Issuu

March-April 1990

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

X h e M o u n t a in S p ir it:

The Magazine o f the Christian Appalachian Project V o l. I X , N o . 2

M arch -A p ril 1990

Contents Features 4

“ T o m , th e W alls are K in d ly C lo sin g I n ” by T o m Schaper W e often speak o f the w ork that C A P does w ith fam ilies w ho lose th e ir hom es. H ere, v o lu n teer T o m S chaper tells o f his experience helping the H oskins fam ily to rebuild from a fire.

“ T h e r e ’s N o th in g to D o ” by Ju lie L eB ru n T h is lam en t from teenagers everyw here has been addressed in the form of the G a rra rd T ee n C e n te r in L an c aster, w hich serves an average o f 30 kids a day th ro u g h w holesom e, co m m u n ity -b u ild in g activities.

N o t R e b u ild e r s— B u ild ers by M a rg a re t G abriel T h e G a rra rd C o u n ty C o m m u n ity M e n tal H ealth C e n te r w orks w ith people an d o th e r o rg an izatio n s in G a rra rd C o u n ty to en su re a h ap p y an d h ealthy q uality o f life.

P roject T u r n in g P o in t

Bill Hamm, p. 14

Garrard Teen Center, p. 16

The M arch-April Theme

by J a n A llen M cK en zie B elieving th a t its y oung people are one of A p p ala ch ia’s g reatest n atu ra l resources, C A P has established a p ro g ra m designed to help tro u b led teens an d th e ir fam ilies set th eir lives an d th e ir goals on a straight path.

D epartm en ts 3 9 10 13 14

F rom O ur P r e sid e n t L etters A rou n d th e P roject From O ur F ou n d er T h e C A P C loseu p

M u ch of C A P ’s w ork involves reb u ild in g — physical, em otional an d spiritual rebuilding. A lthough C A P often talks of the problem s of hom es th a t b u rn dow n, m any people have little idea as to the actual relief w ork th at is done w ith victim s. H ere, an o u treach w orker shares that rebuilding process. C A P w orks, too, to rebuild the lives of teenagers who som etim es m ake the w rong choices in life. J a n M cK enzie gives a special insight into helping young people to cope w ith those choices. O n the C O V E R , b u rn o u ts are an u n fo rtu n ate w ay of life in E astern K entucky (photo by Schaper). O n the B A C K C O V E R , a group of C A P volunteers help w ith hom e construction in M cC reary C o u n ty (archive photo).

Published by the C h ristian A ppalachian Project. Editor: M a rg aret G abriel. A d visory Board: F ath er R alph W . B eiting, M ike M cL au g h lin , Rose Price, Bill Begley, G ary G . E ldridge, J u n e W id m an , K athleen F ord Leavell; P atricia M iracle P adgett. G raphics C oordinator: 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 th er correspondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, C h ristian A ppalachian P roject, 322 C rab O rch ard R oad, L ancaster, K entucky 40446. C o p y rig h t, 1990, the C hristian A ppalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. M em ber, C atholic Press A ssociation. T h e C h ristian A ppalachian P roject is a non-profit C hristian service organization operating th roughout E astern K entucky. T h e project operates on the philosophy th a t “ h elping people help them selves” is the best approach to A ppalachian poverty.

From Our President J^ebuilding is a familiar theme in all ages and all cultures since we first began recording history. In the human spirit, rebuilding is akin to beginning again, a condition we all face not once, but many times throughout our lives, when misfortune or injury or illness have struck —any one o f countless possible human tragedies. Before any o f us has progressed too far in our allotted years, we taste a knockout blow. How we react to that blow is a real test of our character, and, if we respond well, we experience personal growth and a deepening wisdom and understanding. Such things and such stories are the theme of this issue o f The Mountain Spirit. What inspiration we receive when we see and hear how others overcome their misfortune and go forward with their lives! I remember the story of Glen Cunningham, who suffered terrible leg burns as a child, was told that he could never walk, let alone run again, and that he would be permanent ly crippled. Glen overcame this prognosis, represented his country in sprint events in the Olympics and won. Such determination, such spirit, such courage . . . and similar cases are repeated over and over again, in athletics, business, home- and family-building, personal lives. Such stories point the way for us when we experience trouble in our own paths and lives, and let us know what is possible if we will but persevere. Each time we start a new job, move to a new ci ty, begin to recover from illness or injury, we all have the possibility of sharing in the triumph of the unconquerable human spirit. In our spiritual lives too, where we are defeated at one time or another by sin. As Christians, we are able to ex perience forgiveness through Christ’s love for us, and sustained by this love, we can become greater than we were before, more noble, more compas sionate, more caring, more fully human and real. As we grow older, we come to realize what treasure and gifts we share from that birth in Bethlehem. Christ’s example and his instruction “Come, follow me” is the ultimate way to respond to any crisis in our lives, and in following Him, we succeed, we experience the unity o f all men and women in Him, and we experience the eternal truth and word. No matter how old we may be, I suspect each of us has hurdles yet remaining to encounter in our lives. Whether they be great or small is not ours to know, but we know whatever their size, that without Christ they are all too large, and with M a rc h -A p ril 1990

M ik e M c L a u g h lin .

Christ there are none that cannot be overcome. And to share in the triumph o f overcoming adver sity, we all walk together in the paths of true nobility. There is so much to do even in this country of prosperity. The poor and the sick and the homeless and the spiritless are still to be found in every county and every state o f our nation. We see it in Appalachia just as you see it in your own hometown. We ask that you become a partner with us in this mission o f rebuilding, because there is much you can do in your own home. We ask you to te ll o th er s —you r fa m ily and friends —about the problems of Appalachia. If you would like to pass this magazine along to them, please do so (then drop us a note, and we’ll be happy to send you a replacement copy!). As you remember your loved ones in prayer, could you also remember the people of Appalachia? Our faith tells us that prayer will be the strongest tool in our rebuilding efforts. Finally, we urge you to become involved, not simply with us, but in the outreach of your own church or your community. We are all part o f one another, and we can all become true apostles by serving wherever we are. Help us by helping others. As others rebuild their lives, we become part o f their triumph and are, ourselves, transformed in the process. 3

“II . H e l l o , this is Tom Schaper from the

Tomy the Walls Are Kindly Closing In

by Tom Schaper

Christian Appalachian Project,” I said, as I called a neighbor’s phone. “Is Mrs. Hoskins there?” “This is Mrs. Hoskins.” “I was getting the kids ready for summer camp and I was wondering if Sally is still coming.” “Our trailer burned down early yesterday morn ing. No one was hurt, but we lost everything.” I was really taken by surprise. Who ever expects to hear of a burn-out? What could I say except to offer to help in any way I could? I knew, too, that I also had the “people-power” o f my volunteer community, and whatever resources CAP could offer through its outreach programs. With the number o f homes in this area that have poor wiring and those that must rely on wood or coal-burning stoves for heating, it is not hard to see why there are so many burn-outs. The CAP outreach office in Rockcastle County receives one or two calls a month from victims of burn-outs, twice that number in the winter months. Ironical ly, while I was writing this story, I was interrupted by a call from a good friend whose home was lost in a fire. Even though I’ve visited her home many times and have gotten to know her family, I can just begin to feel the loss she and her two kids are feeling. For burn-out victims such as Cindy Durham and the Hoskins, there are several organizations that work together to aid families in need, in cluding the fire department, local churches, the Red Cross, the Department for Social Services, the Lions Club and the Christian Appalachian Project. Because of the resources it has available, CAP has been able to help dozens of families rebuild their lives each year. When an outreach worker receives a call from a burn-out victim, he or she immediately visits the family to provide comfort, and to make sure the family has a place to stay for the next few days. Often friends or relatives are able to take them in. Other families are referred to CAP’S Family Life Services, a residential program for families in transition. At this point we are able to provide food boxes, clothing, toys, miscellaneous household and personal items. In most cases, families are able to find a trailer or small house to rent temporarily until they can find a suitable place to resettle.

T om Schaper. 4

Furniture, heating stoves and kitchen ap pliances are the hardest items to obtain. In July of 1989, when CAP’S furniture supply was low, I ap pealed to the church I belonged to in St. Louis. They were able to collect couches, chairs, beds, refrigerators, stoves, and dishes. Most important, The Mountain Spirit

Sally showed me where all the rooms had been, and pointed out all the recognizable objects . . .

they collected enough money to transport these items in a large U-Haul moving van. All the work o f contacting people, collecting, sorting, repackaging and loading the items on the truck really made a difference to many families in Ap palachia. When I started my work as a CAP volunteer, emergency assistance was brand new to me. I’m a computer programmer. Only a few months ago, I was writing programs for a successful corporation in St. Louis. What did I know about emergencies in Appalachia, or anywhere else for that matter? There were so many things I had not anticipated. During my training, I was briefed on the pro cedures for helping people whose homes burn down: I was instructed in how to help them replace clothing and how to help them find a place to move. None of this information prepared me for helping families through the psychological devastation o f losing their homes, everything they own (even though it might be very little), and sometimes loved ones. My experience with the Hoskins pointed this out to me in a very special way. Shortly after Leah Hoskins told me about the burn-out, I set out to visit the family. Winding down the steep gravel road, I spotted the charred remains o f what they once called home. As I pull ed in the drive, I was greeted by a dozen curious faces, who appeared to be wondering who I was and what I wanted. There were a few familiar faces, although I couldn’t quite place them. Later M arc h -A p ril 1990

I learned that they were family and neighbors. I had met Sterling Hoskins at the home o f one o f his neighbors a while back, but this was the first time I had visited his home —or what was left o f it. He had no trouble remembering my name, and his warm greeting relieved a lot o f my uneasiness. “Hi, Tom, come get ya a seat.” I joined his family and neighbors under a weep ing willow tree in their yard, and listened to them talk for well over an hour. An electrical fire had ignited about 2:00 in the morning. A friend happened to be driving by, saw the smoke and flames, and woke Sterling and Leah. They were able to escape unharmed and their two kids, Sally and Tony, were away on an overnight fishing trip. Even though the family was safe, in a matter o f minutes, all they owned —that they had worked and saved for —had vanished in to smoldering ashes. It was easy to understand how the family could feel a little at loose ends at that point, and how they needed to relive the ex perience for their family and friends. The group helped them talk through their feelings of loss, to verbalize its magnitude, and to express their relief that they had been spared loss o f life. Despite the tragedy o f the story, I was surprised at my own feeling of inner peace. When I examin ed why that might be, I decided that it stemmed from Sterling’s peaceful demeanor, an attitude that was really inspiring. He told me that God must have really been watching out for them. His family was OK and that’s all that mattered to him. 5

He went on to tell me that they had a whole garden of food and a camper to stay in until they could rebuild. God was obviously with them, and Sterl ing’s attitude in a time of such loss was proof enough o f His presence for me. Earlier, Leah had told me how the kids had returned home from their fishing trip to find their home gone. I’ve heard that sometimes one can come close to understanding the magnitude of another’s loss when he or she dwells on something that seems unimportant. I realized that there might be some truth to this statement when Sally told me several times about the pet turtle she lost in the fire. Sally said that she had been training the turtle to eat from her hand. Although it didn’t seem like so much, I could tell that she missed her pet very much. Tony, her brother, didn’t say much at all. From where I was sitting, under the weeping willow, I could see the remains o f the trailer, a large open shed and a small camper. Sally showed me where all the rooms had been, and pointed out all the recognizable objects, including the TV, a bed, kitchen appliances, and her turtle’s bowl. The look on her face told me that she knew it would be a long time before they would get back to normal living. The Hoskins were fortunate. They had a small camper where they would be able to stay briefly, while they rebuilt. Most families crowd in with relatives, wear out their welcome, then move on to the next. The Hoskins were fortunate, too, because unlike most o f the families who have a burn-out, they had a small insurance policy. Sterl ing later learned that the value of the policy was enough to rebuild only the foundation of his house, but it was a start.

“Tom, you don’t need to go to all that trouble,” Sterling told me. “I’m not one who normally likes to take charity, but we sure could use whatever people are willing to give.” That was all he needed to say. The barbeque was wonderful. There were about fifteen for dinner, including the Hoskins family, a few of their friends, and our entire CAP volunteer community. We learned that the Hoskins were entertaining a notion to build themselves a new house, instead of buying another trailer. The first task, though, was to clean up the mess where the trailer had burned. Again, here was a job tailormade for a group o f eager volunteers. “Don’t worry,” we told them. “We’ll be back this weekend, with CAP’s pickup trucks. It’ll be cleaned up in no time.” When we showed up on Saturday morning, the entire mess was gone. A salvage company had contacted Sterling, and offered to clean the site, in exchange for any scrap metal they might uncover. No one was complaining that the job was done. Still looking for a way to help, Cathie Bailey, one o f the volunteers, suggested that we pick all the beans and corn in the Hoskins’ garden that were ready for harvest, take it all home and can it. Both Sterling and Leah were touched that we would go to the trouble to do their canning. It was obvious that they hadn’t the tools nor the storage to get their food ready for winter. We spent an evening snapping beans, laughing and telling jokes, one of those evenings —rare, unfortunately, but always treasured —that the whole community was able to be together and enjoy each other’s company.

The one-room camper where the family lived temporarily had three beds, a non-functioning bathroom, and a small kitchenette. Sterling and his family would live there for three months. With a little work on the kitchen plumbing and some things given by friends and neighbors, they managed to make a place to live. The love between Sterling, Leah, Sally and Tony transformed the cramped trailer, and brought real meaning to the cliche “home is where the heart is.” In the meantime I was anxious to see what CAP, the other volunteers, and I could do for the family. My first thought, of course, was food and clothing, but the family’s friends and neighbors had nicely covered those needs. “Sterling, would you mind if my friends and I come over tomorrow night and bring a barbeque dinner?” I was thinking of other volunteers in my community. I felt sure they would be delighted to pitch in. 6

T o m h elp s u n lo a d a su p p ly o f h o u seh o ld good s.

The Mountain Spirit

S terlin g , le ft, and T om lo o k o ver som e p lan s w ith L eah and a lo ca l b u ild er.

In the weeks and months that followed, I was able, through the support of CAP’S donors, to provide clothes, furniture, small household items, books and a much needed air-conditioner in the summer months. With these more frequent visits and the appreciation that Sterling, Leah, Sally and Tony expressed, I began to feel like a part of the Hoskins family. They made it clear that I didn’t need an excuse to come visit. “Come back when you get ready,” was always the last thing I heard as I pulled away from their home. Although Leah works at a “public” job, at the Rockcastle County Hospital, Sterling is a tobacco farmer, leasing a tobacco bed on land he owns from a larger conglomerate. As I spent more time with Sterling on the farm, I noticed that he was having trouble walking. A short walk to the road and back took all the wind out o f him. Later, I learned that the arteries in his legs were hardening, and that Sterling needed major surgery to correct the problem. Several weeks later, Sterling was in St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington for the needed surgery. Once again, our volunteer community pitched in to help, this time through prayer. I was starting to get worried about Leah, too. The few times I was able to talk with her, between her job, her visits with Sterling and providing for her kids, I could tell that the stress level was start ing to get to her. When I told her I was worried about her, she said there was nothing she could do but to keep on going. M arc h -A p ril 1990

T h e p la n s also receiv e ap p roval from T o n y . 7

Late one afternoon, I was able to make the 50 \ mile trip to Lexington to visit Sterling. He was in good spirits and proudly showed me the scars on his legs, the results of the replacement surgery on his arteries. “Impressive,” I told him. What else could I say? Sterling also told me that while the doctors were operating, they found an aneurysm, on the verge o f breaking. The doctors said that if they had not found it, he wouldn’t have lived long. God just wasn’t ready for him, Sterling guessed. He seemed to be having a good time reading his cards and cracking jokes about the doctors and nurses, but underneath his joviality, I could sense that he was concerned about something. When I pressed him, about his worries, I learned that he was concerned about his tobacco, which was waiting to be harvested. Like many farmers in Kentucky, Sterling raises a small crop of tobacco that provides cash for his family to live on for the year. It was getting late in the summer, and Sterling hadn’t topped his tobac co, meaning he hadn’t cut off the flowers that sprout on top, enabling the leaves to grow larger and more bountiful.

T h e b en efits from a sm all in su ra n ce p o lic y en a b led the H o sk in s to b eg in re b u ild in g w ith a b u ild e r. L a ter, th ey lea rn ed there w as not n ea rly en o u g h m o n e y from th e p o lic y .

One more time, Sterling’s family and friends pitched in to help —when they were able. This time, the weather played a crucial role in our abili ty to cut and house Sterling’s tobacco. First, there was rain, rain and more rain. Then a cold snap. Finally, with a break in the weather, we were able to get all of the tobacco cut and hung in the barn. But after the job was done, Sterling realized that his proceeds from the sale of the crop would bare ly be enough to pay o ff the lease on the tobacco bed —there would be no profit.

non. It was not an easy move to make —people who live in the country are rarely content with a move to what they call the “city” even a place like Mount Vernon; population about 1400. But now they were only a few minutes from work and school, and by their excitement, I could tell they appreciated regaining the space and privacy they had in their new trailer. I could tell that the stress level was evening out by the more peaceful look on Leah’s face, and the fact that Sally was once again scoring her usual As and Bs.

What next? A call from the grade school principal, that’s what. Leah had to meet with the principal to discuss the sharp drop in the kids’ grades in school. Sally always earned As and Bs during her seven years in school. She was now getting Ds and Fs. It was not difficult to figure out why the drop. How can you do homework when there is not even a table, much less room for one, as was the case in the camper the Hoskins family was calling home? At this point, I can remember Sterling telling me, “Tom, the walls are kindly closing in on us.” The decision to make a change came quickly and with it, the appearance that the family is on its way, through hard work rebuilding, to happier times. By mid-October, Sterling and Leah had pur chased a trailer and moved 20 miles from their farm onto a lot in the little town o f Mount Ver-

For the time being, the family has put on hold their dream o f building a house instead of a trailer, but they know that sometimes we don’t get everything all at once. In the spring, the they plan to move their trailer back to their own property. With the help o f the CAP home repair crew and volunteer community, they hope to be settled in their new home by early summer. I learned how much Sterling and Leah really ap preciated the time I had spent with their family, when they invited me and my parents, who were visiting from St. Louis, to share Thanksgiving din ner with them. Over the course o f several months, I had grown very close to this family, so it seemed very fitting that I should share that closeness with my parents. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. As I reflect on the whole experience, I realize that it may very well have been the Hoskins family that was rebuilding their life with a house and fur niture and clothes, but it was I who rebuilt my life by helping and caring and loving. The Mountain Spirit

Letters Your January-February 1990 publication was excellent! Especial ly the article, “Random Thoughts.” A lot o f people look down on older people. Even some old people look down on themselves. I am 34 years old. I have always enjoyed being around older people. They have so much to offer. If only the younger ones would open their eyes and hearts. They’d be surprised at what they would not only hear, but also learn. We will all be old some day. If on ly everyone would keep this in thought. I send my love to the elder ly. Louise M. K ozlowski Allen Park, M I

I have had the opportunity to work as a CAP volunteer on two oc casions. I sincerely enjoyed working with the volunteers and the people of Appalachia. You do wonderful things for these people! When I returned after working with elderly visitation and some wonderful volunteers (at the time) such as Julie & Steve LeBrun, and Jerry Buff ington,I felt like I didn’t belong in Michigan anymore but down there in Kentucky. I hope to someday return as a volunteer for a longer “tour o f duty.” God bless you all and all you do. Ruth Butterfield Pontiac, M I

I really enjoy The Mountain Spirit and read it from cover to cover. Some o f the stories remind me o f my childhood (I was born in 1930) as the depression was ending, but we were poor folks too. I wish I could send more so you could help more o f the needy. I will remember you in my prayers. May God bless you. Mrs. Helen Wolfe Carroll, OH M a rc h -A p ril 1990

Re: “What do you want? Hous ing!” article in the JanuaryFebruary issue o f The Mountain Spirit. If my calculations are not grossly off base, the 100,00 people that campaigned in Washington over the October 5th weekend could have built around 2,000 houses with the time and money spent going to Washington. Habitat For Humanity has long recognized that the federal govern ment is not going to solve the homeless problem. They feel it is better to “light one little candle than to curse the darkness.” All the federal government is go ing to do is to spend money to study the problem, and maybe create another commission that will spent 50 % o f the money on administrative overhead. My advice to the 12 from CAP that made the journey, is to get in touch with a local HFH organiza tion, or form one. Great things will begin to happen, when people stop letting “George do it.” Robert H. Appleby Habitat For Humanity Americus, GA

Congratulations on making na tional TV. I saw your volunteers and the home they built in Floyd County on CBS’s 48 Hours on December 14. It makes me feel good to know that the little bit I contribute, to your most worthwhile work, is be ing put to use where it’s needed. Keep up the good work and may the new year be a banner one. Thomas W. Holmes Walnut Creek, CA We believe that both demonstrating and getting involved in a “hands-on ” way are valid ways o f dealing with this problem , that

they are particularly effective work ing together. We hope that by call ing attention to homelessness, the general public will be m oved to help solve the problems. —Ed.

The Mountain Spirit gives my spirit the uplift it needs so badly at tim es. People helping people regardless o f race or creed. In today’s world we need that so badly. We need to realize that man does not control the earth. He is only part o f the plan of a mind that is beyond our comprehension. By car ing, by sharing, we fullfill a role set for us. Stanley R. Dishaw Many, LA

I enjoy reading The Mountain Spirit. I especially liked “A Day with the Elderly” in the JanuaryFebruary issue. The picture on the cover remind ed me of my grandmother. She always wore a bonnet when she did her yard and garden work. Edward Klunk Michael, IL

I have enjoyed the interesting in formation in The Mountain Spirit. What a wonderful feeling it gives to me to know, in a small way, I have helped some o f the things to come to pass with my small donations. Mrs. Patricia Cloys Los Angeles, CA 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. 9

Around the Project

by the CAP News Service

C A P Seed Program H elp s Ease H u n ger Beverly Potter has lived in Rockcastle County, part o f CAP’s service area, for seven years, “and I feel very comfortable in the com munity. I was afraid, when we first moved here, that I would feel like an outcast, but that hasn’t been so at all.

She assumed the responsibility for the program only a couple o f weeks before Christmas time, then no sooner did the workers in her pro gram finish distributing over 2000 Christmas baskets than it was time to b eg in th e sp rin g p r o gram -distribution o f seed, seed potatoes and fertilizer to approx imately 1400 families in five Eastern Kentucky counties. “I see one o f our biggest roles as that o f friends to the people in our programs,” Bev said. “A lot of peo ple that we visit might have other problems that CAP can help them with. We make sure that they know about those services, and put them in touch with the right people, if that’s what they would like to d o.” Because this is her first year, Bev said that she is very much “feeling her way along in the seed program.” “We’re out now, visiting the peo ple who were involved with the pro gram from last year, and learning about new families who would like to become involved.” Some of these families learn about the seed pro gram through the Attic store or 10

Ll_

Bev began working with CAP in the Special Needs Home, a home for handicapped children at the Family Life Center, moved to the Rain bow Respite Care Home, then became manager o f the Christmas basket and garden seed programs.

“I’ve been very involved with the community and with my church, so I think I’ve got a feel for the strengths o f the people, but also the needs.”

Seed program w ork ers d istrib u te seed and v isit p eo p le w ho p la n t gard en s.

other CAP programs. Others might hear about it from friends or family that have been involved in the past. Through its seed program, CAP hopes to help alleviate some o f the problems connected with hunger in Eastern Kentucky. One o f the most graphic illustra tions of the problem o f hunger is in the incidence o f low birth-weight babies. They are prone to physical and intellectual problems, and show that mothers, too, are malnourish ed. Kentucky has nearly seven low birth weight infants per 1000 births, and the number in CAP’s service area is significantly higher —over eight per 1000 births. CAP hopes that by assisting people to raise fresh vegetables, some of these rates can be lowered. In the coming growing season, Bev would like to introduce more self-help concepts to the seed pro gram, “and I’d like to get more kids in v o lv e d in g r o w in g and gardening,” she said. “I think that’s what all of CAP’s programs are about, in the long run. About improving things for kids, so they can improve things for others.”

T em p orary V olu n teers H elp w ith Spring C hores Late winter and early spring are always exciting times for CAP, especially in the volunteer program. After some long winter months, the permanent volunteers are host to groups, mostly o f college students, who come to help in preparations for CAP summer programs. Volunteer administrative assistant Kathy Kluesener reports that groups will come to Kentucky from St. Mary’s in Mundenlein, Illinois; M isrecordia, in Pennsylvania; Catholic University; the University of Notre Dame; Aquinas College; and the University of Toledo, among other places. Each group has been with CAP before, except a group from St. Mary Campus Ministry Office at the University of Michigan. Kathy estimates that over 100 young people will give o f their time and talents this spring. The groups will split up and stay with the permanent volunteer com munities in Stanford, Mount Ver non, Berea, Somerset and Martin, The Mountain Spirit

around the p ro ject . . . continued depending on the location o f their work assignment.

F low ers P rod uced In T y n er

While the work assignments may not be the most exciting work in the world, Kathy assures volunteers that the work is crucial to good pro grams in the summer months. Tasks range from cleaning playground and camp equipment to helping to package and distribute seed. “We stress with the groups that they’re coming to help in all areas,” Kathy said. “The work that they’re doing gives the permanent volunteers and staff the time to work more directly within their programs.

Kentucky had good news about unemployment recently. For the first time in ten years, the state average is equal to the national average. However, the percentage in C A P ’s service area rem ains high —too high. In Jackson County, the government statistic sets the unemployment rate at 9.7%.

“We always let people know that these are jobs that we’ve all done, and will do again, that they’re not cleaning and scrubbing just because they’re volunteers. We all share the responsibilities, and these jobs make a valuable contribution to the overall work o f C A P.”

G ift A n n u ities

Gene Hensley, manager of CAP’s wreath manufacturing plant in Tyner, disagrees with the figure. “I’d say it’s closer to 40% ,” Gene said. “The government doesn’t take into account the people who have been looking for jobs for so long they finally give up.” About 6 months ago CAP took another step to help with unemploy ment, by moving cornhusk flower manufacturing to Tyner.

Kathy went on to say that the volunteer department requires a commitment o f at least three weeks from an individual volunteer, but that in groups o f five to ten to twen ty, a tremendous amount o f work can be done in only a week’s time.

When they started, the 10 people, many o f whom have worked tem porarily in wreath manufacture, in dividually crafted 100 dozen flowers a week. “We’re up to 175 to 200 dozen now, but we need 300 to meet the demand,” Gene said. “We should be there in another month.”

“Our groups understand, too, that prayer during their week, as well as their sense of community spirit is as important to CAP as any work that they might get done.”

CAP is now the largest domestic manufacturer o f cornhusk flowers, which are marketed by Christmas R id g e H a n d c r a fts , C A P ’s marketing division.

A gift an n u ity to the C h ristian A p p alach ian P roject 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 hat is a gift an n u ity ? I t ’s a legal ag re em e n t by w hich you m ake a gift to C A P an d receive a g u a ra n te e d life incom e in re tu rn . F o r 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 co u p o n below an d enclosing it in the envelope pro v id ed . Clip and send

Please send, w ith o u t o b ligation, m y free copy o f “ G iv in g T h ro u g h G ift A n n u ities. ”

N am e _________________________ A d d ress_________________________ C ity ,

State, Z ip________________

D ate o f B irth__________________ T elep h o n e _____________________ W orkers target to p rod u ce 3 0 0 M a rc h -A p ril 1990

d o zen

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flow ers p er m o n th .

around the project . . . continued

C am pbell Soup Sponsors B en efit for CAP Three hundred people came out on a cold, snowy December night to attend a benefit concert at Renfro Valley. Through the generosity of the Campbell Soup Company, CAP received approximately $2333 in proceeds from the concert. The company sponsored the regular Saturday Night Barn Dance show, and donated the “gate” to the work o f the Christian Appalachian Project, specifically in CAP’S small garden programs, and in its educa tional programs, areas strongly sup port by Campbell Soup. The program was promoted through more than 60 local food stores and suppliers in its central Kentucky service area. CAP and Campbell Soup asked folks who attended to bring a can of soup or other food for use in CAP’S Christmas Basket program.

U pdate: M isty L ee Recently The Mountain Spirit received a postcard from a reader who said, “we wonder, in reference to your article o f NovemberDecember 1988, how little Misty Lee Sammons, with the diagnosed leukemia, is doing at this time.” Readers who have been with us for awhile may recall that Misty Lee was diagnosed at a time when her father was unemployed. To further complicate the situation, her treat ment facility was located in Lex ington, Kentucky, a two-and-a-half hour trip from Floyd County, where the family lives. The had no car at that time, and were renting a car at a cost o f $100 to $125 each trip. After a year, they met Donna Yellen, who was working at that time as CAP’S outreach worker in the county. Donna assessed the situation, and went to Mike Sanders, CAP’S direc tor of Martin Operations. She asked if CAP could help purchase the

family a car. Mike encouraged the project, and CAP was able to organize a benefit concert, a BikeA-Thon and private donations. The proceeds from all the events were given to the Sammons family, and they were able to purchase the car they needed. The outreach workers at CAP’s Floyd County office today report that the Sammons family is in touch periodically, just to keep everyone up-to-date on the situation every two or three months. They see this as a good sign because the family is no longer in need o f assistance from CAP. Fortunately, about the time that the family was helped through the purchase o f the car, Mr. Sam mons found a job at the local health department. They reported no information about Misty’s condition, except that she is still making the trips to Lex ington for treatment.

Moving? Please notify us of change of ad dress to make sure you receive every issue of The Mountain Spirit. O L D A D D R E SS p le a se p rin t

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Mail to: The Mountain Spirit, 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446. M isty L ee S am m on s, a y o u n g le u k em ia p a tie n t, h er fa m ily , and the car C A P h elp ed them p urch ase so th e y cou ld m ake n eed ed trip s to L e x in g to n .

The Mountain Spirit

From Our Founder IN ^ y dear friends, I want to thank you for the prayers and everything that you sent me after my accident. I wish that my feeble words had power to express my love for your kindness over the years and especially now. I dictate this note from the Taylor Manor Nursing Home in Versailles, Kentucky, on January 15. I’ve had two more operations, and I’ll pro bably be here at least two weeks before they can take the stitches out of my leg. I’ll learn to walk with crutches and canes, but I won’t be doing much for some time. Of all things, I feel gratitude first. Then, I feel guilty because I can’t help you with the programs that CAP carries on for God and His people. In the forty years I’ve been in the mountains, I’ve been in hospitals after being in explosions and pulled out of the river, things of this nature, but usually in a couple of weeks I’m back doing what I had done before. This time, it’s going to be quite different. Forgive me, please. The day of my accident, January 2, we were off to do some business with a company in Corbin. Hopefully, by helping them, they would help our work with CAP and the church. My last thought, as I was travelling in a caravan, was that I was so tired. I had been tired for so long that I was praying I could make it to January 7, when I could go on vacation. I had the speed control on because that makes travelling a little easier. I remember thinking that I ought to take the speed control off. The next thing I knew, there was a terrible crash, glass was all over and a mammoth coal truck was almost in my lap. I was not knocked un conscious; I was knocked awake. I remember repeating the names of Jesus and Mary, and telling God that I was sorry for my sins my faults and my failures. I wasn’t sure what kind of shape I was in, and I certainly wanted to make peace with M arch -A p ril 1990

God. After telling Him that I loved Him and I was sorry for my sins, I looked around to see what was go ing on in the poor van. My right knee felt like it had great claws grab bing it on each side, and I couldn’t move it at all. My other leg was free, one hand was bleeding a lot, the other, hurting a lot. I decided I couldn’t do anything about it; I might as well wait until somebody came. Then a policeman looked in the window and tried to reassure me. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you out of there in a few minutes.” Someone else came, and said not to worry, that all the smoke pouring around was only anti-freeze and steam. After a while, I motioned to the policeman to come over. They couldn’t get any doors open, and I had to tell him that my knee was get ting hot. The smoke that was com ing out of the dash was dark and it wasn’t anti-freeze or steam; it was a fire. He ran back to his cruiser, got out his fire extinguisher and sprayed it all around. Finally, he said that he didn’t have any more juice. The smoke was still coming, a crowd was gathering, and I could hear that they could see the fire underneath. Without a fire extinguisher, without any way of getting out, and know ing that I had filled both gas tanks in Martin only thirty-five miles down the road, I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen. I was going to burn up. I guess we all wonder in quiet moments, what we’ll do in a situation like this, and I am thankful that I was able to say to Him, with honesty, “if You want me to die this way, I accept it, and I of fer it up to You with love, for my sins, for the good of the people of Eastern Kentucky, for CAP, for the church. I ask You to bless each worker, and let my suffering take the place of anything I might have been able to do. Just as I resigned myself, a fire truck arrived. I saw them pull out the hose and spray water all over the van and inside the motor. Shortly, I

felt water on my leg and I knew that the danger was gone. Later I learned that they’d come from Feisty, a little community in Perry County where I had street preached several times. I thought how good it was that they should come when I needed it so very much. I’m disappointed each time they find more things wrong. When I got to Versailles from the hospital in Hazard, they found a broken jaw and a dislocated arm. Both set my recovery back. It’s hard not to want to get up and go, but I’m offering up all of these disappointments for your programs and for the dreams that you have of how to expand and improve. If I can’t do all the things I’d like, I’m counting on God to of fer up the disappointment and sacrifice. Who knows? Maybe I can be of better help this way. I don’t suffer terribly. Everything hurts, but others suffer far worse. I am grateful for the good care that I am getting here in Versailles. Well, you’ve got more to do than read my ramblings, but I want you to know that your cards, prayers, well wishes, calls and flowers are deeply appreciated and much treasured. Like a song several years ago “you have lighted up my life.” I shall continue to offer my suffering for you, hoping and praying to be back in Paintsville soon. In the meantime, have a good day, enjoy. Do as much good as you can and remember what I always told the volunteers (I’m sure it’s true for everybody) —a tired CAP person is a happy CAP person. Keep that say ing true, and surely we shall make a difference; they’ll know we’ve been around. God bless. Father Beiting wrote this letter to CAP workers as he recuperated from an automobile accident in early January. He is recovering well, and we ask that, as you remember the Appalachian people in your prayers, you offer a prayer o f thanksgiving fo r his recovery.

The C A P Closeup

Bill Hamm: A Family Man

by the CAP News Service photos by Margaret Gabriel

I f your experiences ranged from substitute teaching in New Mexico to factory work in Ohio to playing basketball for Adolph Rupp to working as a controller for an auto parts manufacturing company, what would you do with your retire ment years? Become a CAP volunteer, of course. Before learning of an opening for a controller with CAP in 1984, Bill Hamm worked for the auto parts division of International Telephone and Telegraph. When the company was taken over in a merger, Bill could see a move to Nashville, Tennesse, so opted to look for other employment in Lexington, where he has been living for twenty years. “I considered going into my own business,” Bill said, “a tax and accounting service. I had cards printed, accounts lined up through my church and was ready to pick up some equipment.” A combination of a reluctance to jeopardize family security and a desire to join in CAP’s mis sion helped in his decision to postpone his business. “I came and listened to CAP’S story and found that it was right in line with my interest. I’m a deacon at the Trinity Baptist Church, and decid ed I wanted to work for an organization that represents some of the things that I believe in.” Originally from Hamilton, Ohio, Bill’s training in accounting came through on-the-job training, rather than the classroom. “When I graduated (with a five year teaching certificate) I went to work for Central Valley in Artesia, New Mexico, 14

as part of the National Industrial Basketball League, the forerunner of the National Basketball Association. Most of the college players were taken on by big companies, and trained to be ex ecutives for them by playing basketball, and work ing in marketing. They’d travel around the coun try and represent the company playing basketball. You had your own position with the company and that’s where I started working in accounting.” Bill played and traveled with the league for three years, then moved east from New Mexico, first to his home, Ohio, and later to Kentucky, where he had attended the University of Ken tucky and played basketball for Adolph Rupp before enlisting during World War II. “My sophomore year I was on the traveling squad, about the seventh or eighth man. Then in 1943 all the men who were available were called for the draft, so I enlisted. Most of the boys enlisted, and then finished the semester.” After three years in Germany, Bill returned to Lexington, having been invited by Adolph Rupp to try out for the basketball team again. “The boys that were already on board were Alex Groza, Wah Wah Jones and Ralph Beard, Kenny Rollins and Cliff Barker.” In the annals of Ken tucky basketball history, this team is referred to as the ‘’Fabulous Five,” and won national champion ships in 1948 and 1949. “I went and saw what I would be competing The Mountain Spirit

against —already one guy who’d made AllAmerican had been beaten out by Alex Groza —and decided not to re-enroll.” Bill return ed to Ohio, worked in a factory, and was planning to attend Miami of Ohio or Ohio University. “I felt pretty good about my possibilities of getting a scholarship, but a very good friend of mine was in an Army training program at New Mexico State. He wrote and told me that they needed basketball players, so I wrote to the coach who told me to come down and try out. They knew I’d played with Kentucky before the war and they grabbed on that.” So Bill packed up and moved to New Mexico, which lead him to the NIBL and accounting, which years later, led him to CAP. Bill is only a few years away from retirement, and, as is the case with many people, is looking forward to the event with mixed emotions. “Retirement, with the opportunity o f continuing on and doing something, OK. I don’t want to retire and not do anything. “Maybe I’ll run a half day business, but I’ve also considered coming back to CAP as a volunteer, in Christmas baskets or child development or emergency assistance. This is something I’ve give a lot o f thought to, once I retire. I’m looking for ward to doing some of the things that I’ve been wanting to do, and I really feel strongly that I would do some volunteer work.” If Bill Hamm never spends one day as a CAP volunteer, you may be sure that he will spend his time in service to others. Since being ordained a

deacon for the Trinity Baptist Church in Lex ington in 1976, Bill has used his many talents in service to his church community. The church has one of the fastest growing congregations in Lex ington, with about 2,000 members. “Once you’re ordained, you’re always a deacon, unless you resign. You’re on the active board for three years, go off for one year as inactive, then, you’re voted back on by a ballot. During that same balloting time, you can add people that have never been deacons before. “Right now, I’m an usher in the church, I work on the nominating committee, and I’m on the per sonnel committee.” It seems to be the nursing home committee that is closest to Bill’s heart. “We maintain three nursing homes, and every week a deacon and a choir member conduct services there. The choir member takes care o f the the musical portion of the service, then the deacon gives a talk pertaining to something in the Bible. ” Bill teaches seventh grade Sunday School and is responsible for the youth group with which his children are involved. Bill says that he is “very much a family man,” as evidenced by his involvement with the youth group at Trinity Baptist, and his activities coaching in his son, Billy’s, junior-pro basketball league. Bill is looking to some big changes in his life, when his children go away to school and he retires. We’ll be anxious to see which of his many giving activities he chooses to pursue on a full-time basis.

C A P h old s ch ap el serv ices, led b y a d ifferen t p erson each d a y . O n th is d a y , B ill sp oke about stew a rd sh ip . M a rc h -A p ril 1990

“ T h e r e ’s N o th in g T o D o !”

by J u lie LeB run Photos by M argaret G abriel

I n a small town, where recreational oppor tunities are limited, one may hear the cry “there is nothing for us to do” from many o f the area teenagers. The Garrard Teen Center, in Lancaster, opened its doors September 16, 1987, to provide a wholesome solution to this common complaint. The center, open 5 days a week, from 3 to 8 p.m. on school days and 3 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, is more than a place to hang out. It is a program that involves teens who may otherwise not have such opportunities, in educational, spiritual, recreational, and social activities. Teens enjoy a variety of guest speakers, field trips and have the opportunity to interact with a caring staff.

Upon entering the teen center, one may hear music playing and enjoy observing a challenging pool tournament. Both blacks and whites take ad vantage o f this refuge. Coming from low-income and some middle-income households, many o f the teens come from households headed by single parents. Teens have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of games like pool, ping pong and rocket hockey, an arts and crafts center, and a living room equipped with stereo, TV and VCR. The se cond floor is reserved for offices and special teen group meetings such as Teen Council, Bible Study and Girls Time Out. The Mountain Spirit

During the past two years, the program has served an average o f thirty teens a day in a variety of ways. The staff, consisting o f a program manager and two full-time volunteers strives to meet the diverse needs of teenagers. They en counter situations where teens are addicted to drugs, they have been called when teens were con templating suicide and, on various occasions, have been asked to give advice regarding sex and rela tionships. Many teens taking advantage of this program are fragile, yet unbreakable. Like teenagers all over the United States, they are energetic, tempermental, confused, sensitive, and experimenting with their growing independence. There are teens who use drugs, have dropped out o f school and who are sexually active. Others have alcoholic parents, have been abused or neglected, and are confused about their sexuality. The pro blems are difficult for anyone to tackle, but by referring teens to counseling, providing educa tional programs, and by simply being there to listen, the staff is able to provide a glimmer of hope and encouragement to an otherwise bleak future. Many teens, however, look forward to graduating from high school and on to fulfill am bitions and dreams. Deborah, for example, would love to become a hair stylist. She is seventeen years old and is presently in tenth grade. Her mother is a factory worker and her father is disabled.

Deborah believes the main problem for today’s teen is drugs and what she likes most about the teen center is that it helps teens “to cope with their problems.” Without the teen center, “I’d be home watching TV.” The center involves the teens in planning activities and for the past two years Deborah has been Teen Council President. Many o f her ideas, like having a yard sale to raise field trip money, and having a youth day once a month, have been successful and are now regular teen center events. An avid basketball player, Tony would like to become an electronics specialist and eventually settle down and get married. He lives with his mother who is the head cook at the local elemen tary school. He says that without the center he would probably be “getting into trouble and stay ing on the streets more.” His favorite field trip was to the Smokey Mountains because he enjoyed the two-mile hike in the mountains. Angela’s ambition is to become a nurse, after graduating from high school. She is nineteen years old and a senior in high school. Her adoptive mother died when she was nine years old and she left an abusive home to live with her present loving family three years ago. The teen center has helped her “get a better outlook on what I want to do with my life.” Without the teen center “I’d probably go out to the projects or probably be in a lot o f trou-

Far left; T h eresa T o ler , m anager o f the Garrard T een C en ter, h elp s w ith a tro u b leso m e jig sa w p u zzle. L eft, P h illip W h itak er in te n tly stu d ies a p o o l sh ot. M arc h -A p ril 1990

ble.” Her favorite field trip was a spring break trip to Washington, DC, last year because “it felt great to earn it . . . after we got there we could say we helped get ourselves there.” Angela is social ser vice chairperson on the teen council and has helped organize a Thanksgiving service, a visit to the senior citizens center, a trash-a-thon and much more. Damon’s ambition is to become a carpenter and hopes to receive training while in high school. He is 14 years old and in the eighth grade. He lives with his mother who is presently unemployed and likes the teen center because, “it is a place to go to keep me out of trouble.” He would like to see more teens take pride in the teen center and “quit stealing stuff.” Sandy lives with her grandparents, three sisters and two brothers. She is seventeen years old and looks forward to graduating this year. She believes the major problem for today’s teen is that there “is nothing for them to do so they get in trouble.” For the past two years, Sandy has been the teen coun cil vice-president. Her good humor, willingness to work hard and her leadership abilities will definitely be assets as she heads o ff to college.

T h e Garrard T e en C en ter p ro v id es recrea tio n , and w ork s to im p ro v e te e n s’ self-esteem .

Michael is sixteen years old and a freshman in high school. His father is employed by IBM and his mother works for the Christian Appalachian Project. Michael likes being “able to meet friends” at the center and says that without the teen center, he would probably “just hang out in the projects.”

T h e teen s raised m o n ey for th eir sp rin g b reak trip to W a sh in g to n , D C , b y co n d u ctin g yard sales, car w ash es and b ak e sales. P art o f th e tim e d u rin g th e trip w as sp en t w o rk in g at soup k itc h e n .

The Mountain Spirit

His favorite field trip was to Mammoth Cave State Park because “we got to camp out.” Michael would like to see CAP volunteers stay longer because “just when you get to know them their time is up.” Erika plans to go to Berea College next fall. Her ambition is to become a lawyer. She lives with her mother and two brothers and only wishes she could be more involved at the center. Even though Erika works part-time at a fast food chicken restaurant, and is very involved with school ac tivities, she visits the center at least once a week. The main problem she sees for today’s teen is “peer pressure and the need to belong.” Managing a teen center can be fun, challenging, emotional and depressing. It is difficult not to become too involved in the teens lives because the potential for individual growth is so great. “It can become a balancing act,” says Theresa Toler, the center’s program manager, “to leave worries at the office.” Theresa has worked with teens for five years in various capacities and became manager in June o f 1989. She believes that teens are misunderstood and that each teen is “special in his or her own way.” Although many teens are ex periencing an “identity crisis” she knows that the individuality o f each teen is unique. Structure is an important key to the success of the program so planning and scheduling is essen tial. Theresa is devoting the month o f April, for example, to college preparation. She plans to take teens to four universities, do career guidance and counseling and help teens set goals for their future. Theresa sees dropout prevention as one o f the major successes of the teen center. Theresa was in strumental in influencing three teens to remain in M arc h -A p ril 1990

school by counseling, tutoring and visiting their homes. “There’s not much anyone can do without a high school diploma,” Theresa says, “the unemployment rate is already high enough.” She looks forward to increased community in volvement. Already, parents come once a month to a “rap session,” that is, to socialize, to learn, and to complain. Sessions on communication, discipline, and drug and alcohol awareness have proven to be successful. Eventually, Theresa would like to expand to ensure county-wide in volvement. “Most of our youth come from the town,” says Theresa, “we know there are a lot of teens living out in the rural parts who would benefit from this program but have no way of get ting here.” Theresa looks forward to hiring a permanent staff person to share responsibilities and planning, “I want to do so much and there’s so much to do.” Volunteers from all over the country contribute their time, anywhere from 3 months to a year, through the CAP volunteer program. They bring new ideas, perspectives and a variety o f talents, but eventually have to move on. The center was fortunate to recruit local volunteers as well. Dur ing the past year, the Fellowship o f Christian Athletes have donated time on a regular basis. “We couldn’t make it without the volunteers,” Theresa says, “they definitely make a difference.” Theresa’s job is not an easy one. The needs are great and diverse and often there is little reward. “If I can make the difference in one person’s life,” Theresa says, “then it will be worthwhile.” There IS something for teens to do in Garrard County, Kentucky. It is not just a place to hangout, no, it is much, much more. It is the Gar rard Teen Center, a place to learn, a place to grow. 19

be and to build in ways that eliminate the need for corrective surgery or rebuilding later.”

Not Rebuilders —Builders b y M argaret G abriel

“ AT was thinking about your theme of rebuilding, trying to decide if I saw us as rebuilder or as builder,” considered Jane Bell McKune, a social worker at the Garrard County Community Mental Health Center, in Lancaster. The center is aligned with centers in six other counties in the region. A non-profit corporation, their guidelines are established by the Bluegrass Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. The center was established in 1967. In the last two or three years, the focus o f the center shifted to children and families. “We try to do more building than rebuilding,” Jane said. Traditionally, mental health has spent a lot o f its life rebuilding; taking adults, couples, people who are in pain or dysfunctional and seeking to analyze that dysfunction or that pain and help them make the changes necessary to move on.” Jane went on to explain that, in addition to treating currently dysfunctional people and families, they are also concentrating on acticipating situations that could serve as stumbling blocks to people in the future. “For example, we have a day treatment program for the chronically mentally ill. By definition, those people’s children are at risk for significantly more problems in life than someone who grows up in a functioning, normal home. By definition, children o f alcoholics are at risk, children of drug abusers. We’re trying to use more o f a public health model, to anticipate where problems might 20

The staff told The Mountain Spirit how they work together to lend expertise to a wide variety of people, “helping people to get at what they want out of life, and figure out where they’re going with their life,” according to Mel Bonner who serves as the team leader in Garrard County. They provide all types o f counseling —individual, group, mar riage, family —and drug and alcohol, which makes up about 25 % of Mel’s case load. The center has a mix o f “walk-in” clientele, and referrals from schools, doctors, the public health department, courts, and other agencies in the county, including CAP. “I think most of our referrals come from satisfied clients,” Mel said. “They’ll say to a friend, ‘have you got a problem?’ I know where you can get help. You need to go see Jane McKune or Grazia Levin.” Maria Grazia Levin is the staff psychologist. “We have a good working relationship with Brenda at the Sunshine Center,” Jane said. “I think that’s one o f our best connections in terms of providing long term services: identifying children early who may be at risk, in families that are dysfunctional. It’s a wonderful resource.” When Brenda calls the mental health center with a referral, “she generally tries to get the mother and the child in here,” Jane said. “I think that’s a compliment on her good working relationship with her families. Philosophically, I feel that rare ly is the child the problem. The child reflects a problem within a family system. You might have to work with a child, but often, you need to be working as family. The next hurdle is to engage the family, or whatever part o f the family you can get, to see and help to identify the problem. Mel, Jane and Grazia have experience working in urban, as well as rural area, and speak of the differences in the settings. “Here you’re also dealing with physical isolation and the separation of the hills and hollows in distances, and even in schools. Often in cities, somebody besides family is seeing kids on a daily basis, to pick up if they’re being severely physical ly abused. There are other kinds of monitors, after school programs and so on. Here you get the add ed component o f isolation, and it makes the kinds of things that go on more dramatic. “And you see a lot o f cultural issues, concerning your own safety,” Grazia said. “Very often, it’s just normal to go with a gun.” Lately, mental health professionals have been starting to become more aware o f the role that violence plays in socie ty, as it pertains to the people they work with and particuarly as it pertains to parenting. The Mountain Spirit

“And when I say that, I’m including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or violence and the responses that they set up in children, so that they become severely emotionally disturbed persons,” Mel said. “We’ve known for years that 75-80% of the people who come through the front door, that eventually, after they’ve been here for a while, will get around to talking about how they were physically or sexually or emotionally abused. This directly relates to what’s going on with them now as adults. You find problems start with violence that happened years before. We’re beginning to stress the need to work with children, rather than pick it up later.” While the Garrard Community Healthy Center works with people who have a variety o f pro blems, the staff considers its work with families as the core o f its effectiveness. “I tell people all the time in therapy, the two hardest jobs we ever do in life is to be a good spouse and to be a good parent —the two hardest jobs —and there is no mechanism to address how we get there. Do we think it’s going to be instinctive? No, it’s hard. It’s really hard. When you start parenting yourself, you realize that you do many things subconscious ly. ” The center remains in close contact with other agencies in the county, espcially if they’re working with the same child. Kathleen Leavell works with Parents-AreTeachers, CAP’s homebound program for hand icapped pre-schoolers, and is part of the inter agency network. “I think Garrard County is really blessed. We have a tremendous health department and very concerned educational system in terms of

special needs for pre-schoolers. These programs are wonderful, but community mental health is networking all of us together, making sure that everybody knows what everybody is doing.” And the center has learned that through that networking, the services offered in Garrard Coun ty are equal to those in many larger cities. “I was involved in a training workshop, once, that dealt with working with kids who were in danger o f be ing removed from their homes. We were given a casestudy —here’s the child, here’s the problem, now, as a team, go back and identify the resources in your county for taking care of this. The team from Louisville went to their corner, and they were doing their thing, and we went to our corner, and sat down and said, ‘we have no resources,’ Then we said, ‘well, we’ll call Father So-and-so over at the church, ’cause he’ll know how to get such and such, then we’ll call the hospital and they’ll be able to tell us which o f the physicians won’t care if they can’t pay.’ When we got done, we had 12 or 15 directions in which we could in tervene, but they were all individuals or smaller systems. The Louisville group had four big organizations. What was interesting was how you learn, in a rural community, that you have to hit the individual, that your connections become per sonal, and that you can get a lot done because we have the flexibility to define our job and to use one another as resources. It was a good ex perience, for my team they came away saying, ‘we really do know how to get things done.’” And that is one of the many things that residents and clients say about the Garrard Coun ty Community Mental Health Center. They really do know how to get things done.

T h e staff o f the the Garrard C o u n ty C o m m u n ity M en ta l H e a lth C en ter h o ld s a sta ff m eetin g . M arc h -A p ril 1990

Project: T u rn in g P o in t b y J a n A llen M c K e n z ie

J o h n n y leans over the edge o f the bed, reaches out his fingers, and turns the stereo’s volume knob with a hard twist up, louder. Dad is still yelling at Mom; she cries. Mom’s been drinking again. How will he tell them he failed two classes this semester? Why didn’t Jill, his steady girl, keep their date last night? There’s a beer party at Bill’s tonight; maybe he’ll go get drunk again. He can talk to Bill. * * Nancy slips the ugly, flat-heeled shoe o ff her foot and plops her plastic shopping bag, full of new baby clothes, down on the bench. What’s tak ing Mom so long? Out o f the corner o f her eye she sees the pink prom dress behind the glass o f the formal wear shop and pretends not to care. Who’d want to dance around this fat stomach? Bobby’s going with Jenny anyway, the jerk. He said his parents wouldn’t let him see her anymore; you know how it is, he said. Yea, I know how it is. *

Turning points. We all have them, especially when we’re young, and that is the reason for CAP’S new program, Project Turning Point: to be with the young people and their parents, helping 22

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them make the right turn. The Johnnys and Nancys o f Appalachia need to know about the better choices they can make, they need to know about a better future than the one outside their door, about better jobs than the hamburger joint on the corner or the feedmill or the sewing factory on the hill. And they need to know they can live with some o f the bad choices they’ve already made: how to get back in school, how to stop drinking, how to love without making more babies, and more basic yet, how to live with themselves, even when no one else will. What does Jane Grise, Project Turning Point’s coordinator consider success in working for these people? “I know I can’t wipe out drugs, delinquen cy and teenage pregnancy in Appalachia,” says Jane, “but if I can build a trusting relationship with these people, if I can give them some prin ciples they’ll take with them and use in the future, then I’ll feel like I’ve made a difference in their lives.” Listening to Jane enthusiastically tell you about the hopes she has for young people, listening to the emphatic tones of her voice, you can’t help sharing her burden for helping these teenagers to find some success in their lives. “They live for the moment, from one to the next, forgetting in a few minutes, what they just thought was a crisis, and going on to another,” she says. “Teenagers want three things: they want to be independent, they M a rc h -A p ril 1990

want to be responsible, and they want in be in dependent, but they don’t know how and end up making the wrong choices. The lack of good role models, poor support from parents and teachers, and low self-esteem (not liking themselves) add to the problems.” Jane is a helper, but one who has learned not to “rescue” people; instead, she follows the CAP Mission Statement —“Our work is in many fields (social, economic, spiritual) and seeks to affect the root causes of problems as well as the 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.” As the project manager for the Mutual Care Home, CAP’S home for pregnant teenagers, Jane learned by practical experience the impor tance of giving teenagers the skills to live indepen dent, responsible, and productive lives. And her bachelors degree in nursing gives her a broad academic resource for this work. Yet, allowing for Jane Grise’s knowledge and experience, allowing for the expertise of the counselors at Family Life Services, o f which Pro ject Turning Point is a part, the problems are daunting and give cause for much prayer and sup plications to God for the wisdom and strength to work this field. “Without me ye can do nothing”, said Jesus, and at no time is this more true than in 23

Have you ever tried to enroll a pregnant girl or teenage mother in high school and been put off by, “We’re very busy today. Could you come back tomorrow?” So you go back tomorrow. They’re still real busy. “How about coming back later,” or “Have you thought of working on your GED at home?” Pregnant children (that is what they are —a child with a child) are an insurance risk for the school. What if they’re hurt on school proper ty? Who will be liable? Won’t they miss a lot of days for doctor appointments or sickness? Now the boy, what does he see? Remember, it isn’t always what is real, but what they see that they make their choices on. He sees a chance for the Army or Marines, but not much chance to stay in school and get the degree he needs to be ac cepted. “If you went into the homes in this area,” says Jane, “you’d find that almost every boy has talked to a recruiter, yet they can’t seem to reason from cause to effect, they don’t connect finishing high school with the goal of getting in the Army.” If these boys think of staying around home to work, they see that they’ll have to “know somebody” to get good jobs. The other jobs they can get without that degree. This is what they see because these are their role models. They don’t have the resources to fill the gaps between their imaginations and the reality of their world. If get ting an education hasn’t been a goal taught at home, then they can’t seem to make the connec tion; they don’t know the importance of learning.

the work of sharing and giving for the sake of another human being, when the wrong work, the wrong act, can have eternal consequences. In the home, the young Johnnys and Nancys see and hear the living statistics of a nation’s 50% divorce rate, a divorce rate driven higher in Ap palachia by poverty, illiteracy, alcoholism, and mismanaged resources. The parents, themselves often high school drop-outs, can seldom find jobs paying above minimum wage, especially the women. And when work is available, it is often seasonal farm labor. Short money equals short tempers in anybody’s home. Is it any wonder many of the boys Jane sees turn to the “easy,” lucrative, though short-lived, career of selling drugs or bootlegging alcohol? Should you be sur prised if a young girl grasps for hope in the arms o f a young boyfriend, hoping he and the baby he’s given her will provide the love and attention she needs? 24

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Jane is meeting these challenges with a program called just that —Challenges. Challenges is a large paperback workbook designed to teach young people self-awareness and personal planning. If you could look through the table o f contents you’d find such headings as Decision Making, Family Planning, Values and Goal Setting. There are twelve in all, presented in a journal format, with a place for recording, planning, and setting life goals. Using this material, Jane teaches a group of teenagers at the Rockcastle County High School. She also makes regular visits to CAP’S teen centers, often as the one they can talk to, someone who will take the time to listen, someone who will listen without judging or condemning an angry outburst or tears. In time, as they come to trust her, they also listen to what she has to say. Trust awakens trust, love awakens love.

Project Turning Point was also created to help the parents of troubled teenagers. “We want the program to have a holistic approach,” says Jane. “That means working with the family as a whole unit, not just with one individual.” In January of 1990, Jane started classes with parents, which run concurrently, on Friday nights and Saturday mor nings. This will be a nine week course, taking six couples through a book that outlines twelve goals teenagers have in misbehavior. They will study their own emotional needs and how they effect the emotional responses they give to their teenagers; M arc h -A p ril 1990

they’ll study new ways to discipline, building self esteem, (theirs and their teens), and the personali ty development o f teens. While these programs are secular, Jane believes they are consistent with the spiritual principles she believes in and during the interviews and meetings she conducts, she has op portunity to share her personal faith in God’s power and love. There are cases beyond Jane’s experience and these she refers to the Family Life Counseling Ser vice. Drug and sexual abuse, depression, suicidal tendencies: all need the special time and attention of a professional counselor. Currently, Ron Lawrence, a counselor with the CAP’S Family Life Counseling Service takes Jane’s referrals. If you limit your reading to the promotional and recreational literature a state distributes advertising itself, if you only hear the statistics and records designed to bring more industry, development, and tourism, and therefore, the much needed money and jobs, you might find this picture o f teens in crisis unrealistic or overblown. But, time spent driving the backroads in any part of Appalachia, walking the streets of its small, country towns, visiting the lesser known public schools or sitting for a few hours in the Social Ser vice offices, will speak louder to this need than any second-hand report. A story is told o f a small boy standing on the shore of a lonely beach. A man approaches and asks the boy, “Son, why are you throwing those starfish back in the water? There are thousands of them; it doesn’t matter.” The little boy bends over, taking another starfish in his small hand and drawing back his arm, says, “It does to this one, sir.” In the early spring of 1974, an elderly Christian couple took into their home a nineteen year old drug addict. He had quit the harder drugs, the LSD, the cocaine, and the speed, but he still drank himself to sleep each night and smoked all the pot he could manage. By then, that was quite a bit. For the next nine months he lived with them; they found him a job at a local lumber company. He made eighty dollars a week, spending all o f that on beer, in the bar across the street. But these old people endured with never a complaint or censure. After several months, the young man took to reading some o f the Christian books around the small apartment, but only late at night when no one could see. He began to slowly change. He wanted what this old couple had; he wanted to love and be loved like that. The young addict did change. Years later, now in his thirties, he has written this article in the hope you will believe in Project Turning Point. He knows something of the effort, the time, and the cost of reclaiming a troubled youth. He believes it is worth it. 26

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We need your help! Many groups contact the Christian Ap palachian Pro ject, asking how they can help further our work here among the people of Eastern Ken tucky. Some groups are able to come to Ken tucky, and work as volunteers; others do volunteer work in their own home. A fine example of groups len ding assistance at home was demonstrated by Tom Schaper’s church in St. Louis (see “Tom, the Walls Are Kindly Closing In,” this issue). When they learned that a series of burn-outs had depleted CAP’S furniture closet, they had a drive to gather furniture, ap pliances and other household goods. They also raised enough money to rent a moving van, and pay the expenses for a volunteer to move the items to CAP’S warehouse.

Once again, the winter months have seen a rash of burn-outs, and an empty warehouse. If you are a member of a group, or know of a group that would like to help replenish our furniture closet, we would be delighted to hear from you. If you would like to help, please write: Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, Kentucky 40446 Attn: Emergency Assistance

C H R IS T IA N A P P A L A C H IA N P R O J E C T

322 CRAB ORCHARD ROAD LANCASTER, KY 40446 The Mountain Spirit

Address Correction Requested

N O N -P R O F IT O R G A N IZ A T IO N U .S . P O S T A G E P A ID Christian Appalachian Project