September-October 1990
The Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project
The mountain Spirit
The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project Vol. IX, No. 5
September-October 1990
Contents Features 4
The CAP Family by Margaret Gabriel
Some members of the CAP family have made outstanding contributions to the well-being of the people in the mountains.
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“You Should Send Your Kids To Camp Andrew Jackson” by Rick Manz
A ju n io r counselor kept a diary o f life at C am p AJ, giving b o th the cam pers’ and the counselors’ perspectives.
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CAP Programs: Place by Place A map shows the location of the Appala chian region in Kentucky, the counties of CAP’S service area and which programs serve those counties.
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Operation: Sharing by Keith Gilbertson
CAP’s in-kind donation distribu tion program allows the project to reach far beyond the limits of its twelve county service area, and gives companies the opportunity to touch thousands of Appalachian residents.
Departments 3
From Our President
9
Around the Project
13
Letters
14
The CAP Closeup
The September-October Theme Workers often hear “I had no idea how big CAP is,” from family, friends, and CAP supporters. Despite its many programs and workers, CAP still believes in the one-to-one approach when it comes to dealing with problems in the Appalachian area, sometimes making the organization seem much smaller. Indeed, some stories that we’ve selected to highlight “CAP’s expanse” are still very individualized, despite the volume of work done by Operation Sharing, and the great geographic distance that separates Appalachia and the CAP donors you’ll meet on page four. The stories do illustrate just how big the CAP family is growing, though, and tell some of how it hopes to con tinue growing. On the COVER, a group from Griffin, Georgia, con structs a new home for a Floyd County family (photo courtesy of Hal Hill). On the BACK COVER the dock at “Lake Andrew Jackson” (photo by Elizabeth Reed Miller).
Published by the Christian Appalachian Project. Editor: Margaret Gabriel. Advisory Board: Father Ralph W. Beiting, Mike McLaughlin, Rose Price, Bill Begley, June Widman, Kathleen Ford Leavell, Patricia Miracle Padgett. Graphics Coordinator: Elizabeth Reed Miller. Circulation: Linda Curtis Grider. The Mountain Spirit is published six times a year. The annual subscription price is $5.00. Subscriptions and other correspondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446. Copyright, 1990, The Christian Appalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Member, Catholic Press Association. The Christian Appalachian Project is a non-profit Christian service organization operating throughout Eastern Kentucky. The project operates on the philosophy that “helping people help themselves” is the best approach to Appalachian poverty.
From Our President GABRIEL
Fifteen years ago, when I began working alongside Father Beiting, CAP was a fledgling organization operating in four counties along the western edge of Appalachia. Those four counties—Madison, Jackson, Rockcastle and Garrard—are fairly large, and left the impression that CAP was a fairly large and far-flung network of programs, people and activities. Comparing then to now gives one pause for a certain amount of marveling. Today we are active in twelve counties, with 200 miles from the edge of one to the edge of another—and it seems even more than that in Appalachia, where the roads aren’t straight, following around the mountains, through the passes. Today we number 300 full-time employees and run 65 programs. W e’ve not yet decided that it’s time to quit growing. The needs are still there, and there are too many places we have not yet begun to touch. But just considering the activities of CAP in these twelve counties in Eastern Kentucky does not do justice to the total scope of CAP’s influence and presence. Through grant programs, CAP funds programs and or ganizations in other counties; as many as sixty or seventy programs in over twenty counties year after year after year. All are separate and distinct from the programs that CAP operates on a daily basis. A similar situation exists with our scholarship program. By awarding money for college expenses to seniors who have been active in community services, CAP is en couraging higher education, knowing that to begin pro gramming in that area would be impossible. Through Operation Sharing, we are present in other states, and if we have not touched all thirteen Appala chian states up to now, it seems a foregone conclusion that we will in the twelve months ahead. It also seems likely that other adjacent states may be touched, par ticularly where programs and needs cut across state boundaries, or where we can help non-profit organiza tions doing good service. Time will tell, but this seems to be the consensus of current thinking. Now all of this scope and size may give us a false sense of pride and complacency. Size alone does not mean success; success comes haltingly, slowly, in the day-to-day activities of each of our programs. For CAP, success comes in the same manner as the television commercial says: “We earn it,” because we know that success is measured more in sweat and dedicated per severance than in size. I feel sometimes we need to warn ourselves against trying to be too big. We cannot be all things to all people or have a bag of tricks and solutions for all occasions and occurrences. We are simply one organization which
Mike McLaughlin.
has been blessed by the devoted and inspired leadership of Father Ralph Beiting, and we need to limit the farranging scope of our vision to one that is possible and do-able. We may want to hitch our wagon to the stars, but we need to stay on the road to get there. We must be grounded in reality if we are to succeed. We do not need to solve all of Appalachia’s problems or those of each person, from cradle to grave. We must do what we can . . . then try to do a little more . . . and be content with that. Some limitations on our scope of activities allow for some specialization, and in this increasingly com plex society and world, such specialization is essential if we are to be effective in whatever we try to do. As members of the CAP family, you too have a vital role to play in our work. First, we need your prayers. If each reader of The Mountain Spirit prayed for the Ap palachian people one minute a day, can you imagine the impact it could have? Next, you can help to spread the word about CAP’s work. If you would like to share this magazine with a friend, please do. Then drop us a note, and we’ll be happy to send you a replacement copy. This issue introduces you to some of the scope of CAP’s activities. I could not have predicted it fifteen years ago, and I wonder if my guesses today about our future would be any better. I suspect not. Do I have any fears or anxieties about our future? Sure I do, plenty of them. But I have faith that if we remain true to our vision, to the values and messages of Christ, as witnessed through Father Beiting’s forty years of example, that fears and anxieties will be handled as they come, each in an appropriate way, and rendered of little import beside the realization of the eternal verities of God’s universe and creation.
September-October 1990 3
The CAP Family by Margaret Gabriel photos courtesy of Hal Hill A group of people from Griffin, Georgia, spent a Saturday building a home for a family in Muddy Gut, in Floyd County.
T h e juxtaposition of large and small is one thing that has made CAP unique among those working in Eastern Kentucky. In its 25 year history, CAP has grown into an organization of education, economic development and crisis intervention programs that require a large budget for operation and employs over 300 people in twelve counties. However, CAP’s essence is unchanged from the time it started work in four counties, with more vol unteers than employees: captured when people are helping people, one-to-one. CAP workers have learned that no matter how much they might perceive a need for a service, if there is no demand, then essentially, there is no need. It was not a complex organizational chart, multi-million dollar budget or sophisticated accounting procedures that created the demand for CAP’s services. It was the need of a child to learn to read, an elderly woman to hear the Scripture, a handicapped person to learn a trade. It is the response to those needs that provides CAP’s motiva tion, and family-like cooperation that enables needs to be met. There are separate but each very integral parts to the CAP family, as it is known, starting with the Appala chian people. New CAP programs begin in response to requests from people living in the areas in which CAP works, and often, people who request the programs are involved in the planning, as well as the implementation. 4
Working with them are two other integral parts of the CAP family—volunteers and employees. CAP was founded on volunteer labor, starting with Father Ralph Beiting, who was assigned to pastor four Catholic churches in Eastern Kentucky in 1950 by Bishop William Mulloy, of the Catholic diocese of Covington, Kentucky. Father Beiting arrived in Berea in October of the year, and at Christmas time, hosted friends and family members who volunteered to con struct a creche for the church in the small Eastern Kentucky town. Since that time, Father Beiting esti mates that 35,000 people have volunteered from a weekend up to ten years of their time in service to CAP, working with the people of Appalachia. CAP currently receives the services of about 35 permanent volunteers, who work in child development, elderly, adult educa tion and outreach programs. Closely related to volunteers are employees, some of whom started their involvement with CAP as volun teers. Others are people who have lived in the area all their lives and are making a contribution to the well being of their home through their work with the Chris tian Appalachian Project. That brings us to the last group of people involved in the CAP family—its donors. All of the other groups are important because of the work they do and the contriThe Mountain Spirit
butions they make, but donors enable CAP’Swork to be done. Of CAP’s donors, Father Beiting has said, “I think they are the opposite of St. Thomas. On Easter night, Jesus appeared to all of the apostles, except Thomas. They told Thomas what they had seen, but he wouldn’t believe. The next weekend, Jesus came to Thomas, and finally he believed. Jesus said, ‘Thomas, you believe because you have seen. Blessed are those who have never seen and yet believe.’ “I think CAP’s donors are like that. They haven’t seen all the things that go on here. They haven’t seen the sadness that we try to address, and they haven’t seen the success stories that come forth from what we’ve done. They haven’t seen the wonderful people who make up CAP, and yet they believe. And they give, and they pray and wish us well. I want them to know that I look upon them as that blessed people Jesus talked about, ‘those who have not seen and yet believe. ’ And in their belief, they have contributed by prayers, money, materials, and by their own selves. Without them, we’d be just as dead as w e’d be if we didn’t have any of the workers. They’re part of the family.” Recently CAP has received a combination of mate rials, prayers, and expertise from people who live far outside the Appalachian mountains, and were moti vated to contribute in response to a need they observed.
Their responses to other members of the CAP family al leviated needs, and enabled those they helped to re spond in a similar fashion. A gentleman who asked to remain anonymous learned about CAP from a television commercial, and later re ceived a letter that told him about a family that had lost its modest home and possessions to fire. “I’m not wealthy, but God has blessed me in many ways. Some organizations that you give to, 94-95% of what you give goes to administration, but it has always struck me that with CAP, the biggest part of what you give goes for why you gave it. “I started out thinking I’d give the family an entrance box [a piece of electrical equipment], but then I figured, what the heck, give them what they need to rebuild.” This gentleman, who lives in the Midwest, is in the electrical supply business. He not only gave the re sources the family needed to rebuild, but also donated his expertise to help them rebuild their home by making suggestions concerning the type of equipment they needed. He said that he didn’t have a need to meet the family he is helping at this point. “It’s enough to know that the money is going to the right place.”
"By the time we left, only half the group had met the other half, but now when we see each other, it's like seeing an old friend."
September-October 1990
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Several members of the CAP home repair crew came In lo work on Saturday, in order to help Hal and his crew. They were able to construct the frame in one day. Willie and Sandra will finish the interior with a little help from CAP.
“I really believe that it’s more blessed to give than receive. Many years ago I gave a bike to a girl. She was adopted, and her adoptive father had died. Her mother was having a hard time, and the little girl had never had a bike. I found one that I thought she would like—it was used, but we cleaned it up and took it to her. “Well, her eyes lit up—there’re no words to describe how that girl’s eyes lit up when she saw that bike. I hope you’ve had an experience like that. It’s a great feeling to help someone out.” Hal Hill, of Griffin, Georgia, not only had an exper ience like that, but he shared it with others when he or ganized a trip to Muddy Gut, the area in Floyd County that was highlighted by the CBS news program, “48 Hours,” in December of 1989. Although the television program was not connected with the Christian Appalachian Project, CAP was men tioned as an organization in the area which provides home repair services to families. “My wife and I were touched by many facets of the CBS story, not only the poverty,” Hal said. “We were also touched by the family situations. We knew that not all of Floyd County was like CBS’ portrayal of Muddy Gut—news people sometimes think they have to dwell on controversy and negatives because that’s what makes things interesting.” After watching the program, Hal was motivated to help a family by providing good housing, and set out to find out how to help. Remembering CAP’S name, he contacted the CBS affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia, who connected him with the CBS public relations office in New York. That office was able to provide CAP’s phone number in Floyd County. 6
“I’d been involved with building churches, and we’ve donated some materials to Habitat for Human ity,” Hal said, “but we wanted to give to a family that was living in a situation that they had a hard time getting out of because of their area.” Hal visited CAP, and was pleased to learn that the project he envisioned was within reach. “We saw the building that CAP had put up for a family, and decided that we could do the same thing. We wanted to spend time working directly, rather than letting someone else do it.” Hal said that he didn’t officially assemble the group of ten people which made the trip to Floyd County to construct the home for Willie and Sandra Johnson. He asked one of his colleagues for advice concerning pre construction of the house, and how much of the work could be done in Georgia before they made the trip to Kentucky. “He was telling me what to do, then said, ‘Heck, I’ll just go with you.’ He told somebody else, who thought it sounded like an interesting experience. By the time we left, only half the group had met the other half, but now when we see each other, it’s like seeing an old friend. “W e’d like to do a similar project next year, for another family in Kentucky, even though it’s been pointed out to us that if we looked, we easily could have found a similar situation in our own backyard. But, you know, we did what we did (we drove twenty hours to put in seventeen hours work) because we could concen trate 100% on work,” Hal said. “We worked dawn to dusk because we had to com plete our job before we could leave. Human nature is such that you can’t do that locally. You get interrupted by everyday life. If we had attempted a similar project The Mountain Spirit
locally, we wouldn’t have gotten as much done. “The main thing is that in many faiths, including mine (I’m Baptist), preachers spend a lot of time trying to make sure we understand what God has for all of us. This project showed me that God is in everybody, and that we wanted to help someone else because God loves each of us. We wanted to show God’s love through what we can give to one another.” The extra time and effort that these members of the CAP family have given underlines the fact that God reveals His love through the love people show each other. By sharing things that they love, people spread God’s love for all. Five years ago Madge Hightshue and her husband, James, spent a few days at General Butler State Park, in Carroll County, Kentucky, on the Ohio River. Looking at a map of the area, Madge noticed that Lancaster, the location of CAP headquarters, was not too far from the park. “I had started giving to CAP a few years earlier. I’m not sure how my name was added to the mailing list, but I read a story in ‘Parade’ magazine that said that when Father Beiting first started raising money, he went through telephone books and picked out all the German names.
“Anyway, when I realized how close we were, I said, ‘Lancaster’s not far away; I think I’ll go see if my small contributions are worth continuing.’” Madge recalls that after reaching Lancaster, they found their way to a building which housed the Attic, some warehouse space and, at that time, the Garrard Teen Center. “I met a young woman who managed the Teen Center and told me that the teens who came to the center were not allowed to have any dancing or music until after study time. I’m a retired librarian—I worked for a large system in Indianapolis, that collects discarded books, and puts them in what they call a morgue.” Madge decided to help out by providing the Garrard Teen Center with a library. “I got permission to get books from the morgue to bring to Kentucky. I was really lucky—I’ve even been able to get a World Book encyclopedia.” Madge said that the books from the morgue were still in good condition and had many good years of life left on the shelves of the teen center. On one of her trips to Lancaster, Madge said that she met CAP worker (and himself a former librarian) Keith Gilbertson, who told her about CAP’S child develop ment programs. “I ’m all in favor of early childhood education, and since then we’ve been bringing mostly
The home that was constructed for Willie and Sandra Johnson, of Floyd County, by Hal Hill and a group of people from Griffin, Georgia.
September-October 1990
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“Now I have to tell you that I wouldn’t be doing this if not for my husband.” James Hightshue, a retired commercial photogra pher, contributes much to his wife’s contribution of books and learning. “He drives the car and lugs boxes of books in and out of the car. I might take on the driving myself if he wasn’t willing, but I’m not sure.” June says that more than any other element of educa tion, books open the world of possibilities to the chil dren in the centers. “Some of the children in our schools live in very isolated areas, and it’s a big deal for them to even get out of their county. The books that Madge brings down gives them an opportunity to see the world. Then if they decide that they want to stay in this area, it’s because they’ve made an informed decision, not because they didn’t know of anyplace else to go.”
“All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17)
‘JPs,’ picture books for the little children. I ’ll probably start bringing more books for the teen centers now, but it’s been such a thrill for me to bring books to a place where they can be used.” Madge has also met June Widman, who coordinates CAP’s child development centers. “They’re both good readers,” Madge said, referring to Keith and June. “And they read to their kids. They go through the books I bring and said, ‘Oooh! my kids will have to see this one!’ It’s such a pleasure to share books with people who love books.
The books in both the child development centers and the teen centers have given opportunities to read for learning as well as pleasure. “I’ve wondered if these books are appreciated,” Madge said. “Then I see how glowing everyone is, and hear how much they use them, and I feel they really are appreciated.” The first chapter of the letter from James in the New Testament tells us that “all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” It is difficult to assess “good giving” and a “perfect gift,” but if a perfect gift is a combination of resources, time and love, it is evident that the gifts that have been given by these members of the CAP family do, in fact, “come down from the Father of lights.”
The crew completed their task, finishing the exterior of Willie and Sandra's home in Floyd County before they returned to their homes in Georgia.
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The Mountain Spirit
Around the Project
by the CAP News Service
FLC Recreation Center Holds Day Camp First through fourth graders in Rockcastle County had the opportu nity during the summer months to participate in a day camp at the Family Life Center, a project of the Family Life Recreation Center with academic activities conducted by the Family Life School. The camp held six one-week ses sions for thirty campers each week. Dessie Bullock, a resident assistant at Family Life Services, worked as camp manager. (Parenthetically, we might mention that Dessie was the heroine of CAP’s summer camp workers because she managed the day camp, with a baby due on Sep tember 8. “It’s been a little tough, but I’ve really enjoyed it,” Dessie said.) “Some of these kids might spend a week at Camp Andrew Jackson, but others are too young, or don’t want to spend a week away from home. Or sometimes parents don’t think the kids are ready to be away,“ Dessie said. The day camp also gives CAP the opportunity to extend camp experience to people when Camp Andrew Jackson is filled to capacity. Dessie and her staff of volunteers, workers from the Family Life Child Development center, Rockcastle County JTPA workers and junior counselors led the children in sports activities and arts and crafts at the Family Life Center. They got away from FLC when they went swim ming two days a week at the Kampground of America campsite near Mount Vernon, and traveled down the road to tour Renfro Valley. The Renfro Valley Folks, with deep roots in county music, have been valued FLC neighbors for over ten years. They welcomed campers to John Lair’s Museum, which dis
September-October 1990
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Family Life day campers enjoyed the display at John Lair’s Museum in Renfro Valley. Here they inspect a platinum record, donated from Elvis Presley's collection.
plays memorabilia from many coun try music stars, including Elvis Presley’s Lincoln Continental. From the museum, which opened in the spring of 1990, the campers went on to see the sites of the Bam Dance and radio shows that have put Ren fro Valley on the map. The children enjoyed the tour, and were dumb founded by an automated replica of Renfro Valley’s founder, John Lair, telling of the history of the valley’s contribution to country music. As the children were coming out of the museum, one eleven year old boy was heard saying to his friend, “That was a pretty gnarly place.” After lunch each day, the children took part in academic activities that were planned by the Family Life Center School, and designed to give children a boost during the regular school year. The FLC School staff workers conducted classes in clay modeling, and held story time for the children. The activities were differ ent every day, and all of them have an underlying lesson, which they discussed. “You wouldn’t think kids would be interested at all in anything that has anything to do with school during the summer, but they really liked it,” Dessie said.
CAP Awards Service Scholarships CAP awarded a record number of Community Service Scholarships to high school seniors in 1990. The awards totaled $31,000, distributed in $1,000, $500 and $375 increments to 54 graduates in 29 counties. Four counties were added to the program this year. Scholarships are now offered in 59 percent of the counties in Appalachian Kentucky. All of the recipients will attend a college, a university, or vocational school. They were chosen by local committees, with selections based on service activities that the students performed for their communities. Fi nancial need and academic achieve ment were secondary considerations. The scholarships are for one year, and are sent in the recipients’ names to the schools of their choices. CAP started the Community Ser vice Scholarship program to reward young people for contributing their time and talent to service activities in their communities and to help them get started in college or vocational school. 9
around the project. . . continued
Christmas Ridge Attends Trade Shows Workers with Christmas Ridge Handcrafts, CAP’S craft marketing division, spent several weeks during the summer traveling to trade shows, where they displayed wares to whole sale buyers. Pat Padgett, Christmas Ridge sales adminstrator, said that the most in teresting aspect of the shows was meeting people who have known CAP or Father Beiting through the years. “People who have given to CAP, volunteered, or known people who volunteered stop to say hello or ask about Father Beiting,” Pat said. She told of one couple who were interested in becoming volunteers after retirement. “She was an eco nomics teacher who opened a shop which she uses as a teaching aid for her students. She and her husband wanted information about CAP’s vol unteer program, so I told her what I could. We exchanged information, and I gave their address to Kathy Kluesener. She said she’d be in touch with them about the program. They were very special people.” Although all of the display mate rial for Christmas Ridge says, “a di vision of CAP,” there is little infor mation about the project’s work in the sales material. For the first time this year, the women who staffed the booth at the various shows, Pat, Deb bie Nunemaker, Ann Robin Sutton and Sheila Helton, carried a “fact sheet” explaining CAP’S mission, and the programs it operates to ad dress the problems in Appalachia, including educational and economic development programs. “We make a lot of different con tacts for the organization during the shows,” Pat said. “W e’ll probably never know the full extent of some of those contacts.” 10
Christmas Ridge Handcrafts, CAP’S marketing division, is the largest domestic producer of cornshuck flowers, manufacturing 50 ,0 00 flowers each year.
Gardeners Help Others and Selves CAP’s garden seed program is con cluding another successful growing season, according to Beverly Potter, who manages CAP’s outreach pro grams. “We established 846 gardens in the five counties we visit,” Bev said. “And in thirteen other counties we gave garden packages to organiza tions that have similar goals and fol low the same guidelines as CAP, but don’t have our resources. We gave away almost six hundred of those packages, so we’re feeling really good about the amount of work we accomplished this summer. CAP workers distribute the garden packages, which include fertilizer, seed potatoes, and several varieties of fruit and vegetable seed donated by the Asgrow company. They visit the gardeners, helping when help is needed, and offering advice when it is solicited. Marie Bonner, the outreach worker in Garrard and Lincoln County, re ports that it’s mostly the new garden ers who need their advice. “That’s
usually eight to ten per year.” Bev told of the handicapped work ers in CAPrice Industries and the Comprehensive Care Center, who sorted and packaged seeds under the supervision of CAP volunteers. “As we get to know them, we refer people to other CAP programs if they have a need. But, we do encour age the self-help concept as our number one priority, and help people look at long term solutions to their problems, rather than a quick fix.” Marie tells of Lloyd Bee, who not only embraces the self-help concept, but also helps his neighbors. Lloyd has been participating in the garden program for several years, and de spite his asthma, raises a big garden each season. “He grows a big garden so he has vegetables and fruit to share with his friends and neigh bors,” Marie said. “I’m sure he’d still have some kind of a garden if CAP didn’t help him, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near as big, and he sure wouldn’t be able to share as much with his neighbors.” The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued
Teen Center Travels To Chicago Two members of the Garrard Teen Center, Sandee Leavell and Debo rah McPherson, recently traveled to Chicago with center workers Ther esa Toler and Betty Brown after earning the privilege by working the required number of hours at fund raising and community service events sponsored by the center. “There were ten or twelve inter ested in going at first,” said Theresa. “Four actually earned the privilege, but one of the boys had to work, so the other boy decided to stay home, too. “Even though there was only two, we had a great time, some good, quality time,” Theresa said. She couldn’t say what the girls liked the best. “The Sears Tower at night was incredible, and we went to the lake shore and almost got taken out with the tide. They liked the Mu seum of Science and Industry a lot
more than we thought they would. We had planned to stay two hours, and we ended up staying seven and a half hours.” Theresa, Betty, Sandee and Debo rah stayed in the dormitories at DePaul University, with the arrange ment made by a university professor who has been a special friend of CAP for several years. “No, wait,” Theresa said. “I think they might have liked the subway the best, but I learned a valuable lesson when we were riding once. You don’t get off the train, unless you know exactly where you’re going!”
Floyd County Hosts Home Repair Day About a year ago CAP volunteers and employees gathered to celebrate the organization’s twenty-fifth anni versary. The celebration included a picnic, a country music show and plenty of fun, but the cornerstone was a home repair project that in cluded work on eight homes in Rockcastle County. The project was such a success that it was repeated in Floyd County in late August. Over twenty CAP workers traveled from the Garrard County area 150 miles east, and joined the Big Sandy CAP workers to repair homes for local families.
Deborah M cPherson and Sandee Leavell on the lake shore during their trip to Chicago.
September-October 1990
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around the project. . . continued
Martin Elderly Enjoy Boat Trip Workers in Floyd County spent several weeks planning the annual houseboat trip for the elderly people who participate in the home visita tion program in the county. They gathered the boaters and food, ac cording to program manager Sandi Knight, and “now was the time for relaxation and fun. It was evident that God was smiling on our adven ture. The weather was perfect, the sky was blue, the sun shining and breezes blowing.” During the cruise on Dewey Lake the crew enjoyed singing along with a guitar player. “When we sang gos pel songs the presence of the Lord was felt strongly,” Sandi said.
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The group docked among the pines for lunch enjoying the fresh air and good friends. The wonderful aromas of food made for great appetites. After lunch, laughter and heart felt singing again filled the air until the boat docked at the end of the day. Sandi said that as the adventure drew to a close, the elderly people thanked her warmly for the day. “Ray, a very socially deprived indi vidual, summed up the feeling of the day, I think. He hugged my neck and said, ‘This has been the most won derful day of my life.’”
In early May the young people held a bowl-a-thon for cystic fibro sis, raising $75 dollars for the foun dation. Later that month, the center sponsored an art show, and displayed the kids’ artistic talent to parents and visitors. Rose Price, assistant direc tor of human development in Mar tin, and Donna Turner, outreach co ordinator, judged the work, award ing each child a blue or red ribbon.
Youth Center Plans Summer Activities
Kentucky’s renowned state park system includes Dewey Lake, which the youth center enjoyed on Memo rial Day. Peggy Nelson, the youth center program coordinator, and Ann Shepherd, the youth worker, report that everyone had a good time eating and playing outside.
One of the universal comments about com m unities—sm all or large—is “there’s nothing for the kids to do.” To address this problem, CAP opened the Martin Youth Center in Floyd County, which plans activities for young people ages 7 to 14. Dur ing the school months, staff and chil dren concentrate more on learning and academic skills, but the spring and summer months are dedicated to service projects and field trips.
“They’ve really been busy mak ing crafts and having bake sales since school got out,” Peggy said. “W e’re taking a trip to Camden Park, and the kids are raising most of the money that they’ll need. I’m really proud of the work they’ve done, and I know they’ll appreciate the trip more if they have some time invested in getting to go.” The center has raised $210 for their trip.
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Participants in the elderly program in Floyd County enjoyed a day on the “Daniel Boone,” CAP’S houseboat which is docked on Dewey Lake.
The Mountain Spirit
Letters Just a few lines to let you know I really enjoy reading The Mountain Spirit. I read it from cover to cover. This magazine is very interesting. I believe helping people live better lives is the greatest thing a person can do. There’s so much sadness in this world so each one of us must give someone help in time of need. I pray for the Christian Appalachian Project that they may help more people in 1990 then ever before. D. Pisarski Chicago, II
To Father Beiting and staff, “My compliments on your excellent work and great love and concern for all.”
I always enjoy reading The Moun tain Spirit, because through its ar ticles it personifies the wonderful work done by CAP. The many gov ernment “alphabet soup” agencies would do well to follow the example of CAP. Following the adage of “God helps those who help themselves” is so true.
I look forward to reading and shar ing each issue of The Mountain Spirit. It brings me closer to the cares and joys of the folks in Central and East ern Kentucky.
Those of you who work to help those less fortunate are to be admired and are good examples to all of us. I am proud to be a member of the CAP “family” through my donations and purchases. I hope, someday, to visit Appalachia and see CAP in action.
Laurie Fox Madison, WI
Cleo Latimer Downey, CA
Alois Fershing Los Angeles, CA
The Mountain Spirit takes me back to my boyhood days. We had boots in our tires, cardboard in our shoes. Applesauce and fried potatoes for one week and we all spent some time in the County Hospital.
I read The Mountain Spirit from cover to cover and thoroughly enjoy the well-written articles and stories. Anything I am reading when the “Spirit” arrives in the mail is put aside until I finish reading the “Spirit.” Carl Molodetz Geneva, NY
These experiences keep reminding me to be humble and to think of others who are not so fortunate.
Your magazine is informative and moving. It is the next best thing to a visit.
It is good work that Father Beiting has worked so long and so hard to ac complish. It is a good feeling to know that my contributions, however small, will be used carefully and with true charity (agape) to help our neigh bors to help themselves. This Lu theran is grateful to God for all that CAP does and for the chance to help in its mission. May God continue to bless all of you and keep you in the palm of His hand.
Ruth Tearney Cincinnati, OH
Mrs. James Brammer Reading, VT
My wife and I appreciate the help and love you have for the Appala chian families. Carlton Smith Ben Lomond, CA
September-October 1990
I hope that Father Beiting is recov ering satisfactorily from his accident. God be with you and your fine work.
I was so moved by your stories and insightful information on Appalachia that I plan to return to college for my bachelor’s degree in nursing at Berea College this fall. I am an R.N. with an associate of arts in nursing and hope to work for CAP in whatever capac ity they need me. For me, this has been a dream of 25 years—since I First heard about the Appalachian mountains and the people there. My heart is filled with joy and excite ment about coming to your beautiful area. Sue Buckenmyer Jackson, MO
There must be a special place set aside in Heaven for the wonderful people who work for the Christian Appalachian Project. E. Brozek Bethel, CT Letters to the editor are welcome. They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them for space. Address let ters to The Mountain Spirit, Chris tian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Ken tucky 40446.
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The CAP Closeup
I Can Do All Things Through Christ Gwen Newcomb
Story and Photos by Ike Adams Gwen Newcomb.
H a v in g Gwen Newcomb sing The Lord's Prayer when CAP assembles for a celebration or service has become standard operating procedure. CAP workers don’t get together very often anymore—scattered over a geography that covers too many square miles and that makes Gwen’s prayer even more special. A treat, if you will.
only place I think I’ll ever want to work. I look at those sacks of mail and I think of them as bundles of love that people all over the country are pouring out for CAP and our office is the first one it touches. I feel really close to the little group I work with—just like family. It’s very, very special. I’m not sure how to describe it, but boring sure isn’t a word that I would use.”
It’s just Gwen with the microphone. No organ or piano. No background chorus. Sweet is a good adjec tive, and melodic. Pleasing to the ear. That she is a gifted vocalist is obvious, but The Lord’s Prayer on Gwen’s lips is not best described in terms of its musical quality. Every time she sings it she is celebrating a heartfelt conviction. Joy and gladness ring from every intonation and the congregation is both witness to and part of a wonderfully direct communication with God.
Gwen was bom and raised within a stone’s throw of CAP’s headquarters in Lancaster, the tenth in a family of twelve children. “We had to depend on each other when I was growing up just to get by,” she says. “Maybe I like working for CAP because we really are just one big family. We have to depend on each other, too, and the more we love each other, the better we will be at the work we do.”
Gwen is a cashier clerk in CAP’s donations and re ceipts department. She spends the bulk of her time opening mail, logging the contributions and routing ac companying correspondence to the most appropriate person for reply. Gwen and her co-workers process more than a million pieces of mail each year—thou sands every day. Hers is a rather confining job. She comes to work at 8:00 a.m. and spends most of the day in the same room opening mail. She’s been doing it for more than 16 years. “Doesn’t it get boring?” asks the writer. “It’s maybe the best job in CAP,” she exuberantly replies. “It’s the only place I ’ve ever worked and the
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Gwen’s ability to love doesn’t stop at her office door, however. Early in her adult life Gwen found out that she could never have children of her own so she spends a great deal of time working with her “Sunday School babies,” most of whom are 9 to 13 years old. “It’s just like they were mine,” she says.
“When someone from my church congregation or a neighbor or friend is sick I always try to go visit and see what I can do to help out. I love to cook and I especially like to bake cookies and cakes and pastries. God gave me the talent I have. I know I’m good at getting people to smile when they don’t have much to smile about and I do it every time I get a chance for Him and them and myself, too.”
The Mountain Spirit
Gwen is president of the St. Paul Predestinarían Baptist Church choir and serves actively on the congre gation’s dining room committee. “We have lots of church dinners,” she explains, “and that committee stays pretty busy. And the choir travels all over the place to sing at other churches or senior citizens centers or hospitals. We sing old standard hymns and members of the choir have written several pieces that we all get a lot of joy from. It’s such a blessing to have a talent that you can use to praise the Lord.” “Do you ever stop smiling?” the writer asks when it occurs to him that he has never seen Gwen Newcomb unhappy. “Oh sure,” she says. “But when I find myself down and out I turn to the word of the Lord or simply recite my favorite scripture to myself and I soon feel better.” “And what is that scripture?” asks the writer who frowns too much and has been looking for a cure for years. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:3,” she says.
Gwen, a gifted vocalist, sings in the choir at her church.
Gwen began working in CA P’S donation receipt division when the administative offices were located in an old house on Lancaster’s main street.
September-October 1990
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“You Should Send Your Kids To Camp Andrew Jackson” by Rick Manz photos by Elizabeth Miller Swimming is one of the favorite activities at Camp Andrew Jackson.
T h e Mountain Spirit asked Rick Manz. to keep a diary o f his week at Camp Andrew Jackson. Rick attended AJs several years as a camper and served as a junior counselor this summer. Monday, June 18, 11:00 a.m. I ’m waiting for the campers to arrive, remembering the first time I came here. I was scared, because I didn’t know what to expect. The first time I showed up I thought it would be boring, but as the week went on I liked it. 10:00 p.m. I ’m going to work with the middle group this week, and today we went over the camp rules. We went over the rules, waited five minutes, then asked questions, to make sure they were listening and under stood. They’re a very smart group. We weren’t sure how this group would work out—how well they would get along—but I ’m real impressed with them. They’ve named themselves “The Posses.” We have a good group of counselors, too. I was ob serving Heather Harris, a funny girl who gets along with 16
the kids. She is real talkative and the kids like that. Lynn Stall is from Minnesota and has a real good personality. She always has a smile and is ready to go. Paul Chan, whom I ’ve known for a few years, is enthusiastic about singing, with the songs and with the kids. He is really affectionate with the kids and with the counselors. Now, Mike Fouch is a whole different story. He is real, real, real nice, and I’ve known him for many years. He’s funny and loves camp very much. I guess he’s been here now, I ’m almost afraid to say how long he’s been here, but he’s been here a long time. He’s been a friend to me and to my brother through the years and has helped us out a lot. Leo Hurtling, a counselor for the older group, is nice. He’s enthusiastic about camp and he knows what he’s doing. He’s brave because he’s got the older group and he’s taking them to Three Lakes to sleep every night. The Mountain Spirit
That is brave. [Three Lakes is a primitive camping site across the lake from the buildings at Camp Andrew Jackson—Ed.] Linda Moore and Nina Isaacs are the cooks here at Camp Andrew Jackson. They’re real nice. Linda is not only the cook, but she is one of the finance operators. She really does know what she’s doing and so does Nina. Nina is the head cook here and lives here in Jackson County. One of the first experiences I had was seeing the kids all scared, and helping them feel at home, giving them a little affection because they’re homesick. The coun selors did a good job making people feel at home. All the kids like the counselors, and they all get along. When we went canoeing, I had one person that didn’t know how. He was scared; it was his first time he’d gone canoeing, ever. I calmed him down a little and then he started to like canoeing. But, he got out of the boat and he decided to go with Ron Quinlan. Ron is the counselor for the middle group. Ron is real enthusias tic, and just like most of the other counselors, likes camp. He is probably one of the oldest ones here. I get along with everyone in this group, and this camp suits me just fine. My past experiences at camp are pretty much the same as the other kids are having today. Just like the first time I went canoeing. Ron didn’t want to go canoeing and neither did I. I could sympathize
with him, because I was scared to death that the thing was going to tip over and so was he. Tuesday, June 19,10:00 p.m. Today was a better day than yesterday. We went on the adventure trail. We went swimming three times and canoeing twice. For lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches and everyone ate everything. The older group went to the caves of Jackson County, Wind Cave, and the coun selors got lost and a group member showed them the way out of the cave. It was his first time here at Camp Andrew Jackson and he showed them out. Everyone was surprised and proud of him. The counselors put on a skit today, and the children really did like it. It was in a doctor’s office and a man came in for physical. He was sitting there and other counselors came in and sat beside him and he kept catching things from them. It was really hilarious, and the counselors were cool and put this play on. We had hot dogs for dinner on a cookout at Three Lakes. We had marshmallows and watermelon. Ev eryone was really excited to go. We couldn’t wait for the marshmallows and the watermelon. After we ate, we went on a scavenger hunt, to find things like a comb and a sock. Our group won because we had so much cooperation and so much listening. After the hunt we went swimming in the lake. Five people in our group passed the lake test. [Each camper
The author, junior counselor Rick Manz (left), takes the middle group swimming in Lake Andrew Jackson.
September-October 1990
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A week at Cam p Andrew Jackson means having fun, learning new skills, and meeting boys from many other counties.
must pass a skill levels test to be allowed to participate in lake activities at Camp Andrew Jackson. They must pass a less difficult test to swim in the camp pool.—Ed.]
the cooks. One boy said “I really like the cooks because they know how to cook better than my mom.” He’s from the intermediate group.
We were saying prayers tonight and listening to songs. We came to one song that had everybody’s attention, “Our God is an Awesome God.” Everybody loved it and everybody sang. By the end of the tape, everyone was singing to the music. The counselors, Ron, Ed, Heather and Lynn, everyone.
I was real scared at the beginning of the week. I didn’t know what to do with these kids. I didn’t feel that they would pull through. But this camp has done miraculous things. They’ve learned to work together, and play hard at the same time. I think they’re really having a good time.
Wednesday, June 20. We had French toast for break fast, orange juice and milk. It was pretty good. Then, we cleaned the dorms and got all our clothes off the dorm floors. Everybody in our group, in The Posses, cooper ated and really did do things right. We went to the AJ Triangle today. We made it out of the Triangle in four minutes and 37 seconds. We had a lot of cooperation and skill and planning to get through the AJ Triangle. Everyone cooperated and everyone was surprised at how much easier their cooperation made getting through the triangle. We came back from the AJ Triangle and we were ready to go to the pool. Everybody was eager to go because we were real hot and sticky. We had a blast at the pool; it was awesome. A boy in our group tried to pass his pool test three times but couldn’t swim half a lap. Now that’s what you call determination. He really, really wanted to do it, but he just couldn’t, even though he tried and tried. The counselors here are real nice and love the chil dren very much. The children like the counselors and 18
Thursday, June 21. Afternoon. After we went swimming we had lunch; peanut butter and jelly sand wiches out on the pavilion. All the groups were there, and we had PR, which is positive reinforcement. Dur ing PR, we go around to everybody in every group and we say something positive about every camper to keep them doing a good job, good things instead of the bad. I really do look forward to PR, and so do the kids, and so does everybody else. Everybody likes listening to them. Good rest time and clean up the dorms again. They were a real mess. They did clean real good and were real helpful. One of the counselors said, “I ’m surprised to see them working so well.” 10:00 p.m. Today the weather could not be any better, because it was 90 degrees, at least. It was hot and everybody was really eager to go swimming. That means that it’s easier to keep the kids all together, because it’s too hot to run away. They like to stay with each other. I don’t know why; when it’s hot, they just do. The Mountain Spirit
I went around to visit other groups today, first, the intermediates. In arts and crafts they were making puffpuff boards and putting their names on tiles. The inter mediate group calls themselves the Surfboys. They really show their spirit, but not as much as one group that I will mention in a minute. But they really do show their spirit. They deserve the biggest part of the awards for camp.
selor. You need somebody that will listen. She really does get along with everybody else. She’s my favorite counselor here.
The younger group is the Bulldogs. As I was walking into the bathroom, one of little boys was flushing the urinal on the wall and as he was pushing the handle down, he was trying to see where the water source was coming from. I don’t know if he had a bathroom at his house because it all seemed very new to him.
Rick’s diary ends here, just before the counselor’s pow-wow at which they decide which campers will receive awards at the closing camp ceremonies on Friday, awardsfo r swimming and diving;fo r courage, and the number-one camp award, the Christian Wit ness Award
The counselors for the middle group are Ron Quinlan and Ed Sirola, and is the group that I work with. This group is real enthusiastic and the only problem we have is getting them in line to go to the pool or go anywhere. That’s the only real problem we have, but that’s just camp.
The pace on Friday picks up a great deal, which explains why Rick didn ’t have timefo r his diary. To the regular camp activities, like swimming, arts and crafts and archery, the award ceremony is added, then the kids mustpack to go home and clean up the dorms. Rick said that saying goodbye to the kids after his week with them wasn ’t easy. “Some o f the kids weren’t too happy to be leaving. It was sad to see them go. ”
Water games on Thursday night is my favorite time for the week. We had a few relays in the pool, one called the “candle relay.” The teams divide on two sides of the pool, then each team has one lit candle. The first person swims across the pool with the lit candle and gives it to the other person to bring back and it goes back and forth until everyone has a turn. It was so funny. One group had ten on one side and nine on the other and that group won. It was funny because I don’t think they under stood what to do but they won anyway.
Tonight for dinner we had pizza. Everybody really does like pizza, but one person in our group. He’s kind of a husky boy and I’d think he would like pizza, but evidently he doesn’t. He’s a picky boy.
Rick said that even though he fe lt that he was giving to the campers during his week at AJs, he was receiv ing back as much as he was giving.
The funniest game, though, was the greased water melon in the pool. We put vaseline on a watermelon then floated it in the pool. Groups one and two got in the pool and tried to get the watermelon to the other side. It was really, really interesting. It lasted for a while, and we finally kind of got it down. Group one won; it was exhilarating for the winners. They went out happy and proud. You had to have been there to see this. It was so funny. I’d just say that you should bring your kid to Camp AJ. We went to the showers before we watched a movie. The kids like to shower but they don’t like to do it our way. But that’s life. We finally managed. They said “Okay, we can’t do it our way, so let’s do it their way.” Every morning these kids and counselors are ready to go. The counselors are peppy as can be, proud and happy. Especially one of my favorite counselors, Heather Harris. She’s always happy and really good and talkative with the kids. She likes to talk with the kids and the kids like talking with her because she’ll listen to their problems. That’s a good thing in a coun September-October 1990
Paul Chan has been a counselor at Camp AJ for several years.
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Garrard County
Rockcastle County
Administrative Offices Attic Store Printing Facilities Mailroom and Warehouse Family Life Counseling Services In Kind Donation Distribution Outreach for Teens Garrard Community Center Child Development Center Elderly Home Visitation Garden Program Emergency Assistance Outreach Ministries Scholarship Program Home Repair Christmas Baskets Pre-school Handicapped Teen Center
Family Life Abuse Center Child Development Center Respite Care Home Family Life Services Family Life Center School School On Wheels Family Life Community Recreation Teen Center Emergency Assistance Outreach Ministries Home Repair Elderly Home Visitation Christmas Baskets Pre-school Handicapped Garden Program Family Life Counseling Services
Estill County Pre-school Handicapped Elderly Visitation
Pulaski County Workshop for Handicapped Adults Child Development Center St. Luke’s Clinic Bethany House Abuse Center Elderly Home Visitation Family Life Counseling Services
Casey County Home Repair Attic Store Christmas Baskets Garden Program Outreach Ministries
Madison County Owsley County
Attic Store Attic Store Distribution Plant Elderly Visitation Pre-school Handicapped Child Development Center Elderly Residence Broom Factory Family Life Counseling Services
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Mountain Christian Academy Big Sandy Family Abuse Center Youth Center Outreach Ministries Houseboat Ministries Community Health Advocates Program Adult Literacy Elderly Home Visitation Home Repair Christmas Baskets Camp Shawnee Garden Program Bible School Teen Center Attic Store
Lincoln County Outreach Ministries Elderly Home Visitation Home Repair Christmas Baskets Garden Program Pre-school Handicapped School On Wheels Workshop for Handicapped Adults Family Life Counseling Services
Jackson County Camp Andrew Jackson Craft Industry Program Outreach Ministries Child Development Center Home Repair Pre-school Handicapped Garden Program Family Life Counseling Sevices
Magoffin County Outreach Ministries Christmas Baskets Community Health Advocates Program Adult Literacy Garden Program Attic Store
Wolfe County Business Development
September-October 1990
Operation Sharing by Keith Gilbertson
T h e roads to Lancaster, Kentucky, are well travelled these days by people from organizations that serve families in Eastern Kentucky and surrounding Appala chian states. Destination is the warehouse headquarters of Operation Sharing, a Christian Appalachian Project program that receives in-kind donations, then distrib utes them to people and organizations who need the materials.
GILBERTSON
Workers come with empty pickup trucks, church vans, station wagons, even big 18-wheelers, By the time they leave, CAP workers have filled them with a variety of new, quality materials free of charge. One time it is books for children. The next time, vegetable seeds, furniture, medical supplies or new clothing. Whatever is avail able comes through the generosity of various companies who donate quality items to CAP and Operation Sharing.
Bill and other CAP workers inspected the donation of Care Bear books, and Cabbage Patch books, tapes and records. They decided to accept it, and develop a plan to distribute the items. Since the donation amounted to 27 tractor-trailer loads, worth over $2 million, stor age was a consideration, as was the method of distribu tion. A space had to be found to store the books and a person hired to organize the distribution of the materi als. Storage space was found in a tobacco warehouse in Somerset, Kentucky, 45 miles south of Lancaster. Charles Deaton was hired to supervise distribution.
Since Operation Sharing began in 1986, over $29 million dollars worth of merchandise has been donated and distributed. In early 1986, World Vision, a charitable or ganization based in California, contacted Bill Begley, CAP’s vice president of development. They told him that another group, the Ameri can Indian Heritage Foundation, had received a major donation of children’s books and tapes from Parker Brothers. Unable to use all of them, they were looking for a charity which would be able to distribute the remainder. World Vision recommended CAP. 22
Operation Sharing recently received a donation of books from Penguin Press. The books are sorted by Janet Brown, Charlie Deaton and Bessie Colson.
The Mountain Spirit
MILLER
Parents-Are-Teachers workers Kathleen Leavell and Mary Margaret Wagner use toys donated through Operation Sharing as teaching aids for the handicapped children that they visit in Garrard, Lincoln and Jackson counties.
Friends of CAP were contacted and asked if they knew of any space that was available and large enough to store the large donation. Congressman Hal Rogers, representative from the 5th District of Kentucky, helped locate a 400,000 square foot tobacco warehouse. The owner, Bill Newell, agreed to make the space available, and when asked the price said, “It won’t cost you anything.” The only stipulation was that the books, tapes and records had to be out by October, when bales of tobacco would begin to arrive. After the space had been secured, Charlie, a native of Eastern Kentucky, who spent many years as a teacher and coach in Pikeville came on board. When he owned a sporting goods store, Charlie said, “I travelled the roads of Eastern Kentucky and came to know people in nearly every town.” Although he’d never heard of the organization before starting work with Operation Shar ing, since starting work with CAP, Charlie’s contacts all across Eastern Kentucky have not only heard of CAP, but many have benefitted from Operation Shar ing. CAP had a busy summer in 1986. By the time all the books and tapes went out, 515 groups from Kentucky, West Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio, Vir ginia, and Tennessee had shared in the donation.
Charlie explained how the name “Operation Shar ing” came about and quoted Mike McLaughlin, CAP’S president, to tell why CAP operates the program. The September-October 1990
name came out of a discussion about accepting the do nation of books. Those who decided to accept the donation—Mike, Father Beiting, and some others— felt that CAP should “share its good fortune with others,” Charlie explained. “Mike felt that we should enlighten others that we are not a self-contained organi zation. We seek to cooperate and share with other helping organizations all across Appalachia.” While Charlie was on the phone and the road contact ing groups, asking if they wanted to share in the donation, two young women were busy stamping books, keeping records and loading trucks. Janet Brown and Bessie Colson, both of Pulaski County, were hired for a period of 4 to 6 months or until the books were gone. But, about the time that the books were gone, another plan began to unfold. It was decided to continue the program after the dis tribution of the Parker Brothers donation for two rea sons. First, because it enabled CAP to assist organiza tions and people who were doing similar types of work in Eastern Kentucky. Secondly, since CAP had secured space, and implemented a method for distribution, it was simply a matter of keeping the ball rolling. Shortly thereafter, other types of donations arrived; the sharing continued. Since that time, the list of donated materials has gone on and on, ranging from books to seeds to pharmaceuticals. After Operation Sharing’s time in the Somerset warehouse expired, the work moved to a new warehouse in Lancaster. Janet and Bessie moved with it, despite a 45 minute drive to work every morning. 23
They laugh about the old warehouse, though. “There weren’t many people around but there were a few snakes, and an opossum jumped out of the garbage can one morning,” laughed Bessie. The roof leaked and the floor was weak in spots. At first they worked with Joe, who drove the forklift, but when he left, Janet and Bessie began sharing the driving. They practiced at first by driving across the warehouse to the bathroom. To bacco warehouses are huge by most any standard, and a person was likely to pass out on the long, hot walk; it was much easier to drive. “The best part of the job is the people we meet and work with,” Janet said. “You can see that they are really trying to help the people they serve. The group I enjoy a lot comes from Cranks Creek [in Harlan County, Kentucky]. We visited them and saw their work. They built a house for a family from building supplies we gave them. After the house was finished the man who it was built for travelled to Lancaster with Bobby Simpson from Cranks Creek. He was so grateful he broke down and cried. That really makes our job feel worthwhile.” Janet and Bessie enjoyed visiting Nathan, a severely handicapped Lincoln County child, taught by Kathleen Leavell of Parents-Are-Teachers, CAP’S homebound program for handicapped children. When they went to his home, Janet and Bessie saw Nathan playing with toys that they had sorted. Kathleen was “excited to show us how the noises of the toys made Nathan turn his head and react to sound,” Janet said. Kathleen could write a long testimony about her feel ing towards Operation Sharing, saying, “it is truly an honor to pass on the generosity of Operation Sharing and the companies who donate such nice items.” A thank you letter she wrote to Charlie expresses her feelings. Dear Charlie, Cody is a 16 month-old boy enrolled in “Parents-AreTeachers.” Cody faces several medical problems, among them an incomplete esophagus. Consequently, he breathes through a tracheotomy tube and is fed through a gastrointestinal tube. We hope that soon Cody can undergo surgery to allow him to eat and breathe on his own. Part of my job is to prepare Cody to use his mouth and throat for eating, drinking, and communicating. Last Thursday I brought Cody a Johnson and Johnson Voice Activated Crib Mobile [which had been donated by the company] to encourage his efforts. Within minutes, Cody realized that the music from the mobile was responding to the tiny sounds he could make through his trach tube. His mother couldn’t hold back 24
her tears as she watched him take a giant step in interacting with and mastering his environment. A great deal more took place than I could write in a letter. The best I can summarize is to say that I believe God is very much present in that home and that He used us to remind them that He is working in Cody. I ’d like to take this opportunity to thank you and the people at Johnson and Johnson for your work and gen erosity. It was an honor to extend it to this fine family. Kathleen Leavell Parents-Are-T eachers
It’s easy to get recipients to talk about Operation Sharing. Becky Simpson, co-founder of Cranks Creek Survival Center in Harlan County, calls Operation Sharing and CAP “a miracle.” “I ’ve alw ays had dreams, to see justice for poor people, that people have plenty to eat and keep them warm. CAP has helped these things hap pen.” When Becky talks about her center, she tells of another sharing opera tion going on. Because of Operation Sharing “we’ve been able to expand into five counties: we give to all the little churches. We share the food into Ew ing, Virginia. It touches your heart to see people living in such poverty and isolation,” she said. “We take things to Charles Thomas who keeps them in his bam. People come out of the mountains to pick up paint, baby food, building supplies, clothing, garden seeds and other things to improve the quality of their lives.” He gets all of these things from Becky’s center, which receives them from Operation Sharing.
Clockwise, left to right: Last year Operation Sharing received a bull, which Is now used for artificial insemination for dairy farms in Eastern Kentucky. The bull was named “Charlie;" Charlie and warehouse worker Jessie Preston work at storing a load of cornmeal at the warehouse in Lancaster; yams were used in Christmas baskets in 1989; Janet and Bessie visited a ParentsAre-Teachers family who use toys that they sorted.
The Mountain Spirit
ing supplies, clothing, garden seeds and other things to improve the quality of their lives.” He gets all of these things from Becky’s center, which receives them from Operation Sharing. Speaking of helping others Becky says, “When you undertake a job like this the first place you look to is God, then you look to good people who want to join in and share.” Working together helps solve many needs. Becky was “raised hard,” she says. “Poverty is cold and cruel; it takes over like an unwelcome house guest.” With the help of many others, including Operation Sharing, Becky feels like she is doing things to help get rid of poverty and those cruel cold feelings. People who have participated in Operation Sharing most often mention books and garden seeds. Lisa Nichols, a church and community worker with Upper Sand Mount Parish in Sylvania, Alabama, was thrilled about another item supplied through Operation Shar
ing, though. They received a small scale commercial cannery. During the summer of 1990 it was in operation for farmers to can “culled” vegetables. For example, a local farmer recently had 25 loads of cabbage, not “quite right” for an area food processor. They were dis tributed to people in housing projects and at soup kitch ens. In the future, the vegetables could be used to make kraut and other items, Lisa said “to help stock the food pantry shelves.” Also, farmers with special varieties of vegetables and organic vegetables will be able to mar ket their crop on a small scale. The Sand Mount Parish mission is a group of 10 United Methodist Churches in northern Alabama , joined to meet the needs of people in an area covering 800 square miles. They first heard of CAP through the Cab bage Patch and Care Bear books. “We were thrilled to receive them back in 1986,” Lisa said. “We gave them out as Christmas presents for the next three years, and shared them with agencies in Birmingham and Tus-
donated by the Asgrow Seed Company) were looking fine. As I pulled up into the driveway, two young girls, Audrey and Vanessa, recognized the truck and me. They came running, “Do ya got any more books with you?” I smiled and said “Let’s take a look in the back of the truck.” Sure enough, I had a few National Geo graphic books just waiting to be put in the hands of eager readers. They each selected two or three books, smiled, thanked me a few times, and went to the porch to read.
Bobbie Simpson of Cranks Creek Survival Center with a truck he purchased with a grant from CAP.
caloosa. Last fall we got a truckload of National Geo graphic Books. The kids went wild—they loved them!” When Charlie Deaton first talked with the group in Alabama, the understanding was they would use the books to help motivate children to read. This has “certainly been the case” according to Dorsey Walker, of Upper Sand Mount Parish Mission. “The gifts from Operation Sharing have allowed the church to expand our Christian ministries into areas we had not reached. We put books into the hands of children. That’s some thing special.”
A story about Operation Sharing could focus on the manager, Charlie Deaton, and the good he has done, but Charlie isn’t the type to take much credit. He points to his crew of Janet, Bessie, Junior Preston and the newest addition, Terry Harmon, and gives them the credit. He also speaks of the generous corporations and the or ganizations he “connects” with. His thank you letters to contributors says “You have been a blessing, your gifts have made people happy. They are able to have things they could never afford.” LEAVELL
Operation Sharing expanded CAP’S area, while pro viding a variety of valuable items to groups and indi viduals. When describing its benefits, Charlie goes beyond the materials and uses words like “coopera tion,” “connections” and “funneling.” There are many agencies looking for donations to help the people they serve and there is some measure of competition. With Operation Sharing, Charlie has helped bring some of these groups together. He uses an example of heating stoves and seed com. A community action agency in southeastern Kentucky was able to provide people with new heating stoves that use com as fuel.
Before working with CAP I was an elementary li brarian so I like to see kids read, especially in the summer. I looked around, saw the garden growing with mainly Operation Sharing seeds, and the kids were reading top quality Operation Sharing books. I knew scenes like this were happening all across Appalachia. I was a small part of a large picture, a picture that in cludes executives of companies, leaders of interna tional charities, national charities, local charities, teach ers, volunteers, parents and kids. When they all share and cooperate, exciting things take place.
I often wonder what the executive who made the decision to donate truck loads of books would think and feel if she followed the path of just one book from the company warehouse through a couple more ware houses to a porch in Rockcastle County, to the hand of a seven-year-old girl. I could tell that executive what I feel and what the little girl feels, and that she can be proud of her decision. It was a hot July day in Kentucky. I had been trav elling the dusty, county roads visiting with people and looking at their gardens. The com and beans (seeds
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Operation Sharing provides new toys to children who don't often have such opportunities.
The Mountain Spirit
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Grace Your Home With This lush wreath with a weather proof red velvet ribbon, artificial cranberries and frosted pine cones, is made from long-lasting fresh, Noble fir. We begin shipping in late November, so if you order by mid-November you will be able to enjoy your wreath through the Christmas season. Please order by No vember 13th to assure mid-December delivery. If you order by that date, you are assured delivery before Christmas. Please send for our color brochure featuring nine designs, including a new Christmas Candy Cane.
B l Mountain H om e $25.00
Save $2.00 if you order two or more wreaths. Maximum discount $2.00 per customer, please.
from Appalachia Jft $ $ $
Christian A ppalachian Project Christm as Ridge Division MS 90 322 Crab O rchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446 Please send
Fill out and return with your donation PLEASE PRINT
Bl W reaths at $25.00 each.
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