January - February 1 9 9 2
The Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project
The Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project January - February 1 992
Vol. XI, No. 1
Contents Features 4 CAP Outreach Programs A Photo Feature
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Parents Are Resources by Elizabeth Whalen
16 The Primary Needs by Margaret Gabriel
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Working and Growing by Beth Dotson
Departments 3 Random Thoughts 9 Letters 10 Around the Project 14
---------------------- Outreach is the H ea rt---------------------It seems strange to label programs within the Christian Appalachian Project as “outreach” programs—every CAP program reaches out to people, to help with needs in a special way. But still, there is a depart ment within the Christian Appalachian Project that we call the “outreach department.” And it’s the catch-all department. A GED student can’t afford to buy a book she needs? Call the outreach office. A Parents-AreTeachers worker has two children that she needs to transport to doctors offices in different counties at the same time? Call the outreach office. A family passing through town needs a meal for their three children? Call the outreach office. These are situations that have faced CAP workers as long as there has been a Christian Appalachian Project—and our out reach department has always assured that there is a way to meet those needs. In this issue you’ll meet a few of the workers in the outreach programs, and a few of the people that they are able to help. On the COVER, Justin Holt has a special smile for outreach worker Marie Bonner (photo by Lorraine Corsale). On the BACK COVER a hauntingly beautiful winter scene (photo by Gabriel).
The CAP Closeup
Daisy Dudderar, p.16
Judy Crum, p.14
Published by the Christian Appalachian Project. Editor: Margaret Gabriel. Advisory Board: Father RalphW . Beiting, Mike McLauglilin, Rose Price, Bill Begley, Ike Adams, Kathleen Ford Leaved, Barbara Delmonico. Graphic Designer: Elizabeth Reed Mider. Circulation: Linda Grider East. The Mountain Spirit is published six times a year. The annual subscription price is $6.00. Subscriptions and other correspondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446. Copyright, 1992, The Christian Appalachian Project, Inc. Ad rights reserved. Member, Catholic Press Association. The Christian Appalachian Project is a non-profit Christian service organization operating throughout Appalachia. The project operates on die philosophy that “helping people help themselves” is the best approach to Appalachian poverty.
The Mountain Spirit
Random Thoughts
The phone rings. A lady on Frozen Holler asks about our Christmas basket program. I leam that she is a single parent with two children in grade school. She lives on a limited income—Aid to Families with De pendent Children and food stamps. I have to explain to her that we cannot take any more applications for Christmas baskets because we do not have enough sponsors for the families we already have on file. This is not what I WANT to tell this lady, and it’s definitely not what she hopes to hear. I sense despair in her voice; I can’t let it go and just say, “I’m sorry.” I suggest she call a church in the area where she lives. This church is active in the commu nity and has helped in the past. Another phone c a ll. . . a lady in our small farms and garden program. Her 87 year-old father is in the hos pital and they have learned that he can no longer live on his own or take care of himself. She needs informa tion on home health care services and local home medical rental sup ply outlets. After giving her phone numbers and contact persons to call, we visit a while. I ask about the family (“Ah, w e’re getting along”), and their teen-age boys (“Growing like weeds and eating like horses”). As we sign off, she extends an invi tation: “Come and see us.” By 9:301only have two entries done and the phone is still ringing. My January - February 199 2
Dotson
Every day is an adventure in my work as a caseworker for the emer gency assistance program in Floyd County. It is rare indeed, to have a “regular routine” day! Today, for example, it’s 8:00 a.m. and I begin processing paperwork to record con tacts from yesterday. I record names, addresses or locations, the help we were able to extend or referral we made to other agencies or organiza tions for possible assistance.
supervisor tells me we have a new volunteer coming in and would I mind taking him with me on my home vis its? Sure, I always en joy company in my travels, and I get to meet so many new and interesting people.
The “new volunteer” is CAP’s president, M ike M cLaughlin! Mr. M cL au g h lin ’s presence really en hances the morale and inspiration of those “front line” CAP em ployees who have di rect contact with the people we serve. I was Katie Newsome. impressed with Mike’s I also carry with me Mike’s empha knowledge of the area, his ease with sis on prayer with the people we the local people and his ability to serve through CAP, the folks who understand a situation. seek us out in their time of need. They know this is a Christian organi We visited a widow lady on Arkan zation. If, when we are in their homes, sas Creek. She was cooking her sup we ask politely if they would join us per in the cozy 3-room house that in a short prayer, usually they will. CAP built for her. She lives alone, What a wonderful way to conclude a except for her huge tom cat who lay home visit! in a rocking chair watching us with squinted, half-opened eyes as we chatted with his mistress. When we I took Mike back to the Martin office started to leave, she went to the back where he continued his day with the room and came through the door elderly program and more home vis with a jar of home canned hot pep its. pers. “I can’t eat them ’cause of my stomach,” she said, and offered them I left for Mud Creek to meet with a to me as her gift. health nurse to see about getting a pregnant teen into their pre-natal pro As we continued through the holler, gram at the local clinic. Mike and I talked about this and that. Two things that I continue to Maybe tomorrow I ’ll have a “regular carry with me and have made a part routine” day! of my life are his self-discipline— Katie Newsome is a caseworker fo r getting up at 5:00 a.m. every morn the Christian Appalachian Project ing and walking six miles! What Emergency Assistance program in energy! A great way to keep alert Floyd County. Katie is originallyfrom and stay healthy and fit. I have a-gEastern Kentucky, and is an occa a-i-n begun my morning walks; NO, sional contributor to The Mountain not six miles, but I ’m up to one mile Spirit. a day. Well, it’s a start. 3
Christian Appalachian Project
Clockwise from the upper left: Nearly 2700 children o are touched by the | Christmas basket program; Minnie Kirby participates in the gardening program; CAP volunteers are involved in both outreach and elderly visitation programs; temporary volunteer Gladys Gay helps sort donated materials; outreach workers visit in rural areas.
Corsale
Outreach has been a part of the work of the Christian Appalachian Project since the time that Father Ralph Beiting an swered the first call for help when he began working in this area in 1950. Then, as now, outreach was individualized— workers meeting needs as they arose, enabling people to become involved in their own solutions. Despite the diversity of services, outreach programs today fall into three main categories: emergency assistance, Christmas baskets and gar dening. Some families participate in more than one aspect; others are also involved in CAP education programs, through child development or adult education. The goal of each outreach program and worker remains unchanged: to help the people to help themselves.
Outreach Services Corsale
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CAP Archives
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Outreach workers decorate accordingly when they begin working on Christmas baskets—in October! Anna Plaster helps the Lawless sisters with their laundry chores; Marie Bonner visits with the Lawless family; Margaret Bowen, of the garden program also dabbles in livestock; Bev Potter (down center), outreach program manager. Corsale
January
February 1 992
Parents Are Resources The Floyd County Par ent Resource Center
▼Then I first found the center I was in a very desperate situation with my own child who is emotion ally disturbed,” confided Jennifer Walters. “She’s had numerous hospitalizations and she’s only eight. I felt very lonely and isolated when I got in touch with the program, but from that day on, my life began changing. I grew encouraged and positive with my outlook.” That positive outlook is the result of Jennifer’s involve ment with the Floyd County Parent Resource Center, founded in 1987 by Harmon and Betty Leedy. Because of their trouble finding services for their 17-year-old daughter, who has severe cerebral palsy, Harmon and Betty struggled for several years until they discovered other parents in similar situations. Ultimately, the bond ing of those parents and the Leedys resulted in the founding of the pioneer center. Their purpose has changed dramatically since they first opened their doors. They began as a support group for a small network of parents who were having problems finding educational services for their disabled children, but since then, The Floyd County Parent Resource Center has grown to an organization that provides everything from clothes to medical equipment for people who may not have private or government medical insurance. Volunteers provide transportation to medi cal appointments, sometimes to distant cities. Those same volunteers, most of whom also have children with disabilities, provide counseling in times of crisis. They
provides assistance and counseling to families with handi capped members. m o u n t a in
by Elizabeth Whalen
COMPREHENSIVE jjj^ H C A R E C E N T E R
The Mountain Spirit
serve approximately 350 families each year, and cur rently are providing a variety of services to 100 families with handicapped members. Since its inception, the program has operated from many different places—donated office space, private homes, and even from a park bench at one time. After beginning their outreach in 1987, Harmon and Betty were getting more and more calls from folks who said, “We can’t get services for our child.” As the calls became more and more frequent, the Leedys saw that they needed a permanent home. In 1989, they finally secured their first official office which got them off the park bench. Jennifer Walters, who now serves as assistant coordina tor for the center, said they are very thankful for all that has been given to the program, including “all the won derful things we receive from CAP’S warehouse.” She said that when someone needs an expensive item, like a motorized wheelchair, CAP has helped them secure such items. She said without CAP’s assistance they would probably not be able to provide this kind of equipment. In addition to all the other roles the center plays, they also provide emergency assistance in the form of loans and grants for parents who have a child going to the hospital. “They may have transportation, but many times they lack the money needed to buy the gas,” Jennifer explained. She empha sized that they try to correlate their services with other agencies. They serve as an information clearing house, working closely with pro tection advocacy and the Office for Exceptional Children in Frank fort, the capital of Kentucky. They associate closely with programs for emotionally disturbed children, and with the Department of Men tal Health. In essence, Jennifer said, the Floyd County Parent Re source Center “has become a ‘jack of all trades’ type organization.” When asked about funding, Jen nifer smiled. “Parent Resources started out with zero funds except for private donations which were exceedingly small. A lot of our expenses come out of our own pockets which really puts a finan
January - February 1 992
cial strain on everyone involved. Two years ago, we received a grant of $1,000 from United Way, but that didn’t go very far in a program involved in seven counties. This year we got involved with the Christian Appalachian Project which has been a life saver. “Initially,” she went on, “when we approached CAP for a grant we wanted to be able to pay a person to stay in our office to answer the phone. Because so much of our work is done on the road, sometimes there is no one to stay in the office. That can be really rough when you have parents going into crisis. The last thing they want to hear is the ringing of an unanswered phone. We found, however, after we applied for the grant, that our funds were dwindling so fast we had to alter our request, so we still rely on volunteers to answer the phone.” She added that the $4,000 grant they received from CAP was a “God-send” because so many parents were going through crisis with hospitalized children and didn’t have money to travel back and forth to hospitals. She also said the money helped supply badly needed office materials. A nine-member board of directors sets policies and goals for the center. Jennifer chairs the board, which includes an attorney, an accountant, two people from the local mental health department, the parents of a handicapped child, and persons from the business community. Primarily, the center makes referrals to other agencies rather than giving hands-on treatment. They try to stay in an advocacy position, although at times they admit tedly go beyond this range. Depending on the situation, they determine what kind of follow-up is required. Jennifer said that 90% of the parents involved initiate and keep follow-up proce dures going. She also said the center keeps charts on all clients so that their progress or regression can be tracked. This entails a great deal of paperwork which makes it extremely hard for staff members. At such times, volunteers are “worth their weight in gold,” Jennifer said. Many times, parents call saying they have been handed a grave diagnosis for one of their children. “One such family comes to mind,” Jennifer observed quietly. “They had a child who had just been diagnosed with Rett Syndrome which is very rare. It’s a progres sive disease which only gets worse, never better.” She paused thoughtfully. “A lot of times parents just need to know they’re not alone. We wish we could fix every child out there, but we can’t. We can offer information 7
and support, though. With this particular client it was really difficult. He. started out as a typical toddler, and then he suddenly began falling for no reason. W e’ve learned that he’ll end up in a wheelchair, will lose the use of his arms, or legs, or both. His thought process will also be affected. It’s such a debilitating disease that it affects every facet of the child’s life.
‘United We Stand For Our Kids.’ Our kids in wheel chairs rode on the float.” Tears of pride filled her eyes. “The ones who could walk did, and we parents fol lowed. Our chant for the parade was ‘We support the future,’ but the children chanted ‘We are the future.’ We received the loudest cheers of any float that day! That was one of the most rewarding moments.
“Because so many new diagnoses are being made every day, sometimes it’s hard for parents to find informa tion. They often complain that doctors don’t take the time to explain to them what their diseases are, what to expect and it leaves them feeling lost and in a state of panic. That’s where we come in, and we try to enable the parents just to struggle from day to day.”
“Later on, we helped sponsor the first prom in Floyd County for special needs kids. The multiple-handicap unit at a middle school in Prestonsburg decided they wanted to have a dance. It started off a small affair with casual clothes; it turned out to be a formal party at Jenny Wiley Lodge with three bands! The kids got dressed up in formal gowns and suits, and had the best time of their lives.” A smile lit her face. “We like those stories.
When asked about the center’s goals for the future, Jennifer was forceful. “W e’d like to see a Parent Resource Center in every region and state because they are needed. It would take a lot of money but it would pay back. If you have an educated parent, it’s much easier. I want to see support for parents out there because even though help is accessed for the client, parents are left standing back saying “What about us?” They’re forgotten; you have siblings. .. forgotten, so we want to see a more familyoriented approach. I would also like to see more finan cial support, because what we’re doing now is just scratching the surface. In Floyd County alone there are 900 kids—with problems ranging from learning dis abilities to multiple handicaps—needing our services. This makes it very hard.” Because the center operates independently of any state or local guidelines, the staff and volunteers can serve a wide range of services without restrictions. Jennifer pointed out that, increasingly, the center is dealing with more and more children with emotional disabilities. The number of adults they are serving is increasing, too. When asked what the greatest need of the center was, Jennifer did not hesitate. “More money. ” Then she added that its greatest strength was family support. “We fmd, though, that there is a high rate of divorce among our client families; there’s a lot of alcohol and drug abuse, and emotional prob lems. All of this comes from families who’ve struggled to find answers, and found no one out there to help.” Despite the struggles of the center, Jennifer can relate stories that point to a measure of success. “Last year, we were in the Apple Festival Parade with some of our kids. We got together with two other groups and entered a float. The theme of our float was 8
“Sometimes you wish you could do more, especially for the families of children who aren’t ever going to get well. One child. .. we knew from the start he would get worse. He was bom a sick little baby because of a vims he contracted from his mother while she was carrying him. It caused brain damage which was terminal. Things like that that make you want to say ‘Stop! Stop! Don’t let this get worse! We don’t want to lose our kids.’ You wish for magic formula . . . anything. We love our kids and tend to take their problems home with us. “Sometimes difficulties arise when parents don’t want to let go, or simply don’t know how. They’re very protective, and getting them to allow someone else to step in, like when it’s time for a five-year-old to enter school, to take a new role is hard. They are almost afraid to trust anyone else. We try to assure them, but they must let go. Some parents can and some can’t.” More funding for the center means more help for more families, and also help for the overworked staff. Right now they are relying exclusively on volunteers, often just Harmon Leedy and Jennifer. It has been, basically, those two for the past year although other parents help out a lot. “We don’t just care about the k ids. .. we care about the families,” Jennifer repeated. “When I first came, they never asked me about my little girl’s problems first. Harmon would always say first ‘How are you? How are you feeling?’ I had never had anyone to care about that before, and it baffled me to have him do so. I didn’t know how to answer.” Jennifer learned how to answer that question, though, learning that she, as well as her daughter, needs nurtur ing and attention. Now she asks the same question of other parents, who will ask others and so on and so on as they provide support and encouragement to each other.
The Mountain Spirit
Letters The Mountain Spirit is the best little “down to earth” magazine out. The stories really tug at one’s heart in their “telling it like itreally is.” May God continue to bless the work of Father Beiting and CAP in their ef forts to help our fellow man. Mrs. William Mueller Two Rivers, WI
I was bom and grew up in Floyd County and the deplorable economic conditions forced my family, along with thousands of others, to leave. Thank you for helping those wonder ful people still there as they struggle to make it a better place to live. My heart is there with them. Patricia J. Wickersham Grand Rapids, MI
I do enjoy The Mountain Spirit. It lets me into another world that I was completely unaware and ignorant about. How hard you have worked for over 40 years. I smiled when I read [that Father Beiting is] 68 and slowing up. I’ve reached 75 (can’t believe it) and really know how you must feel. God willing, w e’ll carry on until our time comes. Mrs. Doris Marsolini Milton, MA
The Mountain Spirit helps keep us aware of the needs of those less for tunate than we are, and for the abject poverty of some of our brothers and sisters in that area. We are concerned about those that have worked in the coal mines, and now suffer from black lung disease. May God ease their pain and bring them a ray of hope. May they know that there are those who care, even as we are separated by thousands of miles. Mr. & Mrs. Carl Brann Lynnwood, WA
We sure do enjoy The Mountain Spirit and it keeps us up to date on your work there in the Appalachian re gion. It is appalling to realize that there is such an area existing in this time in our history, in this so-called affluent period of our generation. Mr. & Mrs. Donald Nutting Wausau, WI
I enjoy reading the progress of the mountain people, the great things that are done for the children. The mountain people are special with their loving innocence and way of life so close to God and nature. Nancy Ross Butlerville, IN
We really do enjoy The Mountain Spirit magazine. We pass it on to our daughters. We really think you are doing a great work in the Christian Appalachian Project. We have a daughter living in Mount Vernon, KY. She knows a lot of the people there, as she has taught some of them. May God bless you. Johnie G. Bernard Russell Springs, KY
January - February 1 992
With all the violence in our society, it is very refreshing to read about people helping people. Poverty can breed despair but caring people will ing to share with others can infuse hope and motivation for a better life. Let us all keep this circle of hope intact. Mary Ellen Lawton New Berlin, WI
The Mountain Spirit is like food on my table. It fills me and makes me feel good. I look forward to each copy. The stories are all well written. I am happy that in some small way I can be a part of it. Don’t stop! All my love and prayers. A l Haas Lackawanna, NY The Mountain Spirit is such an en couragement in my own life. I appreciate every wonderful story you have to tell of people caring for each other’s feelings of joy, concern and outreach. Mrs. Joan Scanned Santa Cruz, CA
I enjoy The Mountain Spirit very much. It is indeed a pleasure to know someone, as yourself, is doing rather than talking. God bless you and all those entrusted to you, far and wide. George D. McDonough Trenton, NJ Each time I read The Mountain Spirit, I marvel at the things you are doing for these people. The encouragement given to the young people to get an education is so important. This idea of helping people help themselves is the best way. May you keep up your good work. Mrs. Katherine Slocum Greensboro, NC Letters to the editor are wel come. They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them for space. Address letters to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Ap palachian Project, 322 Crab Or chard Road, Lancaster, Ken tucky 40446. 9
Around the Project Education Program Gets New Wheels A red school bus traveling the roads in Magoffin County doesn’t have school bus bench seats or provide transportation. But, it does have a computer table, electricity, a water less commode, and a playroom. Unlike your typical yellow bus that takes students to school, this red bus is the school, the newest Christian Appalachian Project adult education facility in the Martin area. When the adult education program expanded into Magoffin County last spring, Cathie Bailey taught at a com munity center. After the center closed, Cathie looked for people who would offer their homes for tutoring ses sions. She found a place to work but it had no electricity or running water. Then the bus arrived. Shari Pesce, who manages the CAP adult education program in the Big Sandy area, said there had been talk about converting a school bus into a classroom for a couple of years. When Cathie lost her teaching site, the time was right to make it a reality. The home repair crew, headed by Darryl Combs, worked on the bus, following plans that Cathie drew up. The front of the bus includes table space for a computer and lessons. “It’s amazing what they ’ve done with it,” Shari said. The back of the bus is a miniature child development area where vol unteer Lu Ann Winters can work with the children while their parents are being tutored. The child education component is being added to the pro gram because CAP workers have observed that many area children have developmental delays. Cathie and LuAnn hope to work on some projects that will bring the parents and children together for learning experiences. 10
The home repair workers in Floyd County helped to renovate the bus that is now being used as a “School on Wheels” in Magoffin County.
According to Shari, the bus is sta tioned in Midway. It will move to another location in the county for part of the week to improve accessi bility for students. Besides the teaching site change, Shari said the program has also shifted its goals. “Before, the focus was mostly on literacy students. Now it’s mostly GED and a little literacy,” Shari explained. “We’re putting more of an emphasis on getting people beyond GED and into vocational school or a job.” The first step, though, is to get them into the red school bus in Magoffin County.
Parents-Are-Teachers Expands to New County During her first three years working in McCreary County, Jean Barnes, manager of the Christian Appala chian Project’s Eagle Child Devel opment Center, has been able to iden tify many needs in the Parkers’ Lake community in which her school op erates. For the current school year yet another need is being met through cooperation with another CAP pro gram, Parents-Are-Teachers. Parents-Are-Teachers works with
handicapped and high risk children and families, helping them to reach their fullest educational potential. “Jean has had some kids at Eagle whose problems wouldn’t have been so severe if they had had some early intervention,” said Kathleen Leavell, Parents-A re-T eachers m anager. “W e’ll go down one day a week, to visit three families Jean has intro duced us to. Then, if we see that the need is present, we’ll look at having someone in the county full time.” Pat Montgomery, assistant director of human development, supervises Parents-Are-Teachers and says that a full time worker would enable the program to serve a larger portion of county than just the Parkers’ Lake area. “W e’re working with Jean right now, but when we decide to expand, that will mean working with other agencies in the county, too, so they can help us identify families that could benefit from our services.”
Christian Appalachian Project is a participating agency in the Com bined Federal Campaign. Federal and military employees can contrib ute to CAP by designating #0898 on their CFC pledge card. The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued
Changes at Attics in Lancaster, Stanford The Stanford Attic, the Christian Appalachian Project used clothing store in Lincoln County, had a grand reopening in October of 1991. While the Lincoln County store was closed, residents shopped at Attics in other counties, all the while petition ing CAP to reopen the store in Stanford. “W e’ve re-opened in the same building,” said Renee Carrier, manager of CAP’s Attics. “The eld erly visitation and outreach programs are operating out of the building, too, so CAP has reestablished quite a presence there.” Renee manages five of CAP’s At tics, and supervises distribution from the central warehouse in Berea, which supplies clothing to CAP’s stores in the Floyd, Knott and Magoffin area. When inventory allows, the CAP warehouse shares with other stores, as well.
In addition to the Stanford re-open ing, Renee recently supervised a move for the store in Lancaster. When Father Beiting opened the first Attic in Lancaster, in late the 1950s, it moved from the basement of St. Wil liam Catholic Church to a space ad jacent to the Garrard County stockyards. After all these years, the Attic has moved to its new home—adja cent to the Garrard County stockyards.
What You Don't Know About Wills Can Hurt Your Heirs. . . Find Out Why. Request Your Free Copy.
“The store we were in before never really had the right image,” Renee said. “I thought it looked too much like a regular retail store. This new store is clean and looks more like a used clothing store. When the weather gets warmer we hope to get some benches and flower buckets so people can sit outside. It’s also closer to the people we serve—elderly people can walk there now from the housing project.” CAP’s Attic stores also serve as “listening posts,” where workers of ten leam of needs in the area.
M uch o f what you know about wills m aybe m isinform ation that has b een floating aro u n d for years. If you think, for example, th at wills are prim arily for rich people, o r the elderly, you may be the victim o f a com m on mis conception. T he helpful book let offered here will explain how your will can save your heirs from costly delays and confu sion. Send for your copy today. Clip a n d Mail
C hristian A ppalachian Project 322 C rab O rchard R oad Lancaster, Kentucky 40446 Please send w ithout obliga tion, your booklet, “37 Things People ‘K n o w ’ A bout Wills T hat A ren't Really So.” N a m e _____________________ A ddress ___________________ Volunteers helped to remodel and paint the new Attic in Lancaster. The new store is next door to the Garrard County Stockyards, within easy walking
C ity ___________________ _ S tate____________ Z IP -----------
distance of many residential areas in town.
January - February 199 2
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around the project. . . continued
Thanksgiving Dinner Served in Salyersville A joint effort of the Christian Appa lachian Project elderly program and Willard “Doc” Holliday, pastor of the Old Philadelphia Tabernacle Church [see The Mountain Spirit, September-October 1991] was re sponsible for Thanksgiving dinner for over 300 people in Magoffin County, according to Donna Turner, a CAP outreach worker. The first Magoffin County Thanksgiving din ner was held in 1990, “then everyone wanted to pitch in, and it just mush roomed,” Donna said. “Most of the food was donated by local merchants; the funeral home director gave us a check to buy tur keys, and anything else we needed came from the proceeds from the Attic at Doc’s church in Salyersville,” Donna said. People who participate in CAP’s elderly program and other elderly people were served first, then other low-income people enjoyed turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, com, yams, cranberry sauce, green beans and desserts at a community center in Salyersville. People in the community prepared the food and brought it to the com munity center, where the meal was
served by Christian Appalachian Project workers, workers from the adult day care and Alzheimers center in Salyersville, and CAP and neigh borhood volunteers. “It’s great to see how many people got involved,” Donna said. “One of my sponsored families donated some food from their garden—they gave us two bushels of sweet potatoes, cans and cans of green beans and 15 loaves of bread to make dressing. “That came from the boys, and their grandm other gave us a turkey. ‘Granny, you don’t have to do that,’ I told her, but she said it was just something that she wanted to do. It’s gotten to be a really big community project.”
Rainbow Respite Hosts Dance The recreation center of the Chris tian Appalachian Project Family Life Center in Mount Vernon was trans formed into an undersea wonderland as the Rainbow Respite Care Home hosted a fall dance. Dances are twice-yearly events, and “Under the Sea” was the “best one ever,” according to Pat Montgom ery, assistant director of human de velopment. “Every year we think the
next dance will never be as good as the last, but they keep getting better and better.” Young people with disabilities that ranged from autism to behavior dis orders traveled to the Family Life Center from surrounding counties to see friends from previous dances, or to meet new people. “Chances for people with disabilities to socialize are non-existent in some places,” Pat said. “W e’re all social creatures, and if we want to go out, we can do pretty much anything we want to do. For handicapped people, that’s closed off. Many of them have to ask to be taken somewhere, then a lot of times things are closed off when they can go. “These dances give two chances a year to get together, dance, listen to music, or just talk. W e’ve seen friend ships develop that would not have happened otherwise.” Pat said that the staff of the Rainbow Respite Care Home sent invitations to Comprehensive Care centers, par ent support groups and a group home in London. “It’s a lot of work, and every time the staff swears that they ’11 never do it again, but then after it’s over people say that they’ve had the best night of their life. That makes it all worthwhile.”
How Can I Help In Appalachia?
One hundred and fifty people with handicaps joined the staff of CAP’S Rainbow Respite Care Center for a dance at the Family Life Recreation Center.
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Christian Appalachian Project sup porters often ask what more they can do to eliminate suffering in Appala chia. First, you can tell others of the problems in Appalachia which you leam about in The Mountain Spirit and other CAP publications. Please share this magazine with a friend and we’ll send a replacement. Ask us about any of the problems in Appala chia and w e’ll be happy to share any knowledge we have or to refer you to another organization that can help you. The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued
Secondly, you can give us a most valuable commodity—time. Since 1950, millions of hours have been donated to helping the people of Ap palachia help themselves and their families out of poverty. If you would like to volunteer three weeks or more to working in Appalachia, please con tact The Mountain Spirit, so that in formation can be given to the volun teer department. Finally, our most powerful form of assistance is prayer. We believe that if our supporters spend at least one minute a day praying for poor people everyw here, m ountains can be moved, the course of rivers changed. The CAP family forms a powerful prayer network reaching into Appa lachia and across the nation.
CHAP Teaches Pre-Natal Classes In all parts of the United States the problem of teenage pregnancy is a growing crisis. In Floyd County, Our Lady of the Way Hospital, in con junction with the Christian Appala chian Project, works actively to alle viate the problems associated with
that crisis by sponsoring and con ducting pre-natal classes for young women. A broad spectrum of people attend the classes, according to Kathy DiSalvo, manager of CAP’s Com munity Health Advocates Program. “We want to see healthier babies and healthier moms,” Kathy said. “We also like to see moms making healthy, responsible choices after their ba bies are bom.” Classes are held weekly for eighteen weeks, and cover many topics in addition to those which relate di rectly to the birthing process. “Self esteem is very a big topic,” Kathy said. “And last week we talked about alternative education with the girls; things like GED and the David School [an alternative school in Floyd County]. “Moms from past classes come in with their babies, and that’s great. They give good insight; it’s neat to see how their babies have changed them. Some of them have changed into adults during the time I’ve known them; having a baby has really changed them.”
The two obstetricians in Floyd County, as well as high school coun selors, CAP’s emergency assistance workers, and other teens refer girls to the program, Kathy said. In the two years that she has been involved with pre-natal education, Kathy says that she has seen teens more prepared for childbirth than some adults. “These teens are in major crisis, and we like to make them feel more comfortable with their pregnancy,” Kathy said. “As we get to know them, we’re able to bridge over to parenting skills, and other kinds of follow-up.” Mud Creek Clinic is taking the lead in teen pregnancy prevention, and CAP recently sponsored a human sexuality class through the Martin Youth Center. Former volunteers John and Heidi Tippett planned and taught the class which stressed sexual abstinence for teenagers.
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The CAP Closeup
Judy Crum “If You See Any Good”
Story and photos by Beth Dotson
Judy Crum.
Judy Crum jokingly says she’s in her “Glory Years.” She and her husband, Febel, are raising two teenag ers— 14-year-old Chastity and 13-year-old Benjamin. When she feels her patience wearing thin, she remem bers the Biblical story of Job and forges ahead. When Judy talks about the trials she has weathered and her work with CAP, it seems that she might very well be in her “Glory Years.” She has rejoiced in life’s gifts and grown through hardships. Now she shares her strength and wisdom with the people CAP serves in its emergency assistance program. Judy is the program manager for the Martin office that distributes emergency assistance, garden seeds and Christmas baskets. She manages a staff of seven people who work in Floyd, Magoffin and Knott counties. They help people make utility and rent payments when their resources are gone; they direct people to medical assis tance; they search for glasses, clothes and other items that they need. When spring comes, they distribute seeds to get the gardening season started. They also hear hard luckstories— months, or years, of unemploy ment, a house that burned down, a family abandoned by its only breadwinner. “It really shocks you when you get in with the people and see just how much (poverty) there is,” Judy said about the awakening she walked into at CAP. She grew up in Eastern Kentucky in a four-room house that didn’t
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have plumbing, but she didn’t know the extent of Appalachia’s poverty. “Those were the happiest days of my life because I had a good mother and father,” Judy said about her child hood. Her father worked on the railroad and when she was in the eighth grade they moved into a house with running water. Judy was relieved. Often, she had wor ried that when it rained, her mother would be electro cuted in the old house where water dripped around a light socket. Judy also faced difficulties after she and Febel married. Febel, a coal miner, was laid off for long periods of time starting in 1983. The family slid from thriving on a good salary to subsisting on an unemployment check that didn’t even pay half of their bills. They drained their savings. “God has really taught me you don’t put your faith and you don’t put your hopes and dreams in material things because they sure pass away,” Judy said. “When you are stripped of everything, all you’ve got left is your being, your family and your belief in the Lord. The good Lord has taught me never to become dependent on things like that again.” As a CAP employee, Judy spends her time on one of the things she has learned is important—people. Judy didn’t get the first CAP job for which she applied, but
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she kept in touch. One day when she called CAP searching for help for a friend, she learned about a job opening in the elderly program. This time, she got the job and discovered she loves working with senior citizens. After two years in the elderly program, a co-worker encouraged her to apply for the emergency assistance job. She got it despite her lack of knowledge of social services. She learned a lot and learned it fast, probably because she had the “people skills” needed for the job. “Sometimes when I see a bad situation,” Judy said, ‘T v e got to stop and I’ve got to say, ‘What would Jesus Christ do if He was put in this situation? What would He do with this person? What would He say to this person?’ I think we’ve got to put ourselves in that person’s shoes. If you can look at yourself from that person’s point of view and where they’re at, you tend not to be so judgmental.” When Judy talks with clients, she often provides more than a check to pay the utility bill or a heater to warm the home. Judy offers a supportive friendship from which they can draw strength, and sometimes another point of view. During this interview, a woman whose son was ill waited outside Judy’s office to see her. She overheard Judy talking about the patience of Job. The woman later commented that she wondered if she was meant to overhear Judy because it reminded her of the patience she should have. That’s the kind of influence Judy has on the people she meets.
Judy and her staff have also influenced the emergency assistance program by encouraging people to help themselves. Through the old system, CAP gave assis tance and encouraged recipients to volunteer some time in return. Now, they are expected to volunteer through the “work program.” Judy says the change in approach has been so successful that now people call and say, “I hear you all have a work program and I need to pay my electric bill. Can I come in and work?” “They have more time than money,” Judy explained. “They give a lot more than they take. And they want to do this. There are a lot of people out there who want to work, but there’s no work available.” Even people who seem to resist the approach usually change their thinking. When Judy or one of her workers meets a woman who says she can’t work because of her children, they suggest she get her boyfriend or husband to either watch the kids or work for her. Usually, they find that one of these options is viable. They call back for assistance and a job assignment. Judy says this approach lessens the possibility of people building a dependency on CAP. It also provides CAP with extra help. During one month last year, volunteers from this program worked 257 hours for CAP. Judy performs her job according to the same philoso phy she espoused during her salutatory speech to her senior classmates upon their high school graduation. If you see any good that can be done, do it. She sets a good example of how one person can weave that philosophy into every day of her life.
In addition to her emergency assistance responsibilities, Judy supervises workers in garden and Christmas basket programs.
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The Primary Needs
by Margaret Gabriel Photos by Lorraine Corsale
1 heard it’s supposed to freeze tonight and I haven’t got any firewood for my stove. I ’d be OK, but my little boy’s got a cold.” “I got a letter from the state about my SSI check and I can’t make head or tails out of it. Can somebody tell me what it says?” “My wife just had a baby, and they won’t let us take her home unless we put her in a car seat. They said we might be able to borrow one from you all.” *** Nine Christian Appalachian Project outreach workers meet needs like these, and many, many more in seven counties in CAP’s service area. Meeting needs and helping people with the day-to-day difficulties of living in an area without enough employment to go around has occupied workers almost since the day Father Ralph Beiting moved to the mountains in 1950. But over the years, workers have learned that their work involves something far more important than back rent or unpaid utility bills. Relationships are the most important part of CAP’s outreach programs, and the importance of those rela tionships is evident as one observes outreach workers or talks with them about the people that they help in the area.
Over a period of months, Marie Bonner, a worker in Garrard County, has established a close relationship with Daisy Dudderar. Marie met Daisy when she asked for help paying an electric bill following a disabling car accident. After meeting the immediate need, Marie set out to leam how CAP could help Daisy become more able to care for herself. Marie found that for several months, Daisy had been totally without income. For the first few months after her accident, Daisy had received a check from AFDC [Aid to Families with Dependent Children] but after her son, Steven, turned eighteen, the check stopped coming. Despite the fact that Daisy was almost totally incapacitated after her accident, her request for disability benefits had been The Mountain Spirit
to die. She was so discouraged; she couldn’t get any help and everywhere we turned, everyone was saying no. Now it’s just completely different. Someday, she says, she’s going to walk and she’s going to donate her wheelchair to CAP.” kkk
Outreach programs make up the heart of CAP’s drive in Eastern Kentucky to help people help themselves. Although programs that involve education and eco nomic development are those which CAP believes will initiate long-term change, outreach work, which helps people meet day-to-day needs, is essential in helping people get to a point where they are able to begin making plans to help themselves with long-term goals. “We help with immediate needs, primarily food, clothes on the back, and a roof over the head,” said Bev Potter, manager of CAP’s outreach programs. “We look at immediate needs first and try and satisfy those.”
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denied. “She didn’t have any income at all—was living on food stamps.” Marie helped her re-apply for Supplemental Security Income and begin physical therapy. Her income was approved, and Daisy is now able to care for herself in a small apartment in a government housing project. She has a great relationship with her neighbors, and Steven stops in to visit most days. “I go to see her about once a week,” Marie said. “Her attitude toward life has really changed. She is deter mined to walk again. They’re supposed to come this week and fit her for a brace for her leg and she ’s getting teeth. Things are really looking up for her.” But Marie is much more to Daisy that just a resource. She’s a friend. “The thing that amazes me is her complete change of attitude toward living. She wanted
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Bev explained that there are many programs—both within and outside of CAP—that stress long-term solutions, “but we try to look at the immediate needs first and try to satisfy those. There are food stamps, for example, but if somebody runs out of food stamps before they run out of month, w e’re not going to spend a lot of time at first trying to see why. W e’re going to get some food first, and then look for ways to help the food stamps last longer next month.” Outreach workers loan folks money for rent and utility bills, and help with firewood or coal, emergency food, medicine and clothing. Many people have a far greater need for counseling, advocacy or advice, though, and workers can help in these areas, too. They help folks get involved with education programs, including child development, tutoring and GED programs, give ad vice about budgeting and nutrition, and provide advo cacy for government benefits when necessary. Because of limited resources, there are items and services that CAP cannot provide. However, “the lists aren’t inclusive,” Bev said. “And sometimes we do things on the ‘don’t ’ list and don’t do things on the ‘do’ list. We don’t help with bail money, for example, but we had a fellow write to us from a county jail and ask for a pair of shoes. In his request he said he wasn’t allowed to wear boots with laces, and that ’s all he came in with, so he didn’t have any shoes. Just because he’s in the county jail doesn’t mean he isn’t eligible for our service—here’s a man with no shoes. So we took him a pair of shoes and the jailer was hateful. He really resented our being there. We didn’t know what the man’s crime was, but he was a man with no shoes and
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Guide Me, Please, Lord Some days my thoughts about Jackson County never quit. Even when I ’m sitting down to a nice meal with friends back home, thoughts still roll. I wonder what happened to that little girl, Angela. She was only six teen. I wonder if her two-year-old “princess” is O.K. That’s the only name I ever heard for her daughter. Did she really feel that way for her little girl—or was that just show for me? Does Angela think I’m like other workers in Jackson County? Or does the Christian Appalachian Project have a different feel to these people? Are we doing the right thing? I think so, but I have a limited amount of money each month to help those that need it. Does it make a dent in the poverty in Jackson County? Hardly, but everything helps—and so we keep trying. Burned out on my job? Never—don’t have time. I wish I lived in Jackson County. It would give me so much more time to do what the Lord asks of me. I can’t put in too many hours. How can I stop helping and go home to my warm, carpeted house with plenty of food in the cupboards, when I just received a call telling me of a roof that “can’t barely keep the rains out.” How can I say, “Well, 5:00. Time to go home,” when my friends ran out of food stamps last week. Other friends don’t have running water or even a well close by. My friend Elisha and his wife live in a little tenant farmhouse—no rent; they keep the place up and help the owner, now and then. Their well water is orange, not fit
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for a dog. They’ve done really well getting the place fixed up and looking presentable, but their outhouse is so old and dilapidated, I was scared to open the door. Half of the floor is gone—pretty sad. But the folks have the Lord and we talk about all the blessings He has sent upon us. Then Elisha pulls out his “prize” possession. An old banjo—and he surely makes it sing. They want me to bring my guitar next time I’m in the area—“we’ll pick a few.” W e’ve become great friends. “Oh my Lord, help me figure out what to say to this person.” I drove by Blanton Flats on a sunny day, and saw a lady sitting in the doorway of her house (because she didn’t have steps to sit on). I waved, she waved, I drove on. Then, I turned around and went back. I introduced myself, wondering what I ’d gotten myself into. We talked for quite some time, mostly about her two daughters who just got married—they are 14 and 16. I noticed the house could use a front window replaced and asked her how long it has been that way. She said “Not too long. Four or five years, I guess.” Not too long? What an interesting concept of time. There’s so much. Just when you think you’ve seen every comer in the county, someone calls and you end up down another “holler” that you didn’t know ex isted—and you view ten more potential cases on your way to visit the person that called. Does she deserve it? Does he really need it? Does it
The Mountain Spirit
he was asking for help. It takes a lot for some people to ask for help.” •k-k-k
Marie grew up in Lincoln County, Kentucky, has lived in Garrard County since 1977, and has been a CAP outreach worker since 1987. In a quiet, unassuming way, Marie provides support, both physically and emo tionally for families in Garrard and Lincoln counties. Sometimes, Marie said, compensation comes in ways you’d never expect. “It can get stressful and frustrating, but it’s a challenge and very rewarding. The hard work is worth it. W e’ve been working with one family for quite some time and the mother is expecting a baby. This will make her sixth child at home—she has eight in all. They’re really needy, and we’ve done quite a bit for them. “Anyway, another family had a loved one die and leave
a freezer full of food to the CAP outreach program. We wanted to give the freezer to Pat and her family, and I’d asked her to have someone at her house to help us unload it when we brought it. Her baby was due any time. In fact, she’d been to the doctor the night before we brought the freezer. He wanted to keep her in the hospital, but she said, ‘No, I’m not having this baby yet because they’re going to deliver our freezer tomorrow!’ “We brought it in and she was so excited! She jumped up and down and kissed all of us, and I told her she could go have her baby.” And she did—a fine little boy named Melvin Lee. Pat first came to Marie for help with an electric bill, shortly after moving to Garrard County. After meeting Pat’s children, Marie got them involved with ParentsAre-Teachers, CAP’Shomebound program for children with special needs. “Bobby Ray wasn’t crawling right. He was crawling backwards, or scooting, really, on two legs and one arm. I knew something was wrong, so I asked Kathleen [Leaveil, Parents-Are-Teachers man ager] to visit, so she’s going to start working with him.” •k k -k
by Pat Mertons matter? How can we tell? After a while, someone making $500 a month looks rich. How absurd! I made $500 a month when I was 18 or 19 years old. I had an apartment for $100 per month. But that was 1975 and milk cost $ 1.00 per gallon. Do they deserve it? Are they trying hard enough to help themselves? Some do, some don’t. But does that mean having their electric disconnected will help things? I don’t think so. Our job calls for tenderness, but some times you have to be stem. Most of the time we say yes, but sometimes we have to say no. During the summer of 1991 I was in an accident that kept me from Jackson County for several weeks. While I was gone, I learned that several people that I had already helped asked the volunteer who was filling in for me to pay some bills for them. They knew that we’re only able to help people three times each year, but my replacement didn’t know they’d already been helped. Sneaky? Yes. Clever? Yes. Resourceful? Definitely. Irritating? Could be. But desperate times often call for clever responses. Can I blame them? Could you? Blame doesn’t fit with how I should respond. What’s done is done and the Lord will deal with it in His own way. But maybe H e’s giving me insight about working with people with an increase in understanding and compassion. In any case, I hope the Lord will guide me in His wisdom.
Pal Alsman and two of her eight children, Connie Sue and Melvin Lee.
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go“Some families are working very hard, trying to im prove their circumstances, but the reality is that they’re trying to survive. When you have hungry children and you’re worrying about supper tonight, you don’t really worry too much about getting your GED and going and getting a great job. You’re worried about tonight, and putting food in their bellies. Just surviving is one of the obstacles we have in growth. It’s a hard life, and I see the children as being the key. We can see that children’s lives are somewhat better because of CAP’s involve ment.” Bev explained that like help with immediate needs, advice and advocacy comes at the request of the indi vidual. Outreach workers are careful not to impose their own values on families, pushing in a direction in which they are unwilling or unable to go. “When it comes to children, though, we think we can be judgmental about good choices and bad choices that parents make,” Bev explained. “That’s where we have an obligation to step in. We want children to grow up to be healthy, well-adjusted members of society. “Or for the elderly. They’ve done their job. They’ve worked and contributed to society and now they’re on a fixed income. They deserve our help and attention,
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Daisy’s neighbor, B.J. Scolt, likes lo help by raising the leg supports on her wheelchair.
“Overall, we want to see functional, healthy families with hope and an increased awareness of the resources available to them in achieving that. W e’re a referral program,” Bev said. “We develop the trust and the rapport and a relationship with a family, then help them become aware of other CAP services that are available, other government agencies and other community ac tivities.” Like Marie’s relationship with Pat and her family, outreach workers are usually called to help a family when they have one specific request or need, then are able to help in other areas, as well. “People usually come to us in crisis,” Bev explained. “Their utilities are about to be cut off and they have no money to pay them. They’re out of food, they’re out of clothes. Through the years, CAP has become known as a source of help, so we don’t necessarily have to advertise our services in the paper. People come to us when they feel they don’t have any place else they can
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and they may not necessarily ask, because they’re humble or they have a strong Christian foundation and they’re satisfied with their lot. But we’re not satisfied that they have to wrap up in a blanket in the middle of the day in front of a fire just to stay alive. They may be satisfied, but that’s when we impose and say ‘No, you deserve better. You’ve earned better.’” While her workers concentrate on individual families in each county, Bev’s job is to look at the program’s total effectiveness. “One of our purposes in outreach, and in CAP overall, is to create something that w e’ll never see and never know. Are we creating productive members of society? Are we raising self-esteem and helping people contribute to making society better, hopefully, from a Christian perspective?” Bev and Marie believe that the people they and other outreach workers meet and help do have their self-esteem raised and are doing their part to make society better.
At the end of the year, outreach workers are busy registering families to receive Christmas baskets. Through the generosity of hundreds of CAP donors who agree to provide Christmas gifts, workers are able to thank families for their participation in CAP pro grams throughout the year. Marie had a particularly gratifying early Christmas gift this year. “There are
Melvin Lee’s older sister, Bobbie Sue, sometimes enjoys babysitting chores
families in our Christmas basket program that we’ve helped this past year, helped with utility bills and garden seed. When it came time to sign up for the Christmas box they said, ‘No, I think there are people out there who need it more than I do.’ “I can think of three people right off the top of my head who said that when I went out to do my visit. It made me proud for them that they feel that way, that they would want to reach out and help people the way they had been helped.”
In addition to her friendship with Marie, Pat has been involved in CAP’S adult education program and in Parents-Are-Teachers.
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Working and Growing CAP outreach workers serve many different needs for Appalachian families Story and photos by Beth Dotson Jed Weaver.
JV I any of the problems of Appalachia are similar to problems that litter newspaper headlines across the country. Unemployment is high. The educational sys tem is failing. Drug and alcohol abuses are widespread. Family violence is a reality. CAP’S outreach workers meet families who deal with these problems daily. They drive off the scenic country roads onto narrow gravel paths that lead to homes where the unemployment statistics become reality. There, a family of eight lives in a two-bedroom trailer and subsists on seasonal work and government assis tance. Other workers drive through quaint towns and turn down alleys where houses that are shedding their paint hide behind the government buildings. There, a young mother of twins who is trying to stop the cycle of abuse in her family lives behind locked doors. Beyond the drooping porches and plastic-covered windows, CAP outreach workers meet families who are in need. Con versations with these families reveal that they value the fellowship the workers share as well as the material assistance that they provide. The first time Pat Mertons, Jackson County outreach worker, went to visit the Weaver family, she had to cross a creek on a two-by-four. She crept carefully and made it. In the house on the other side of the creek, she met Linda Weaver. Linda had to cross the creek many times every day. During the seventh month of her pregnancy, she could still keep her balance. 22
Nonetheless, the creek crossing wasn’t safe and when the water was high, the Weavers couldn’t cross it at all. Pat orga nized a group of CAP volunteers to move a bridge from nearby Camp Andrew Jackson to the creek. Linda’s husband, Jed, helped with the move; their four boys, ages 13, 12, 11 and 9, wanted to help, too. They were so excited about the bridge that they actually played on it more than they helped with it. Once it was in place, creek cross ings were easier and two-year-old Jeanie Rae would sit on it for hours to entertain herself. The bridge is only one thing CAP has brought into the Weavers’ lives during the past few years. Because Jed can only find seasonal work, the family sometimes looks to CAP for help. Their struggle with pov erty is not uncommon in Jackson County where the personal income per capita was only $6,919 in 1988. Nearly half of the county’s popula tion lives below the poverty line. The lack of employment opportu-
The Mountain Spirit
nities and low level of education in the county contrib ute to this problem. Since learning about CAP from family and friends, Linda and Jed have gone to the outreach office during crisis times, like when they needed a kerosene heater and when the electric bills were too high to pay. They’ve also opened their doors to the caring new friends CAP has sent to visit them. Pat first met the Weavers at a CAP seed distribution during the spring of 1991. Jed enjoys gardening and tended a plot near the house they had lived in for about twelve years, almost the entire length of their marriage. When the land was sold last summer, their new landlord asked them to move, forcing them to abandon the new bridge and the garden. “The boys didn’t get a vacation this year,’’ Linda said, referring to the days they spent preparing to move. As Linda cared for Jessica, who was bom July 3, the family packed and looked for a new home. When Jed discov ered that their landlord planned to demolish the house they had lived in at one time, he got his brother and some friends to help him dismantle it so he could use the wood to build a new house. The Weavers owned some land in the county, but it was on a hillside that needed to be dozed before it could take
a trailer or house. CAP helped them hire a bulldozer to do the job, then found them a used trailer that was in better shape than the one in which they had been living. They hired someone to drill a water well and the Weavers moved into their new place. CAP is still working with the Weavers on improving conditions in their home. The next step is to install a septic tank so they can have running water for the first time since they’ve been married. Jed dug the lines and hole for the tank, then discovered the land had to be dozed again to further level it for the installation. But finding a small bulldozer to do the job in Jackson County is not easy. The only available operator didn’t have an opening in his schedule to get to the Weaver’s. Pat continued to pursue it as Linda waited with hands folded in prayer. During her visits to the Weaver home, Linda, Jed and Pat do more than fill out paperwork and discuss their material needs. They also share a friendship from which all parties can leam. Pat tries to visit the family at least twice a week and her presence in the home provides a good role model and a source of information for Linda and Jed. “I see them as a family that’s really happy,” Pat said. Indeed, they seem happy to live in Jackson County despite the problems they face. Linda, who grew up in southern Indiana, was amazed at the friendliness of the people when she first visited Jackson County, where Jed was bom and raised. “Everybody waves at you, it doesn’t matter if they know you or not,” she said. Jed said the people are one thing he likes about his home county. “There’s sev eral good things about it,” he said. “There are decent people around, it’s peaceful and quiet.” Jed also likes it because he thinks it’s a good place to raise his children. “I be lieve one good thing is there’s not much
Jed and his wife, Linda, visit nearly every week with a CAP outreach worker. CAP volunteer Pat Mertons (center) helped the Weavers move to a better trailer, and build a footbridge over the creek between the road and their home.
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done to them. He and Linda set a good example for their children by repaying CAP for its assistance by partici pating in work programs. One time, they were even able to raise enough money themselves to pay their electric bill after CAP had already given them a check for that purpose. “She handed my check back,” Pat said, showing pride in the responsibility the Weavers have shown. “That is so rare.” What is not rare is that Linda did not graduate from high school. The 1980 census ranked Kentucky 50th in the United States in educational achievement. Of those 25 and older, the census showed that 53.1% graduated from high school. The lowest percentage of high school graduates in the state was in Jackson County where only 25.3% of the freshmen graduate.
Jed shares a special moment with his daughter, Jeanie Rae. He and Linda have four school-aged children and an infant, Jessica.
bad influence on the children. The parents probably have more influence.” The influence Jed wants to have on his children is to teach them to do unto others as they would like to have
Linda left school in the tenth grade to help her mother with a new baby that needed extra care because of health problems. When asked about her hobbies, Linda remembers how she used to love to draw; Jed goes into the bedroom to find the pictures she did in school more than 20 years earlier. She would like to take up drawing again, and to study for her GED when all of her kids are in school. Jed dreams of building a house for his family to live in made out of the wood he carried to this new home. He doesn’t know when he’ll be able to do it, but it will happen. He hasn’t built a house before, but he had never planted a garden so late in the summer until this year.
Jeanie Rae and her cousin, Delbert, enjoy playing together.
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When he had to leave his garden at their other home, he experimented with a salad garden at his new home and it was showing off beautiful greenery and vegetables in October. When October came to Carrie Holt’s home in Lancaster, she had an air conditioner waiting by the door for CAP to pick up. Earlier in the year, she first met outreach worker Marie Bonner when she delivered the air conditioner to Carrie. A nurse at the health department had suggested Carrie call CAP about borrowing an air condi tioner that would keep her home comfort able and safe for her newborn twins who were bom prematurely. Carrie lives in a house that needs new Justin Holtis making good developmental progress through CAP s windows and doors and has a rotting kitchen Parents-Are-Teachers program floor. It sits just one block from Lancaster’s lives a subsistence existence. Her boyfriend has been main square that treats visitors to a taste of small town employed by a lumber company for ten years so they America with its friendly library, stately courthouse have a small income. But it isn’t enough to make repairs and neighborhood grill. Unlike the town, which hides on the house and provide everything they need for the its poverty behind the public square, Carrie is upfront about the problems she faces as a new mother. twins. Although there are more employment opportunities in Garrard County than in Jackson County, Carrie still
Carrie Holt moved from Richmond, where she grew up, to Lancaster in 1987. She left behind family problems that included abuse and her own war with drugs. She sought treatment for her personal problems that be came even more real to her when she discovered her pregnancy. That is when Carrie began to change her life. One of the first things Carrie did was seek counseling to deal with her abusive childhood. She had heard that abused children often grow up to be abusers, and she didn’t want to fall into that trap. “I don’t remember half of my childhood; I’ve blocked it out,” Carrie said. Her counselor helps her to try to remember so she can deal with the pain, because Came says, “I saw a lot of abuse and I know what it is.” Carrie grew up in a large family where both parents worked. Her oldest sister raised her and Carrie said she resented her mother for not standing up to the abuse she received from Carrie’s father. Yet, Carrie blames the culture in which her mother grew up for teaching her to be submissive. Now that she has children of her own, Carrie doesn’t want to teach them the same thing. “My kids aren’t going to grow up the way I did,” she declared.
Jed and Linda Weaver; their daughter, Jeame Rae; their nephew, Delbert.
CAP is helping Carrie find alternatives to the childhood she knew by working with her through two programs. 25
January - February 1 9 9 2
Marie now makes visits to Carrie a couple of times a month to see how she is doing and to check on the children. During these visits, Marie has seen Carrie’s self-confidence build—an important achievement for abuse victims who are commonly told they are no good. “She is really trying to improve her situation by learn ing,” Marie observed. “She’s trying real hard to be a good mother.” Carrie has endless questions about raising her children and she often calls her sister for advice. She is also learning through Parents-Are-Teachers, a CAP pro gram which identifies and works with children who are developmentally delayed or otherwise handicapped. It gives mothers an opportunity to address special needs and encourage growth. Parents-Are-Teachers program manager Kathleen Leavell began working with Carrie when Justin and Nicole were a month old. They were premature and Justin was delayed. “If it wasn’t for CAP, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” Carrie said. “Justin wouldn’t be where he is now if Kathleen hadn’t come out.”
Carrie hopes that Nicole will have a happier childhood than she had.
Kathleen talked with Carrie about child safety and showed her exercises and games to use with the chil dren. She also brought clothes and educational toys. Although her main educational goal now is to leam to be a good mother, Carrie is also working on learning to read. The Kentucky Literacy Council estimates that there are 400,000 adults in Kentucky who are function ally illiterate. In Garrard County, 37 % of all adults over 25 years old haven’t gone past the eighth grade. Carrie graduated from high school, but she says the system wasn’t veiy good and she’s not ashamed to admit that she needs help with reading. She knows the day will come when her babies come to her for help with their homework. Carrie also hopes to further herself and her family by attending college some day. She has work experience from a vocational rehabilitation program and as a nurse’s aide. She expects that higher education will help her find a good paying job and she shares a broad smile when she thinks of the possibilities that await her. “I admire Carrie for wanting to improve her situation and she wants her children to have more opportunities than she had,” Marie said. Like Linda and Jed Weaver, Carrie looks forward to good things for her children. With the jump-start they received from CAP’s outreach program, Linda, Jed and Carrie might be able to travel even further than they can imagine today.
Carrie, Nicole and Justin Holt visit with CAP outreach worker Marie Bonner.
The Mountain Spirit
YOU DID IT!!
You helped Carrie to help her twins, Justin and Nicole, to learn and grow.
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You helped Jed build a home for his family in Jackson County.
You helped the Lawless sisters purchase school supplies.
---------- —g | A nd we know th at through your donations, we’ll be able to help the next person who com es to us for a h and up in helping themselves to find solutions to th eir problem s. A donation o f $15, $20, $25m ore if you’re able-wili enable us to continue to solve the problem s we see in Appalachia, as we’ve tried to over 25 years . . . one at a time, with love and com pas sion. H elp us, w on’t you?
bilities she didn’t know she had.
You helped Pat keep her family warm in the winter.
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CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT 3 2 2 CRAB ORCHARD ROAD LANCASTER, KY 4 0 4 4 6 The Mountain Spirit
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