so many. An organization without friends has no chance at all. You have been that for us, and we are deeply grateful. Besides your financial help, we ask you for your prayers. Pray for us that we might use your dona tions wisely, stretch them to the utmost, that our choices and directions might be the right ones, that we might serve others before ourselves, that we walk with God. We have Father Beiting’s ex ample of Christ’s love in action, in his tireless devotion to serve those in need, in his selflessness and his compassion. Pray that we all can follow his lead, and rise to new heights of service as we grow in our Christian maturity and experience Christ’s love for ourselves. I wish each of you could meet with us personal ly, that you would be strengthened in your com mitment to serving the poor. You make so much possible for us —I know if you met our employees and saw our programs in action, you would be glad of our partnership, and be reassured in your giving. But since that is not possible we hope this magazine helps bridge that gap, that you meet us up close, and gain an appreciation of what we are like and are truly about. The older I become, the more I travel about this country, meet with other charities, discover our common problems and needs, the more I am im pressed with how well we fare by comparsion. I know we have problems, there are areas we could improve upon, and by golly we are trying. But taken as a whole, we acquit ourselves pretty pro fessionally and effectively. We are striving to im prove ourselves in all areas of endeavor, and we hope it shows. We will not rest until we have suc ceeded. We have no crystal ball to project the future. N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1989

M ik e M cL a u g h lin .

We do not know what it will hold, nor what will be our role within it. Unfortunately we know that we —and people like us —will still be needed. The need is great, as great as it has ever been. The gap between rich and poor, between the educated and those unable to read, seems to grow greater each decade rather than smaller. The trends are not good, yet there breathes a new spirit throughout the region of finally beginning to concertedly at tack common problems: the lack of jobs, the number of school dropouts, inadequate nutrition, health care, children’s services. There are more cooperative efforts than ever before. New leaders are emerging with no ties to the past. We are not so reluctant to discuss our problems in public; we admit more to ourselves. Help us join with this new spirit throughout the entire breadth of all our activities. Help us bring hope to those who have been promised help before which did not come to pass. Government pro grams for the poor come and go, but CAP re mains. Help us be that pillar that others can rely upon. Help us be the provider of tools that allows others to help themselves. Opportunity . . . a chance . . . assistance to break away and make a new start . . . help in allowing hidden potential to be developed . . . these are all that we are asked to do. A fresh start, a new beginning, doesn’t seem too much to ask. We feel our burdens, and realize we can’t go alone. But with God’s help, his unending love, and a family behind us, which we hope you have become, we know we will continue and persevere and grow. Thank you for all the blessings that you have made possible in our lives. Thank you for what we have been able to do in the lives of others. Together dreams do come true. 3

Christian Appalachian Project Mission Statement W e are an interdenominational Christian organization, working to serve persons o f all faiths. While we owe our inspiration and formation to Father Ralph Beiting, a Catholic priest, we seek to promote Christianity in a broad sense. The purpose o f the Christian Appalachian Project is to promote the Good News o f Jesus Christ by our programs and our Christian witness. Our work is aimed at the people living in the Appalachian area, primarily in Kentucky, but not limited to that state. We work with people at different levels o f poverty, and seek also to involve all the people o f Appalachia in this cause. We serve all people without discrimination. Our work is in many fields (social, economic, spiritual) and seeks to affect the root causes o f problems as well as day to day needs. In all cases we seek to avoid giveaways and dependency out o f respect for the Appalachian people. Thus, we will involve the people themselves in the solutions to their own problems. One o f our purposes is to raise funds nationally to carry out our programs in Appalachia. In our fund raising we will seek to educate and inform our donors o f the needs and challenges o f the area. Our information will not exploit or degrade those we serve. Good stewardship requires that we be open, accountable and responsible with our funds. We seek to promote a spirit o f tolerance (respect) and cooperation among religious and humanitarian groups in Appalachia and will support other such groups where possible. Our goal o f a better Appalachia moves us to continually seek new and better ways to serve. We will pioneer when necessary. Those in positions o f responsibility within CAP shall be personally committed to Christian principles, seek to grow in that spirit, and strive to manifest that spirit in daily life.

The Mountain Spirit

“ . . the community that has form ed is an incarnation o f the Church. It is the People o f God. Not a squadron o f priests or religious, but a manysplendored reality embracing young and old, the married and the single, Catholic and non-Catholic. It is a loosely knit confederation o f volunteers with temporary commitments, held together by a core o f permanent m em bers-all o f them drawing strength and a sense o f common purpose from their charismatic leader (Father Ralph W. Beiting). It is an environment where the Gospels come alive, where people give up all things to follow Christ, where they lean on the providence o f God. . . ”

“The Sign” August, 1969

N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r 1989

JLhe article in “The Sign,” which former volunteer and long-time CAP worker Marilyn Stefanski says was a great impetus for her decision to come to Eastern Kentucky and CAP, was written only five years after CAP’S incorporation. It is heartening to read the story and know that after 25 years, even though CAP has changed in many ways for many different reasons, the heart of the description is the same. CAP is still primarily the people of God banded together for a common purpose, namely to alleviate and eliminate the suffering in Eastern Kentucky. In the fall of 1988, CAP workers began to plan a year of celebration for 1989, beginning with Father Ralph Beiting’s birthday (January 1), mov ing to his 40th anniversary as a priest (June 4) and culminating with the celebration of the 25th an niversary of the incorporation of the Christian Appalachian Project on August 4, 1989. Although it might seem that CAP has expended a great deal of energy crowing about its own accomplishments over 25 years, and perhaps has been a bit self-serving, the celebration was primarily intended to honor the people who have the same dream that Father Beiting dreamed when he was assigned to work in Appalachia in 1950. The CAP family, including workers of the present

and of the past, gathered for a weekend and offered itself congratulations for what has been done and looked ahead to work that still remains. Father Beiting, CAP’S founder, estimates that thousands of people have traveled to Eastern Kentucky to offer their services since the first group arrived just before Christmas in 1950 to erect a Christmas crib outside the church in Berea —the first creche in Eastern Kentucky. When he is feeling conservative, Father Beiting estimates the number at 20,000. When he throws caution to the wind, it may go as high as 35,000. When the anniversary celebration was in the planning stages, it was agreed that the event would have a threefold emphasis. First, because CAP has always been a “hands-on” organization, the weekend needed a work project. Secondly, the weekend would include a picnic with entertainment. Because it is impossible for the majority of CAP employees to get away from their jobs for even one day, a picnic on a Saturday would allow everyone to get together and would enable workers’ families —another important part of CAP —to take part in the activities, too. Finally, prayer had to be the cornerstone of the weekend —as it has been the cornerstone of CAP.

R ock castle C o u n ty n a tiv e R u th ie H e lto n h elp ed the C A P h om e repair crew put a n ew p orch on h er h ou se. A lthou gh la u g h in g and v isitin g w as her stron g su it, M rs. H e lto n p o u n d ed a few n a ils, too.

The Mountain Spirit

A Volunteer Reunion

When a committee assembled to discuss the specific events which would be planned, it was learned that a volunteer reunion had been under discussion for a number of years, apparently waiting for just such a cause to bring together as many former volunteers as possible to celebrate the accomplishments of CAP’S volunteer corp. Directors of human development Moe Mercier and Ellen Burke, and the volunteer admissions coordinator, Kathy Kluesener, all former volunteers, began publicizing the reunion in the late winter and early spring of 1989, hoping to give enough time for former volunteers to make arrangements needed to travel to Kentucky, many with their families. Moe, Ellen and Kathy decided to invite the volunteers to participate in the work day for a couple of reasons. First, they surmised that the former volunteers would enjoy the opportunity to meet with the people, and “get their hands dirty.” Secondly, in typical Father Beiting-fashion, they decided that it would be foolish not to take advantage of an assembly of very willing workers. Several CAP programs were discussed as work possibilities, but finally, the committee decided that the program that would most benefit from a “work blitz” would be the home repair program. Les Larsen, CAP’s director of maintenance, is also in charge of home repair programs in five counties. When the decision was made that a giant home repair project would be the order of the day for Friday, Les took responsibility for co ordinating the project. “When we found out that most of the volunteers were going to be arriving in and staying at Mount Vernon, we decided to stay within a 15 to 20 mile radius of the Family Life Center in Renfro Valley,” Les said. “We took a compass and drew a circle around Renfro Valley, then went through our applications to see how many we had in that particular area.” Les said that after he pulled the applications from people who lived in the geographical area he was targeting, he went through them again, to determine whether the job was suitable, consider ing the size of the crews that would be working and the skill levels of the crew members. From that group, he was able to narrow down to ten projects that Les felt confident they would be able to finish in one day. “We did that for two reasons. First, I thought that if volunteers were coming back to work for only one day, I wanted them to work on a project that they would be able to see through. Secondly, I didn’t want to have ten unfinished jobs in N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1989

V o lu n teers V icto r ia U n gate and Barb D elm o n ico h elp ed take tarpaper o ff a roof.

Rockcastle County that the regular home repair crew would have to finish. “We’d originally selected ten sites, then when we had some people drop out, we were able to have a couple of guys lead the ‘media caravan.’” A few days before work was scheduled to begin, Les said, he learned that local and regional newspapers and television stations were interested in the anniversary and the volunteer reunion, but especially that CAP had chosen to celebrate the events with a work project. Because many people in the mountains are sensitive about being por trayed by the media, Les and his home repair workers contacted each of the families and asked them if they had any objection to having their pic tures in the newspaper or appearing on a television news program.

J a n E n gle p a in ted the ro o f at M rs. R u b y B r a d ley ’s h o u se in R ock castle C o u n ty .

“The people that we picked all have trusting relationships with the volunteers, so they were delighted to help, if they could.” Helping by appearing on television or in the newspaper wasn’t the only assistance that the home owners gave. At every home where owners were able, they worked alongside the CAP crew. Two years ago, Ernie and Alice Smith bought property in Jackson County and started work on a house where they could raise their two children. They began with donated lumber and wood that had been salvaged from an old barn, but with the house still in need of windows, doors and under pinning, Ernie and Alice were unable to complete their project because of the cost of materials. For over a year, the family lived in a house in which no windows had been cut. The only door was a barn gate that had been mounted and covered with plastic to protect from the wind. Alice cooked for her family on a hot plate. As the workers cut the windows, placed the aluminum underpinning and helped with some yard work, Ernie and Alice worked right along with them, hammering, making sure corners were even and ledges were level. “I really appreciate CAP coming to help us finish the house,” Alice told a group of reporters. “I was afraid that the house was going to rot down before we finished it. We’ve never lived in a house this nice before. All the houses we’ve been in before have been so run down you could’ve thrown a cat through the wall.” “I enjoyed wearing that nail apron.”

Les said that one of the pleasant surprises he received that day was to learn of the number of ex perienced workers present. “We were apprehen-

B ruce S m ith , age 5 , J a ck so n C o u n ty .

sive at first —concerned mostly about safety —but my fear disappeared when we gathered and I ask ed who had some construction experience. More people than not had experience. We divided those people among all the crews and everything worked out fine. People didn’t try to do anything that they knew they didn’t know how to do, and the more experienced people took on the jobs that needed more skill.” Judi Jackson, from Pittsburgh, chose to con tinue serving CAP after her volunteer time. Today she works as manager of direct mail fund raising, but said that the home repair project “reminds me of my volunteer days, when we went to McCreary County and built outhouses.

F orm er v o lu n teers J u lie G abbard and L isa R and erson u sed the circular saw to cut lu m b er for M rs. H e lto n ’s p orch . 8

“I think we should do this twice a year—volunteers and employees, too. It keeps us focused on the spirit of CAP and reminds us of what we should be doing. We all learned new skills, too, like how to build porches and to use a circular saw. I felt a lot more confident in what I was doing by the end of the day.” One of Judi’s tasks was to help paint the roof of The Mountain Spirit

Mrs. Ruby Bradley’s house. “At first, I crawled around up there, but by the end of the day, I was practically running. Of course, I practically fell a couple of times, and I almost knocked over a photographer . . . ” The current volunteers that participated in the project, too, enjoyed learning new skills. Deborah Whatley, from Columbia, South Carolina, runs the elderly program in Rockcastle County, but that day she worked on a crew that fixed a roof and replaced a porch for Mrs. Ruthie Helton. “I enjoyed wearing that nail apron and it was really great to see how much we could get done when we all pulled together,” Deborah said. “First, we went in and tore down the old porch —that didn’t take much effort, because it was about to fall off anyway. Then, slowly but surely, the new porch became a porch. “I liked working with different people too, Larry with home repair and Jim Morrison (assis tant director of human development). Before, I only knew them by name, but we got to know peo ple in a different way.” Deborah regularly visits Mrs. Helton, so she knows how much the porch and roof mean to her. “The new roofing will keep the rain from leaking in, but she’s really excited about the porch. It had gotten to the point where Ruthie was afraid to put her plants on the porch or to let her dog outside because she never knew whether the porch would give in. Now she feels much safer. She’s had that house forever, and she just loves it.

F orm er v o lu n tee r M oe M ercier h elp ed add sid in g to E rn ie an d A lice S m ith ’s h o u se,

“Even more than she appreciated having the work done on the house, though, she loved having a lot of people around. I try to get out here at least

once a week, but before CAP volunteers started to visit, sometimes a month would go by and she wouldn’t see anybody.” Deborah explained that Mrs. Helton’s family lives some distance from her, and because of the isolation of her house, chance passers-by are unheard of. “But, for her to look out and see a yardful of people from CAP —she loves CAP —well, you can just imagine how excited she was! She kept running back and forth to get us water and she helped hammer the porch. She ask ed me once about applying to be a CAP volunteer. I don’t think she realizes exactly what’s involved with being a volunteer, but I thought it was neat she would ask.”

D on U n d erw o o d , le ft, d isp la y ed n eed ed p a tien ce as he w ork ed w ith u n sk ille d lab orers. N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1989

Deborah said that one of the best aspects of the weekend was talking with the visiting former volunteers. “It’s amazing, but we found out that former volunteers and current volunteers all think alike. You can sit around talking with people you’ve never met and be comfortable. I thought the dynamics of the situation were fascinating. It’s the same way with the other volunteers I live with, but I thought it was because we all knew each other. 1 just loved it.” 9

“The Old Days”

Ron Peterson, a current volunteer who works at the Family Life Child Development Center, said that one of the aspects of the weekend that he ap preciated the most was the time that the volunteers got to spend with Father Beiting. “He spent time with us on Friday night, then had breakfast with us on Saturday morning. It was nice to know that he was available to talk or just to have a good time with us.” Ron’s comments point out one of the biggest differences between the volunteer program then and the volunteer program now. Volunteers from earlier times say that much of the reason for their motivation was due to Father Beiting’s presence in the volunteer communities. Former volunteer Kathleen Ford Leavell explains, “He might not have always been around during the day, in fact, sometimes you went two or three days without see ing him, outside of Mass. But even when he was out of town for extended periods of time, he was still just as much a part of the community as any of the rest of us. “Today, I think that even though Father Beiting’s physical presence is far less than it was in the past, his spiritual presence is much greater because of the spirit and the dream that has been passed from one group of volunteers to the next. When you think about it, you realize that a spiritual presence has a great potential for impact, too.” This is just one of the differences in “CAP Now and Then,” but to hear Donna Grauvogel talk, more has been unchanged than changed, at least of the really important things. Donna was a volunteer from the fall of 1974 to the fall of 1975. She said more than anything else, it struck her that “the spirit is still there. And that’s what draws peo ple back. God is still with us, calling us back to the mountains. “I’m just amazed at CAP’S growth. I can’t believe there are 300 workers! And I was very im pressed with how well CAP has kept up with the times.” Donna said that the time she spent with CAP was a valuable experience and that “if you want to find out who you are and how you can help, CAP is a great place to start. Also, it’s neat being with people who have the same goals as you. I know God must be smiling on you, or you wouldn’t still be there.” A tired volunteer. . .

After a hard day’s work on the home repair pro jects, crews shared a dinner prepared by current 10

volunteer Joanne Fuller and former volunteer Kathleen Gabriel, then Father Beiting addressed the group of nearly 75. He looked around at his audience and com mented that if his old adage, “a tired volunteer is a happy volunteer” was true, he was looking at a lot of very happy people. He said that in his travels throughout the coun try in the last several years, he has met many peo ple who have volunteered with CAP, some that he remembered, others that he didn’t. He said that when he asked them what they remember about their time as volunteers, and what excited them the most, many said prayer. First, they recalled, groups prayed together; out of that prayer grew the work that they did together and out of that work grew something more than poverty, isolation and loneliness in Appalachia. Father Beiting said that he believes that the prayers of the thousands of volunteers that have been involved with CAP have been a big factor in CAP’S success. “We haven’t been the best at organization, we haven’t been the best with business sense, but what we’ve been good at is prayer, and because of that prayer, God’s work will continue.” Father Beiting concluded by telling the volunteers how much of a gift they have been to the region and to the people. “I hope you realize how much of a gift you are,” Father Beiting said. “God has touched each of you as a special people. I’m reminded of Paul’s letter that says, ‘Once you were no people at all, but now you are the people of God.’” A Family Picnic

The planning committee woke Saturday, the day of the picnic, to rain. But a picnic for 500 employees, volunteers and former volunteers is not easily cancelled, so there was nothing to do but continue as planned. For not panicking, the committee was rewarded by the fact that the Fami ly Life Center was blessed as one of the few dry spots in Kentucky that day. The event was advertised as the “CAP Family Picnic” because activities were planned for the en tire family, and because people pitched in like family to help with the cooking and entertainment responsibilities. On one pavilion, directors and managers cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for a hungry crowd; under a tent, employees played bingo while children dug through a haystack look ing for prizes. The loud speaking equipment that Father Beiting uses for street preaching was set up on another pavilion, and picnickers were invited to sing, play instruments and dance. Later in the afternoon, the crowd moved to the The Mountain Spirit

F ath er R alp h B e itin g , C A P ’s fou n d er.

V o lu n tee rs, form er v o lu n tee rs, em p lo y ees and fa m ilies w ork ed on crew s that rep aired eight h om es in R ock castle and J a ck so n co u n ties.

HÉT:

F ath er B e itin g w atch ed as ch ild ren p la y ed fish p o n d at the e m p lo y e e /v o lu n te e r p ic n ic .

u o n n a tjrrauvogeJ (1 9 7 4 v o lu n tee r), h ei h u sh an d A lan , and th eir ch ild ren .

B efore the vo lu n teers left th e F a m ily L ife C en ter for th eir w ork p ro jects, C A P p resid en t M ik e M cL a u g h lin offered the p rayer for the d a y , ask in g that “ our h and s b e b lessed in service to Y o u .” N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1989

A b ove, three o f the singers from R enfro V a lle y en terta in the C A P fa m ily d u rin g a sp ecial perform an ce in the O ld B arn. A b ove righ t, F ath er B e itin g says M ass on S atu rd ay on one o f the op en p a v ilio n s at the F a m ily L ife C en ter. B elo w , K en A tk in s, left (coord in ator o f C A P ’s b u sin ess d ev elo p m en t program s) and Sean P au l L e a v ell (fou r-y ea r-o ld son o f form er v o lu n tee r K a th lee n Ford L e a v ell) h a v e a “ h ay fig h t” d u rin g the em p lo y ee p ic n ic , as J u d i J a ck so n , m anager o f d irect m ail fund ra isin g , look s on .

Old Barn at Renfro Valley, to enjoy a special per formance in honor of CAP’s 25th anniversary. Renfro Valley is the home of the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, a musical show that has entertained country music radio listeners from across the na tion since the 1930s. Country music greats who worked at Renfro Valley, founded by John Lair, include Homer and Jethro, Red Foley and Merle Travis. Even though Renfro Valley is a famous spot, rich in tradition, the CAP family was honored to be entertained by the Renfro Valley folks because they are neighbors —the Family Life Center is “just down the road a piece” from the Old Barn. Emcee Jim Gaskin and long-time per former Old Joe Clark expressed admiration both for CAP and for Father Beiting and the work that has been done in Rockcastle County.

Introducing Mike McLaughlin, saying that he is a “better president than I ever was,” Father Beiting presented Mike with a certificate proclaiming him a Kentucky Colonel. Having had their fill of the first two elements of the anniversary, work and play, the CAP family once again joined Father Beiting in prayer as he closed the weekend with the prayer that he shares with his special friends:

“This is an organization that named a hall after me,” he told his audience, “and I like an organiza tion that I’m a part of.”

“Heavenly Father, I ask Your blessings upon these good people. Father please go before them to guide and lead them on their way through life; Come behind them, Lord, that You might guard them from all danger and harm. Hover over them, Lord, that You may rain and shower on them Your many blessings and Your rich graces. But, most especially, Lord, come and dwell within them that You might fill them with Your joy and Your peace. This I ask for them in the name of Jesus, Your Son, Our Lord. Amen.”

Before the performance, Father Beiting thanked the CAP family for their hard work to benefit the people of Appalachia, but thanked them more for their prayers. “Often when I want to leave the rat race and just let everything go, I know that nothing keeps me going but your prayers.”

Father Beiting dismissed the CAP family with a simple, but powerful blessing: “Whatever you do, wherever you go, may you go with God.”

In the 1970s Father Beiting honored Mr. Clark at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, by naming an auditorium the “Old Joe Clark Memorial Auditorium.”

The Mountain Spirit

Letters What a wonderful, inspiring magazine. Joining the CAP family a year ago or so has made my world a more joyful place. It makes my heart feel good to share what little I can, and the love radiating from CAP in return is so worth it! I’ve shared my experiences with CAP through The Mountain Spirit and God Can Move Mountains. I hope others can feel the excitement I do for this project. More organizations should follow in your steps. You all are doing tremendous work. God bless you all. Stacy A. Van Steenwyk Moscow, ID

I really enjoy reading the family articles and special interest items. Would love to come and visit in the near future. Kentucky is really home, as I was born in Crab Or chard, Kentucky. Everett Simpson Mountain Home, ID

I have many relatives in Eastern Kentucky (mostly Harlan County). The Mountain Spirit helps me to feel closer to them, even though the miles separate us. Mountain people are a wonderful breed and I hope someday to live among them and work in a program such as yours.

I really enjoy The Mountain Spirit. I spent most of my life in Harlan County. Taught school six years in the mining towns and in the Pine Mountain School area. I’ve been away over 30 years but haven’t forgotten the people there. Many of the places that I read about I know. I love those mountains and the people there. Massie Fare Ft. Meade, FL

I admire so much the work Chris tian Appalachian Project does among the poor in those Kentucky mountains. As Jesus said, “When you serve the least of these, you serve me,” and with the loving help you give to these people, you are liv ing His teachings every day. There is no better way to witness for Him! May God bless you all! Helen B. Dawson Sou t ho Id, N Y

I enjoy reading The Mountain Spirit very much. Especially stories of the lives of the older residents! This is history! Mrs. Imogene Fullen Indianapolis, IN

I only wish I could donate more to further the Lord’s work that you are allowing to be done through your hands. The little that I can donate makes me feel a part of the work —the love. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to sh are. We are all G o d ’s children —all of us are precious to Him. Again, thank you for sharing that knowledge with as many as you can. Marilyn Henderson Oriska, ND

Thank you very much for the beautiful comments and article writ ten on Concern and the Bible School program in Floyd County. What a heart warming tribute to all those volunteers who experience the joy of waking with God’s poor on a short-term basis. We are certainly grateful to CAP for giving us the opportunity to work with Bible School. Our dream is to someday make Concern a year round program in Appalachia. Thanks again for the beautiful ar ticle. May God bless you all!

Lori Sweeney Olympia, WA

I was born and raised in Chicago, but Appalachia has been my spiritual home since I passed through years ago and was stunned by the peace, beauty and way of life there. It is hard for me to travel now, but The Mountain Spirit brings Appalachia to me.

I love getting your magazine. We, too, are hill people. We, too, ain’t rich, not materially, but we’re rich in faith and knowlege that what you give is given back more. It makes us encouraged in faith when we see how God has used CAP to really help someone, we know what He does for one, He will do for another. Keep us lifted in your prayers and hearts as we do you all.

Casimer Sutor Evergreen Park, IL

Carolyn Crowe West Union, SC

N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r 1989

“Have faith, hope and charity, that’s the way to live successfully. How do I know? The Bible tells me so.” As a child that was one of my favorite songs. It still is. The work that is exemplified in your magazine surely reflects that, too.

Sr. Maria Rosa Hudson, NH

Letters to the editor are welcome.

They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them fo r space. Address letters to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Kentucky 40446. 13

The C A P Closeup

T he G reatest Pleasure Ruth Warmoth

by the CAP News Service Photos by Margaret Gabriel A s we examine and celebrate 25 years of ser vice that CAP has provided, we thought readers might like to meet a long-time member of the CAP family in the “CAP Closeup,” someone who not only is involved with CAP today, but whose con tact goes back quite a few years. There were several people we could have in troduced and as we were making the difficult choice, we noticed that one of the common denominators for many CAP workers is a desire to serve. Although a good percentage of these workers are involved in human development ser vices, working as teachers, resident assistants and child care workers, many others work in administrative, clerical and production positions. They are mindful that they indirectly provide services through their jobs with CAP, but for many, providing service does not stop at 4:30 every afternoon. Such a worker is Ruth Warmoth, who has worked for 10 years as a machine operator in CAP’S mailroom, where millions of letters telling of CAP’Swork and asking for support are printed, cut, inserted into envelopes and mailed all over the country. “Really, I haven’t got an exciting life,” Ruth said as she continued operating the machine that was inserting planned giving newsletters. “I stay with my mother and daddy on the weekends. They 14

live about two miles from me. I clean their house on Saturday and stay with them on Saturday night.” Ruth shares this responsibility with others in her family. “There’s six of us, and we all stay a night, so they won’t have to live in a rest home. “My kids are always around to eat supper, too,” she said, apparently testifying to the quality of Mama’s cooking. Ruth is married and has four children, two sons and two daughters. “I grew up in Leslie County, in the mountains, but I’ve lived here in Garrard County for 29 years. My mama and daddy bought a farm here and I had to come with them because I wasn’t married then. I hated it when I first came down here, but now I love it. It’s so different from the holler I grew up in —and I went to a one room school —and it’s all different down in here.” Ruth was well aware of CAP and its mission before she began to work in the mailroom. “I lov ed CAP when I came to work ten years ago, and I still do. I used to get Christmas baskets —I raised my kids myself—and all kinds of help from CAP. So, when I came to work, I already knew what it was all about.” Ruth said that both she and her children have fond memories of Father Beiting’s interaction with children and their families during his early days in The Mountain Spirit

Garrard County. “I like Father Beiting, he’s so nice. When they were little, my kids all went to camp, and he let my youngest daughter steer the boat. They all know him. Every summer my kids wanted to go to camp. They’d ask me to go down and make sure they’d get signed up. “CAP helped me with them. Helped me a lot. I had three in high school at one time, and you know how that is. So I raised four myself.”

of a family. But I like it here. I’m going to retire here if I’m able. I intend to stay here as long as I can.” Ruth said several times that as much as she liked CAP when she first came to work, “it keeps get ting better and better! Our benefits are a lot better now, and they make sure that we know what’s go ing on all over CAP. A lot of places don’t do that.”

Ruth’s niece worked in the mailroom and told her about the opening that was available when Ruth was looking for a job. “Mr. Meny [Regis Meny is the supervisor of CAP’s mailroom] had a garden up at my dad’s farm —they had a garden every year —and he told me, too.”

When the conversation turned from work to home, Ruth again claimed that her life was dull. “I know you don’t believe this, but I don’t ever have any time to myself, but I like to do for my children —cook a good meal, take them somewhere.”

Before he began to work for CAP, Regis work ed at the National Casket Company, which, at the time, had a plant in Lancaster. There, too, Ruth worked for Regis. “He already knew I was a good worker from when I’d worked for him at the casket factory. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best thing I ever did, to come to work here. CAP really has helped me.”

Ruth’s pride in her children is evident by the way her face glows when she speaks of her first grandchild, Leonard Wayne, who was born in late July. “He’s spoiled rotten, but he’s so pretty. I’m going to have a little granddaughter in October. I’m saving my last week’s vacation, so I can help out when she comes.”

Ruth appreciates the encouragement she has had from CAP personally, and for her family, but also appreciates the impact that CAP has had on the area where she lives. For its 25th anniversary CAP received congratulations, recognition and thanks for its contributions from many dignitaries, both from Kentucky and outside, but it’s even more meaningful to hear those sentiments expressed by people who have participated in CAP’s programs.

Although she says (after long, hard thought) that if she could have anything, she’d wish for two entire days to do anything she wanted with no responsibilities (“that’s not much, is it?”), Ruth’s greatest pleasure is providing for the people she loves —her parents, her children and now little Leonard Wayne. Both at work and at home, Ruth’s life revolves around service —service to family, service to com munity. “I get more enjoyment out of that than anything else.”

“I used to get seeds and all kinds of stuff,” Ruth said. “I think they’re really helping people. I’ve got kinfolks and know all kinds of people that they help. Just about a month ago, my nephew had a ulcer operated on and his medicine was $118.00. Well, he just couldn’t buy it. I told him, ‘why don’t you go over to the office and see if you can get it, and then later on, you can work it out, down at the Attic or something.’ So he did that, and he went down to the Attic and folded clothes to pay for it. They do help people, I know.” Ruth thought for a moment as she considered what she thought to be the biggest impact that CAP has had on the area, at least that which she has been able to observe. “One big thing is what they’ve done for kids that wouldn’t have had any way of going swimming or going on a hike or anything like that. The Attic helps a lot a people, and all these jobs. My job helped raise my kids, working right here. When I came to work here, I wasn’t making anything, $2.00 an hour. I worked on my dad’s farm. The work was a lot harder, and there wasn’t any money in it. I love farming, but there isn’t any money in it if you have to take care N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1989

R uth has b een w o rk in g in C A P ’s m ailroom for m ore th an ten years.

Around the Project

by the CAP News Service

G rant R eceived from K ellogg F ou n d ation At an American Management Association seminar in 1988, Mike Sanders, CAP’S director of Martin operations, met representatives from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan. As they talked with Mike and learned more about Eastern Kentucky and the work of the Christian Appalachian Project, they recommended to him that CAP apply for a grant from their organization to help fund the work that remains. Mike contacted Randy Jordan, CAP’s manager of corporate and foundation grants, who submitted an extensive proposal describing the problems in Magoffin County, namely that the county of 15,000 people has a per capita income of S6446, 53 % of the children live in poverty, 24 % of the babies are born to teenage mothers and there is a drop-out rate of 62 % for high school students. To compound the problem, there is a shortage of health care service in the county, with “only two small clinics to serve the needs of the county, both located in Salyersville, the county seat,” according to the grant proposal. “Patients must travel across the county (310 square miles) in order to have access to the facilities.” CAP proposed to begin a Com munity Health Advocates Program in Magoffin County, similar to that which operates in Floyd County (formerly known as the preventive health program). In response to the proposal, the W.K. Kellogg Foun dation awarded CAP a grant that will fund the Community Health Advocates Program for three years in Magoffin County. The program will have a three phase approach to dealing with the problems in Magoffin County: inhome visitation, school presenta tions and a summer program for youth. 16

A h ea lth program is p la n n ed for M a g o ffin C o u n ty .

“Everything, as far as programs go, is in place in Floyd County,” Mike Sanders said. “All we need to do is hire the staff and begin to make the kinds of contacts in Magoffin County that will give us the local support that’s so crucial.” Mike plans to hire four staff people who will work together on the three aspects of the program. As they visit homes, the workers will address such concerns with in dividuals as pre-natal and post partum care, infant care, parenting skills, nutrition and safety. When they are able, CAP staff people will answer needs and questions that arise during visits, but in cases that require more specialized knowlege, families will be referred to clinics, mental health specialists, Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and abuse shelters. School presentations will be given in Headstart and kindergarten classes through 12th grade, covering such topics as chemical awareness, self-esteem, physical abuse and body safety, each geared different ly, according to the grade level. Another important aspect of CHAP, Mike said, is community leadership. “We’d like to see what young people can do to implement some programs. Already, we had a group of kids go out and clean up one of the roads in the county. If we can get some of the youth

motivated, they might be able to serve as role models to other young people.” Education is an important part of training community leaders, so CAP plans to sponsor a summer youth program which will involve young people in community service projects and educational field trips. In conclusion, the grant proposal states that “the thrust of all of CHAP’s services will be to advocate better health practices. This will be achieved by assisting individuals in obtaining quality health care (i.e., follow-up care after screening out high risk individuals, prenatal care, etc.) Advocacy entails providing health education and supporting in dividuals through lifestyle changes for improved health.”

T een C enter H old s Yard Sale LANCASTER —With the begin ning of the school year, the Garrard Teen Center once again became active, offering study sessions, field trips and just a drug and alcoholfree place to “hang out” for area teenagers. In conjunction with the Garrard County Tobacco Festival, the teens held a yard sale to raise the money needed to buy a new stereo for the center. Their strategic location, within walking distance of the “Fair on the Square,” made the yard sale The Mountain Spirit

around the project . . . continued the first stop for many fair goers headed north on Highway 27 through Lancaster. The teens, their families and other friends of the center made dona tions of clothes, trinkets and small appliances and took turns helping customers and collecting money. Although CAP underwrites much of the cost of the teen center, several of the activities are funded by the work that the teens do to raise money. In the past, they have raised money for trips to Florida and Washington, DC. Center manager Theresa Toler told The Mountain Spirit that they are in great need of books that would be interesting and educa tional for young people who attend the center. If any reader has books that they would like to contribute to the Garrard Teen Center, please contact Theresa Toler at (606) 792-3837 or send books to the Gar rard Teen Center, 233 Lexington Street, Lancaster, Kentucky 40444.

C hristm as W reath P ro d u ctio n Increases TYNER —With the fall and early winter weeks of the year comes an esp ecially busy tim e for CAP —Christmas wreath produc tion time. Gene Hensley, manager of the wreath factory, has hired 125 workers this year, 45 of whom work on the second shift, to produce 70.000 wreaths, an increase of 10.000 wreaths over last year. Pro duction began on October 18. The biggest change in the produc tion site this year is the addition of a refrigerated building. “The building relieves a lot of pressure and stress,” Gene explained. “In the past, we stored the finished wreaths in refrigerated trailers, and they weren’t very effective; all they did was keep the wreaths cold. This new building controls the humidity as well as the temperature, so we can keep wreaths fresh for practically an indefinite period of time.” N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r 1989

Gene believes that all of these fac tors add up to a better product to offer wreath customers, that will lead to an increase of sales in the future. He was able to begin pro duction a week earlier this year because of the availability of the building. “We could really start any time we wanted, because we can control our environment.” He said that he was anxious to get started because of the increase in the pro duction goal, and because he wanted to get ahead of the demand. One of the programs that has caused an increase in sales is the fund raising program that has been undertaken by Scouts. CAP’s marketing manager, Bernie Hale, has placed ads in Scouting magazines, asking troops to purchase the wreaths from CAP at a wholesale price and sell them to family and friends, in order to raise money for Scouting activities. The involvement with Scouts is in its fourth year and has dramatically increased the overall number of wreaths that CAP has been able to market. The increase in sales translates in to an increase of work for Jackson Countians who craft the wreaths. Winter is an especially difficult time

in Jackson County, an area where umemployment is especially high. The jobs provided by CAP’s wreath factory make a great impact on the economic situation of the county.

C hristm as B askets to In clu d e School Supplies LANCASTER —Once again this year, Keith Gilbertson and the other workers involved in the Christmas basket program would like to in clude school supplies in the Christmas baskets which are given to families with school-aged children. Last year, Keith said that they began the practice because they thought that it might be a way that the program could encourage young people to stay in school. “I was kind of surprised myself at how excited kids got about a new box of crayons or a new pencil box, but if it helps to keep them excited about school, we want to do anything we can.” In 1989 the program will distribute 2300 baskets to needy families in nine primary counties. “We probably have another twenty that we call ‘outreach counties,’ where we give money to another organization to help with their baskets.” If you are interested in sending school supplies, please direct them to: CAP Christmas Basket Program 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446 Please write the words “School Supplies” on the outside of the box, because CAP receives so many packages during this time of the year, it helps the people in receiving to know where to direct the package without having to open it.

W o rk er s w ill p r o d u c e 7 0 ,0 0 0 w reath s in the T y n er factory.

Keith would also like to take this opportunity to thank readers who responded so well to his request for sponsors in the July-August issue. “More families will be having a mer rier Christmas this year, thanks to Mountain Spirit readers.” 17

around the project . . . continued

C A P H elp s W ith H ostage C risis JACKSON COUNTY-On Mon day, September 18, a call came in to CAP’S Family Life Counseling Ser vice office. Staff counselor Tom Conner answered the call and learn ed that Jackson County High School student Dustin Pearce —a boy with a 4.0 grade point average who was well-liked and respected by his classmates-had taken thirteen fellow students hostage during the second period of the school day. The call came from the Cabinet for Human Resources at the request of the administration of the high school and asked CAP’S counseling service for assistance with the crisis. Tom was escorted through road blocks by state social workers and made available to the hostages as they were released throughout the day, and to their parents. The crisis began around 10:00 a.m., when Dustin, who was arm ed, entered a classroom, dismissed the first two rows of students and their teacher, and kept the remain ing students as hostages. He was demanding to talk with his father, who lives in Florida. Periodically throughout the day, Dustin released the students, until at 6:27 p.m., he released the last two, surrendered himself, and was whisked away into state protective custody. He remains in custody and is receiving help. Dustin has lived in and around Jackson County all of his life. “That was one of the most difficult things for the kids to deal with; he was their friend,” said Michael Shaner, manager of the Family Life Counseling Service. While a negotiating team, termed top-notch by Michael, dealt with D u stin , Tom helped the others —parents and released hostages —work through and deal with their reactions to the situation. Michael arrived at the school at 3:00 p.m., and described the scene as one of “across the board anxiety. You 18

name a reaction and it was there.” He said that the situation outside the room was as tense, if not more so, than that inside the classroom. “Not knowing is a great contributor to a tension-filled situation,” Michael said. The crisis was not over after the hostages were released. The next day all five of the counseling staff members traveled from Renfro Valley to McKee to hold discussion sessions with the student body, help ing the 700 students to express their feelings in a constructive manner. The discussion centered on the fact that Dustin had made faulty deci sions concerning how to handle his problems. They went on to discuss how he could have better handled his feelings and how students can help people who may be having the same kinds of confused feelings. On Wednesday, the counselors went back to the school to talk to the kids who had been absent on Tuesday, about one-third of the stu dent body. On Thursday they spoke with parents and teachers and on Friday afternoon they held a special session with the parents of the young people who had been taken hostage. The following Monday, Michael conducted an in-service day for all of the teachers in the Jackson County school system.

FLC School C elebrates A p palach ian H eritage RENFRO VALLEY-The Fami ly Life Center School has continued the exploration of Appalachian heritage that it began during its summer tutoring program with a series of lectures given by renowned Appalachian writers. The series began with James Still, and will include Gurney Norman and Jim Wayne Miller. “We believe that exploration of writing is an excellent way to ex plore the things about the Ap palachian culture that make it so unique,” said Gary Eldridge, manager of the FLC School.

G ift A n n u ities

A gift an n u ity to the C h ristian A p p alach ian Project will help us co n tin u e to p rovide em p lo y m en t o p p o rtu n ities to A p p alach ian p eo ple. T h is activity is an essential p a rt o f o u r m ission to help people help them selves. B ut, w h at is a gift an n u ity ? I t ’s a legal ag reem en t by w hich you m ak e a gift to C A P an d receive a g u ara n tee d life incom e in re tu rn . F or a m o re com plete ex p lan a tio n , w rite to d ay for y o u r free copy o f “ G iv in g T h ro u g h G ift A n n u itie s” by filling o u t the cou p o n below an d enclosing it in the envelope p ro v id ed .

Clip and send

Please send, w ith o u t ob lig atio n , m y free copy o f “ G iv in g T h ro u g h G ift A n n u itie s.”

N a m e _________________________ A ddress_________________________ C ity ,

State, Z ip________________

D ate o f B irth __________________ T elep h o n e _ -----------------------------

The Mountain Spirit

Random Thoughts When the announcement arrived about CAP’s 25th anniversary reunion, I was excited and hap py. I hoped that all our family activities and schedules would allow us to attend. Also, I had just finished reading Father Beiting’s book God Can Move Mountains, and vividly remember many of the incidents he related. As time grew closer, the memories of my time with CAP came flooding back. I spent three years, (’63-’66) in the mountains. At that time there were only two full-time volunteers: Rita Brockman and myself. I am sure that my kids are tired of my stories about those years, but who could forget three such wonderful years of one’s life? There were so many good times and wonderful people to remember. Faces crowded in my mind’s eye. Besides Rita Brockman there was Father Hoppenjans, Annette, Wally, Joe, Vicky, Dale, George and many others. Early on the day of the reunion we headed south on Interstate 75 from Dayton to Renfro Valley. It rained hard most of the way, and I wondered if it would be too wet for a picnic. Some serious pray ing must have been going on, because as we ap proached Renfro Valley, the weather cleared and a beautiful mountain summer afternoon appeared. We rode up the hill, signed in, and went on to the shelter. The first person we met was Father Beiting. After a great big bear hug, and réintroductions of the family, we began to talk about many of the “originals.” I had known Father Beiting many years prior to becoming a CAP volunteer. He has always been an inspiration, a man of faith, and, yes, an exasperation. So often, especially in the early years, and probably now, he has recognized a need and has gone on to fulfill it, relying on God to produce the resources. And somehow, things always seemed to work out.

the cook got sick. For seven days I worked from 5:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. The college girls actual ly did most of the cooking, but I supervised, and gained five pounds in the process. Those kids were great, and I have many fond memories of them. I often wonder what happened to those tem porary volunteers: the seminarians, the teachers, the salespeople, the secretaries and others. But to get back to the present, I met many past and present volunteers, and felt that we had been friends for a long time. I spoke with Marilyn Stefanski and got the chance to catch up with the lives of many of the people I worked with and for. Of course, some have died or moved on, but many are doing well and have stayed in the area. After my name was called as winner of a door prize, much to my surprise, a young man ap proached and identified himself as John Hornsby. I was surprised to learn that he is now a CAP employee. His family lived in Tyner and were members of St. Paul Church in McKee where I worked for one year. As a volunteer, I taught the Hornsbys religion for three years. He told me about his parents and sisters, including my god child, Melissa. I have kept in touch with his parents, Coleen and Pearl, through the years, and received the nicest letter from his mother at Christmas time. They are really a wonderful fami ly. I also met a very nice lady, currently working at the shelter in Renfro Valley and was happy to learn that the volunteer spirit lives on. It was very plain that, even as a temporary volunteer, she was totally absorbed in her work and very enthusiastic about her role. The food was delicious, and the special Renfro Valley combined Barn Dance and Jubilee presen tation was truly wonderful. The final Mass, as always with a heartfelt sermon from Fr. Beiting, was truly inspiring.

Most of all I remember driving, always driving. Summer camp and Bible school. My first flat tire up a hollow leading to Flannery’s (the second flat was on the way to Berea, and I had no jack). Snow. Warm houses from the heating stove. Beans and cornbread cooked upon a coal stove. Grilled squirrel with the Walters family, which had adopted me on the occasion of their 25th wed ding anniversary.

The one constant was that, although Fr. Beiting has aged, his sense of urgency and fervor in help ing the people of Appalachia has not diminished. In fact, it might well have increased with the pass ing years.

And, of course, there were the temporary volunteers, hundreds and hundreds of them. Sometimes it was a problem finding work for them to do. Sometimes it was a problem just to find them. I remember one Easter break when we had 70 to 125 college students, mostly boys, and

Mary Jo Riegel, a former volunteer from Dayton, Ohio, shared these thoughts with other former volunteers in CAP'S volunteer newsletter, “AVE!” We hope that her memories will give Mountain Spirit readers a clearer picture o f CAP in the “old days.” —Ed.

N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1989

A Look Back Over the last 25 years Father Belting and many other photographers have documented the programs, people and places that make up the Christian Appalachian Project today. This photo story is condensed from a display that was assembled fo r the anniversary celebration.

V o lu n teer service has alw ays b een on e o f the corn erston es o f the w ork o f the C h ristian A p p alach ian P roject. F ath er B e itin g estim ates that o v er 2 0 ,0 0 0 p eop le h a v e served sin ce the first group erected a C hristm as crib in 1950.

In th e ’60s eco n o m ic d ev elo p m en t p rogram s in Ja ck so n C o u n ty flo u rish ed . A b o v e, a d a iry farm started b y C A P that is still in o p era tio n , b u t o w n ed n o w b y J a ck so n C o u n tia n s. R ig h t, C A P ’s p ick le farm sold its crop to P aram ou n t P ick les.

The Mountain Spirit

AkML M ^ m * sttr

! .1

From the early d a y s, C A P op erated used clo th in g stores. B elo w , left, a w ork er in a h om e for h a n d ica p p ed ch ild re n , around 1 9 84. R ig h t, ground b rea k in g for the M o u n ta in C h ristia n A ca d em y , a C h ristia n school started in F lo y d C o u n ty in 1983.

, »

C A P has alw ays b een on call for d isa ster r e lie f ev en w h en its o w n program s are in v o lv ed .

C A P em p lo y ed 125 p eo p le on tw o shifts to m anu factu re 7 0 ,0 0 0 C hristm as w reath s in 1989. T h e program b egan in the ’60s.

From the top; F ath er B e itin g street p reaches each su m m er. C liffv iew L o d g e, Garrard C o u n ty , op erated as a cam p from ’58 u n til the ’70s. C h ild d ev elo p m en t centers b egan in ’75 and n o w op erate in six co u n ties. B ib le S chools h a v e in tro d u ced th ou san d s o f m o u n ta in k id s to G od.

The Mountain Spirit

H u n d red s o f v o lu n teers h a v e b een out street p rea ch in g , p erfo rm in g as the “ M o u n ta in T r o u b a d o u r s.”

C h ild ren from all o v er C A P ’s serv ice area atten d C am p A nd rew J a ck so n in J a ck so n C o u n ty d u rin g th e sum m er.

A b o v e , left; C A P d istrib u tes seed for su m m er gard en s. R ig h t, C am p N elso n in J essa m in e C o u n ty op erated as a recreation site in the m id -’70s. A b o v e, C A P rice In d u stries b egan p r o v id in g sh eltered em p lo y m en t for h a n d ica p p ed ad ults in 1979. N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r 1989

■f f ä z I

C lo ck w ise, from ab ove left; W orkers h ave repaired h u n d red s o f h om es sin ce the m id -’70s. H ou seb oat trip s are p op u lar o u tin g s for the eld erly in F loyd C o u n ty . Before F ath er B e itin g m oved from G arrard C o u n ty in 1 9 81, eld erly in G arrard, L in c o ln and R ock castle co u n ties en jo y ed sim ilar ex cu rsio n s. At the S u n sh in e C en ter in 1977 the ch ild ren stu d ied a u n it on farm an im als. At cam p , ch ild ren learn ab out crea tio n through arts and crafts. S om etim es the “ M o u n ta in T r o u b a d o u rs” and the a u d ien ce b len d as o n e.

00m ■

C lo ck w ise, from ab o v e, left; G host stories w ere alw ays p o p u lar at C liffv iew L od ge. An eld erh h om e v isita tio n program reaches p eo p le in eig h t co u n tie s. T h e E m m aus C h ristia n L ife C en tei p ro v id es a resid en ce for eld erly p eo p le w ho are n ot a b le, or ch oose not to liv e alo n e. T h e o rig in a l w reath factory w as th is ab a n d o n ed school h o u se. C A P ’s C hristm as b asket program p ro v id es fo o d , clo th in g and gifts for 2 ,0 0 0 fa m ilies in n in e co u n tie s. R igh t (in the p la id shirt) C A P s first p erm an en t v o lu n tee r, R ita B rock m an .

H e a lth care in clu d es a C o m m u n ity H e a lth A d vocates Program in F lo yd C o u n ty (n o w a m od el for a program in M agoffin C o u n ty) and support to a free clin ic op erated b y D r. O rv ille S tein in Som erset. B e lo w , CAP b egan ru n n in g a secon d cam p , C am p S haw nee in 1984.

T o p , on e o f the F a m ily L ife C en ter b u ild in g s. T h e R ock castle C o u n ty p rop erty w as purch ased in 1979 to h ouse program s that p rom ote h ea lth y fa m ilies. A b o v e, F ather B e itin g lo v es to m eet and talk w ith the p eo p le served b y C A P ’s p rogram s.

The Mountain Spirit

| The Mountain Spirit was recognized in 1989 for this outstan d in g Ja n a ry -F e b ru a ry 1988 cover, b u t even m o re, inside those aw ard -w in n in g covers, o u r read ers are le a rn in g w hy The Mountain Spirit w on aw ards for G eneral Excellence in 1988 an d 1989. T h e C atholic Press A ssociation recognized The Mountain Spirit, saying it ‘ 'p reach es th ro u g h the p h o to g rap h . Its m essage is hopeful an d smells o f real life .” W e w ould like to give o u r read ers the o p p o rtu n ity to share th a t hopeful m essage w ith loved ones this C h ristm as. Y ou can share six issues o f o u r u n iq u e p u b lic atio n — in tro d ucing y o u r friends to the m o u n ta in people an d th eir hopes and d re a m s— an d how y o u ’ve helped b rin g som e o f those dream s to life for only $5.00. T h a t’s less th a n one dollar p e r issue! T h is C h ristm as, w o n ’t you share the spirit? The Mountain Spirit! P .S . Y o u r gift will be a n n o u n ced w ith a special C h ristm as card!