The Mountain Spirit - July/Aug. 1992

The Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project

The Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project July - August 1992

Vol. XI, No. 4

Contents Features 4 Leadership: The Primary Element by Margaret Gabriel

16 Environmental Harmony by Beth Dotson

20 The Handcraft Revival: A Review by Beth Dotson

22 And the winner is . . . Lauri Eiselt

23 Issues and Fellowship by Margaret Gabriel

Departments

Challenges for the Future When we started to plan for this issue we weren’t sure, at first, which challenges to explore. Quickly, however, we became engrossed by challenges involving leadership development and environmental con­ cerns. On page 16 Beth Dotson introduces you to Appalachia—Science in the Public Interest, a group that was founded and continues to be led by Father A1 Fritsch, a Jesuit priest. ASPI staffers live simply in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, and are dedicated to showing and helping folks to live simply so others may simply live. Leadership development has recently become an integral part of the Community Health Advocates Program in Magoffin and Floyd counties, evidenced by the “Women’s Leadership Conference” hosted at Camp Shawnee by CHAP, CAP emergency assistance, the adult education program and other CAP programs. Read more about the conference, and the women who at­ tended, on page four. On the COVER, Brenda Wireman, manager of CHAP, Magoffin County, leads conference attendees in prayer (photo by Gabriel). On the BACK COVER, some suggested reading at the Women’s Leadership Conference (photo by Gabriel).

3 From Our President 9 Letters 16 Around the Project 14 The CAP Closeup

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Photo contest winner, page 22.

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Women’s Leadership Conference, page 4.

Published by the Christian Appalachian Project. Editor: Margaret Gabriel. Advisory Board: Father Ralph W. Beiting, Mike McLaughlin, Rose Price, Bill Begley, Ike Adams, Kathleen Ford Leavell, Barbara Delmonico. G raphic Designer: Elizabeth Reed Miller. 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. All rights reserved. Member, Catholic Press Association. The Christian Appalachian Project is a non-profit Christian service organization operating throughout Appalachia. The project operates on the philosophy that “helping people help themselves” is the best approach to Appalachian poverty.

The Mountain Spirit

From Our President Most of us would agree that capable leadership is an essential ingredient in any effort to improve or excel in our present stage of development. We talk much in Kentucky about the need to improve education, the need for more jobs, for expanded eco­ nomic development. People often de­ bate which of these two—education or jobs—is more important. Without good leadership, however, we’re not likely to be successful in either area. We need good leaders to step for­ ward. Unfortunately, at least in the public area, many current leaders, dissatisfied with public life, are leav­ ing, and not always leaving the best behind. So the need for positive lead­ ership is present but the supply of potential leaders seems short. So, what do we do about it? If I thought for a while, I’m sure I could come up with a dozen ideas worth discussing, neither better nor worse than those present on many desks and conference tables across our com­ monwealth and our land. But in the final analysis, it seems that leader­ ship begins with each of us, in what­ ever community we live, corpora­ tion we work for, church we belong to, charitable endeavor we support. While leadership seems a public ac­ tivity, though, it depends on each of us seeing a need, hearing a call, tak­ ing a risk to stand up and be counted. This first “calling” is not from a nameless group of people, but from our neighbor—someone with a face or a name, a need or a hurt. The call doesn’t reach our eyes and ears by television, newspaper or radio, but more closely, personally. Without making a private response deep in our heart to someone else’s suffer­ ing, we will never be moved to the quality of leadership needed today. Though public, it begins at a per­ sonal level known only to ourselves. Paul speaks of this quality, this in­ voking of compassion in his letter to

July - August 1992

the Corinthians. We need faith and we need hope, but without love, he told his readers, we have nothing. Give me someone who cares for oth­ ers, who leads by example rather than by speech, and that is the rough material from which all enlightened leadership comes. It doesn’t matter whether it is rough or smooth, pol­ ished or imperfect . . . if it springs from the heart, if it comes from love, there is reason to believe that it will effect genuine good. Mother Teresa of Calcutta probably thinks little about her leadership role. Her focus is not on the future but the here and now of present day suffer­ ing. She is concerned not with public image or speechmaking but with the life that surrounds her. In the day-today, seemingly insignificant acts of reaching out to one person at a time, she is a tremendous example of all that is noble in the best of leadership traditions. I think many of us try too hard to find our own answer to poverty and prob­ lems we see. We want to do good, but feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the task at hand, its complexities, its many faces. Given our own weak­ nesses, lack of knowledge and in­ abilities, we don’t know what to do, so we end up doing very little, frus­ trating ourselves, and not contribut­ ing to the social good. We bide our time waiting to see the big picture, and for solutions to hit us over the head with a two-by-four. Mother Teresa’s life response could serve us w ell. . . who among us can do better than to follow her example? Even though we may not be able to grasp the big picture, we can all understand the tears in our neighbor’s eye. If we respond to that tear, then we will have begun. Good leadership moves people to follow. After all, that’s what the word really means . . . It means having someone who sees, hears, and does.

M ike M cL a u g h lin .

And it’s the doing that counts. We think of leaders as dreamers, vision­ aries, planners, solution finders, idea people. Some of these qualities are helpful, but only insofar as they lead to an actual “doing.” Otherwise, what are we led to? I take some solace in this kind of perspective. I can reach out from where I am today. I may not be able to do much, but I can do something . . . and something is far, far better than nothing at all. Can you imagine what kind of good would be released if each of us were to do just one nice thing for someone else each day for the remainder of our lives, and to lead just one other person to do the same? Just one small thing daily. Not something huge and profound, but something of and from our hearts where the best part of us lies. The total good that this would set in motion is incomprehensible; more than we can hope for or even imagine. But it would be in our grasp, it would be something we could do, if... if... if.... I can do one special act of good today. I will take a step beyond and above what I normally accomplish in any one day. I think—I know—I will be better because of it. Maybe my neighbor will too. Would you join me in your own doing? —MCM.

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Leadership: The Primary Element story and photos by Margaret Gabriel

WW h e n my little girl saw me yesterday she said, ‘What have you done?’” Chris Gayheart ex­ claimed. Chris’ nearly waist-length hair was a casualty of a makeover session conducted by the Hairloft of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, as part of the Women’s Lead­ ership Conference sponsored by the Christian Appala­ chian Project. One might not think of grooming as a component of leadership, but self-esteem is crucial for an effective leader, and “You could see immediately how much better they felt about themselves,” said Natalie Vasquez, who works with CAP’S Community Health Advocates Program (CHAP). “Some ladies came dressed up today—you could tell they felt good because they looked good.” “We had a dream to do something like this—to give women a chance to get away, to have a variety of instruction or input or ideas that might be useful to them. We wanted them to be able to share things that would be useful to their families, but also useful to their communities,” said Kathy DiSalvo, manager of CHAP. “This wasn’t just CHAP’s program, though. It was really a collaboration between all of CAP’S programs in this area—CHAP, emergency assistance, adult edu­ cation. The people that work in the warehouse helped us by carrying things up to camp here.” The conference evolved through the efforts of workers in Magoffin County, especially those of Natalie, a former teacher. “This was a project we’ve been talking about for a long time,” Kathy said, “but when Natalie came, we gave her the idea and she ran with it. ” Natalie, a CAP volunteer, was responsible for much of the planning and scheduling for the conference. 4

Wheels before joining CHAP.

H ie Mountain Spirit

CHAP staffer Katie Newsome, a frequent contributor to The Mountain Spirit, spoke to the women about the importance of good communication in their relationships.

*** CAP began the Community Health Advocates Program in Floyd County in 1986, in response to a need that surfaced during a symposium in 1985, “Appalachia: A Vision for Action.” In conjunction with Dr. Oris Blackwell, chairman of the environmental health de­ partment at Eastern Kentucky University, CAP staff began working with area residents, talking with them about their health needs and the ways that those needs could be addressed. The discussions began to highlight far more than just physical health needs; the issue of leadership came to the foreground more and more often. From the very outset, in the days when CHAP was known as “Preven­ tive Health Care,” workers knew that it was essential to pass the direction of the program from the hands of CAP employees and volunteers to people who live in the area—people with roots and families and a personal investment in the quality of life in Appalachia. The goal of involving area residents in shaping the program led to the conference at Camp Shawnee. In 1989, CAP received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a leading catalyst for health care and leadership development. The grant allowed CHAP’s expansion into Magoffin County. The foundation has always been vitally interested in providing leadership opportunities through CHAP, and its funding has pro­ vided the means needed to host the conference. “We titled it ‘Women’s Leadership Conference, ’” Kathy said. “Most of the women here are involved in our women’s groups—that’s a community activity. There’s a lot of potential in those groups; potential that can make a difference in their families and in the lives of July - August 1992

different people in the community. If we’re able to have another conference next year, we want the women’s groups to be more involved. We planned this year, but we want to see them do more planning next year.” The events for the week touched on a variety of con­ cerns important for leadership development, including communication, goal setting and prayer. Workshops on hair care, make-up and health issues boosted self­ esteem; sessions that dealt with crafts, folklore and art were entertaining as well as informative. *** As the twenty-first century approaches, women are exploring more leadership opportunities than ever be­ fore. The Women’s Leadership Conference also exam­ ined one of the primary leadership roles of many of the women who attended—that of parent. Richard Ginn, a CAP Family Life Counseling worker who serves the Big Sandy area, addressed the group, asking the rhe­ torical question, “Do We Still Need the Home?” “Schools organize PTAs to get families involved. Churches institute family programs; the family seems to be the deciding factor,” Richard said. “I believe that the home is the beginning place of everything that is good. When our homes are strong and vital, than our schools and our churches and our government are going to be strong, too. “It seems to me that the deciding factor of whether we’re going to make it as a nation is not what’s happening in Washington, D.C.; it’s what’s happening in Magoffin County in your homes and what’s happen­ ing in Floyd County in my home, and what’s happening in all these counties around us.”

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because several School on Wheels teachers participated, Natalie was able to invite several “Teacher’s Choice” presenters to the conference. * ** One of the presenters, Carole CroweCarraco, teaches history at Western Kentucky University. “You all saved me from grading final exams,” Carole said. “I want to talk to you today about women in Kentucky history because Kentucky is about to celebrate its bi­ centennial. When we think about Ken­ tucky history, we probably think about Daniel Boone, and we think about Between presentations and during meals women learned much from each other as they exchanged experiences and opinions. Henry Clay and we think about Carl Perkins and we think about Greg Stumbo, and we always seem to come up with the Natalie corroborated Richard’s message. “I taught for names of men. But we don’t seem to be able to come up 39 years, and I taught every grade, from pre-school to with the names of too many women who have contrib­ junior college,” Natalie said to the group of about 25. uted to the history of our state.” “I’ve spent my whole life with children, and I had some children in the first grade, then again when they were During the summer months, Carole plans to tour Ken­ seniors in high school. That’s a wonderful experience, tucky, performing a one-women show highlighting the but it’s also a very eye-opening experience. Those life of Mary Breckinridge. Although the work is still “in children had not changed—their habits and their per­ progress” Carole presented several parts of the play. It sonalities—from the time they were six years old. The gives an excellent perspective on the work of Mrs. children that were loving, happy, outgoing, studious Breckinridge who founded the Frontier Nursing Ser­ children when they were six were loving, happy, outgo­ vice in Hyden, Kentucky, in 1925, to provide pre-natal ing and studious in the twelfth grade. care for mountain women. “Mothers, I learned early in life that it’s not teachers that have the most influence on children. You do. You’re their first teacher. They’re already formed when they start school.” *** A bom teacher, Natalie began working on the program for the leadership conference in February, inviting a variety of speakers who addressed questions that unite to make good leaders.

The play’s exposition takes the form of an address to a ladies’ group in New York. Dressed in fine furs and a matronly hat, Mrs. Breckinridge tells of the work of her corps of nurses in order raise the funds and support she needs to continue her work. Subsequent scenes flash back to her days in France, forward to the time when the service was becoming more established, and through­ out, tells the fascinating story of a woman who helped to shape the history of Kentucky.

“The artists that I invited to speak on Friday are all from this area,” Natalie said. “I wanted the women to see people from around here, people just like them who had talent, and studied and trained to use that talent. I wanted them to know what their choices are and to know what’s possible.”

“I can’t tell how old any of you are,” Carole said, “but you might be surprised to leam that Mary Breckinridge started the Frontier Nursing Service when she was 44 years old. She was a woman in transition. And she ran the Frontier Nursing Service until 1965. Until the day before her death she was still working. So I don’t think any of us can say that we’re too old to do something that needs to be done.”

When Natalie worked with CAP’S School on Wheels in Renfro Valley, during the summer of 1991, she learned of “Teacher’s Choice,” a joint program of the state department of education, the humanities and arts coun­ cils, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Because of CAP’S emphasis on adult education and

Vercie Hall, one the of conference participants, de­ clared her intention to “study on” Mary Breckinridge after seeing Carole’s performance. “W e’re studying about Kentucky history on the red bus [The Mountain Spirit, January-February 1992], and I really don’t know

6

The Mountain Spirit

much about women’s history.” Of the meeting at Camp Shawnee, Vercie said, “This group here helps you think you can do what you want to do and gives you the courage to do it. I think I’ll be able to do things better now. I think it’s great that CAP has let us do this.” *■*•■*• The core of the participants in the leadership conference belong to six women’s groups that meet weekly in Floyd and Magoffin counties. The groups, a component of community health advocates, are loosely structured; issues discussed and activities planned are determined by the members of the individual groups. The group in Martin, for example is beginning a craft co-op, while another group has been concentrating on nutrition, and learning to save money in the kitchen. Katie Newsome, a CHAP staff worker, had demon­ strated some inexpensive, yet delicious cooking tech­ niques the previous night. “We learned a lot about nutrition last night,” Sandy Stone said of Katie’s lesson. “We learned that if you cook the vegetables too done, you don’t get enough vitamins. You just cook ‘em about half.” “Everybody helped,” Katie said of their stir-fried dinner of chicken and vegetables. “They learned to bone a chicken breast, and we all had a job to do. We used canola oil, so we didn’t have any cholesterol, and used fresh vegetables and the chicken and rice. So we had a very nutritious meal for nine people for less than $3. “When we did that in women’s group, one of the ladies took the chicken bones home and made a pot of soup, so we made it go as far as we could, even fixing the leftovers. That’s what we’re doing today. W e’re mak­ ing green bean casserole—we’re using herb dressing and a little mushroom . . . “

u

-

.. .

July - August 1992

* *

“Decorate it!” someone chimed in, and everyone laughed. • k ic k

The women who attended were invited to stay over­ night at Camp Shawnee, the location of the conference, although it was not required. For several it was the first time they had ever taken time for themselves, away from family responsibilities.

Sandy, a mother of three, was one of several women with young children at home. “My husband’s got the two older ones and my mother-in-law’s keeping the baby,” Sandy said. “I wasn’t going to come, but my husband talked me into it. I guess he thought every husband and wife needed some time apart. W e’ve been m arried three years, and we’ve never been away from J/ ' each other.”

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mSB a *-

Melissa Vance, a licensed practical nurse who works with Community Health Advocates, demonstrated cardlo-pulmonary resuscitation for adults and babies.

Kathy DISalvo manages CHAP In Floyd County, and provides observation for the program in M agoffin County. She handled cooking chores for the conference.

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were younger,” Vickie Jones of Martin said of the older women who were attend­ ing. “I used to listen to my grandfather and grandmother for hours on end. My parents are both in their sixties, and she tells me about all kinds of things that my mamaw used to do and make when she was grow­ ing up. That tells me more about my mamaw and my family. I love listening to them.” ‘‘[The conference] sounded good,” said Chris Gay heart of Beaver in Floyd County. “My little girl talked me into coming. I wanted to come, but first she read about it in the paper. She wanted me to come so I could leam to put makeup on her and fix her hair!” Chris said that she learned quite a bit to pass on to her eleven-year-old daughter from Randy Trimble, owner and operator of the salon in Prestonsburg. The local business spent one morning at camp pro­ viding makeovers for the women. In addi­ Richard Ginn, of the Family Life Counseling Service, stressed that mothers and fathers tion to a new hairdo, and other beauty tips, are their children’s first-and most important-teachers. Chris said, “W e’ve learned about women’s Although she said she missed her babies, Sandy was history and folklore and crafts. We ’ve learned to weave— enjoying her time away, participating fully in the activi­ we’ve had a great time.” ties that Natalie and the others had planned, making friends from other areas, and exchanging ideas with old friends. Sandy said that Carole’s presentation about women in Kentucky history had motivated her to read and re­ search more about the subject. “I hadn’t heard of many of them, besides Jenny Wiley. I wrote down the titles of the some of the books she talked about, and the authors, in case there’s a book with close to the same name. There’s a few of us here that wants to know more about it. I like to read when I’ve got the time.” Sandy joined a CHAP women’s group after she had had contact with the emergency assistance program. “I needed a car seat, and they asked me to work at the warehouse [in exchange for the car seat]. After that, I started asking questions, and I started getting involved in groups, and getting other people to come, too. It’s fun—we’re building on a quilt right now. We don’t know what we’re going to do with it, but it looks good. “Women’s clubs are fun,” Sandy said. “Even if it’s only two hours a week—I go to two different ones. We make things to put in our homes, make things real pretty.” At 20, Sandy was the youngest woman at the confer­ ence; some of her colleagues were well into their 60s. “I like learning about things that they did when they 8

Natalie believes that the “great time” that was provided will have a broad effect on families and, indeed, on the community in general. “During the week I heard a couple of women talking about going back to work on their GEDs [high school equivalency diplomas], and possibly going on to col­ lege. When we were planning, we wanted to get across the fact that they are all valuable people, and now they want to tell the same thing to others.” As they were planning the conference, Kathy, Natalie and the other workers were not sure exactly how they would evaluate their success. Now, though, they be­ lieve that the Women’s Leadership Conference has been a success. “They’ll make a difference in their families’ lives and in the lives of different people in the community,” Kathy said of the participants. “The con­ ference has given them a chance to get away and leam, and it’s given them a chance to relax. They’re happier, and hopefully, the things they’ve learned will make them better family leaders, then that leadership will extend to different projects.” '3'

The Mountain Spirit

Letters I grew up in the Appalachian area of southwest Virginia not far from the Kentucky state line. My dad worked in the coal mines near Grundy, Vir­ ginia most of his life. I have four sisters and three brothers and yet we seemed to grow up not knowing how poor we actually were at the time. Somehow my dad was able to make ends meet and our mother was al­ ways there for us. I guess it was all part of that good mountain pride that you speak of so often. I can relate to many of the problems that the good people have back there. Keep up the good work and may God bless. Robert H. Harris Raleigh, NC I do really enjoy reading this little magazine. It is true that many of us would never know about Appalachia and all the wonderful projects Father Beiting has started and the good that has been done for the poverty of this part of the USA. Rita Gallagher Winona, MN

I admire and support the wonderful work you accomplish among the people of Appalachia. The Mountain Spirit is an inspiring newsletter.

I’ve given the May-June ’92 Moun­ tain Spirit to a friend who leaves tomorrow A.M. with a car load of “goodies” for Father Beiting. I read the issue with much interest and would like to replace it for myself. Bernadine Gement Racine, WI We ’re always happy to hear that a reader has passed her Mountain Spirit to a friend. And don’tforget— if you ’ll let us know that you’ve shared your magazine, w e’ll be happy to replace it!

Over the years I have read with inter­ est o f C hristian A ppalachian Project’s touching success stories. I am happy to share in some small way as CAP strives to bring education and hope to the proud people of Ap­ palachia. The joy of giving nourishes the soul. Beth Keith Naples, FL

I enjoy reading about the work you and your associates and volunteers do to help the people help them­ selves.

May Reverend Beiting be blessed with many more healthy years to fulfill God’s work. Your magazine is just wonderful. I love the pictures and the stories. Mrs. Fritz Schwank Los Angeles, CA I don’t know of any organization or charity that is doing more to help people than the Christian Appala­ chian Project, and am proud to be a contributor for many years in a small way. All the best to you and your volun­ teers in the work you do so well. Constance F. Yarbrough Atlanta, GA I enjoy very much, The Mountain Spirit and the personal articles and comments of the workers and volun­ teers in the project. I wish I were younger and able to be a volunteer myself, but as that is not possible I am glad I can give a little toward your work. Evelyn Tripp Lawrenceburg, TN

May God bless you and give you all health and strength to continue in your ministry.

“People helping people.” It’s a good feeling to know it happens. Too bad it doesn’t happen more often in more places.

Thank you for such a enlighting little magazine. May God bless you and keep you.

Ellen R Dellinger Hagerstown, MD

Arlene Dunham So. Royalston, MA

Amy Van Vliet Belmont, CA

We love to read The Mountain Spirit. My wife was bom in Floyd County, and we try to come back there at least once a year. Kentucky is a very beau­ tiful state and so are the people.

I enjoy your magazine. It is nice to know how donations are spent and the magazine helps to increase one’s knowledge. I usually pass the maga­ zine along.

James W. Lacy Fort Atkinson, WI

Mrs. N.J. Merli Spring Lake Heights, NJ

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 letters to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancas­ ter, Kentucky 40446.

July - August 1992

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Around the Project Playground Constructed At CAP CDC in Berea The students at CAP Child Develop­ ment in Berea have a new treat—a deluxe playground, that has been a joint effort of several groups of dedi­ cated people. Some of the funding came as a result of a grant from the Bluegrass Asso­ ciation for Children Under Six. A work day of parents, center staff, temporary and permanent volunteers got the construction of the playground well underway. “They dug holes, poured concrete, planted trees, flow­ ers and bushes, and set posts in the concrete,” said Teri Mehler, man­ ager of the center. “We sat down as a staff and decided what we wanted on the playground and designed it,” Teri said. “W e’ve also landscaped to help make the neighborhood looknicer. We have to remember that we’re part of a neigh­ borhood.” The playground features a platform seesaw (“They stand up and hold on to a bar. It’s more fun, less danger­ ous, and more kids can get on it.”), a vegetable garden that’s beginning to sprout green beans and watermelon, chinning bars, a Z-shaped balance

beam (“presents more of a chal­ lenge”), and a giant “thing,” Teri called it: a climbing structure with beams and platforms, tire swings and sliding boards at either end. “I almost forgot the sand box!” Teri said. “W e’ve got an industrial strength sandbox that’ll be there for­ ever, like the pyramids. It’s got a cover on it to keep the animals out, and a roof to protect from the sun.” But it’s collaboration that has made the playground so special. Aside from a great collection of equipment and a beautiful site, the love of several groups of people has combined to give the center a truly exceptional playground.

Wanted: Christmas Basket Sponsors Elizabeth Miller, graphic designer for The Mountain Spirit, got a lift from a note that she received shortly after Christmas, 1991. “I hope you can feel this hug I am sending you through this card,” the note said. “Your kindness is much appreciated. I am enrolling in a local college, so hopefully in a few years I can help someone in a similar situation . . . May your home be filled and blessed

with the love of our Savior Jesus C hrist. . . Cyndi and Andrew.” The Miller family has sponsored families through CAP’s Christmas basket program every year since 1988, but this was the first time that they had received a thank you note. “I was really touched by it,” Liz said. Preparing the Christmas basket is a family project for Liz, her husband, Jimmy, and their two sons, Jim (12) and Jeremy (7). “After I get the infor­ mation about the family, we sit and talk about what to get each person in the family,” Liz said. “We like to give things that they need, and if there are kids in the family, a toy to play with. The little boy in our family last year was only a year younger than Jeremy, so he had lots of good ideas about what to get. “Then we shop together and wrap the presents. Jim is very quiet—some­ times I don’t know what he’s think­ ing, but Jeremy wants to know if he can invite the people to stay all night. Last year when we were wrapping the presents he asked if we could say a prayer for the people.” If your family would like to sponsor an Appalachian family for Christ­ mas, please let us know by contact­ ing: Brenda Watts CAP Christmas Program 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446 (606) 792-3051 or by dropping a note using the enve­ lope in the magazine. If you are not able to shop, wrap and mail gifts, please consider a donation that will enable us to purchase food and gifts for those we are not able to have sponsored.

Volunteers (both temporary and permanent), staff, and parents worked together to begin construction of a play yard for the CAP Child Development Center in Berea.

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Thanks, and it may be early, but Merry Christmas! The Mountain Spirit

around the project. . . continued

Father Beiting Testifies To Congress Reprinted with permission from the Somerset Commonwealth-Journal WASHINGTON, D.C.—At a hear­ ing [concerning revenue foregone, the government postal subsidy], Con­ gressman Harold Rogers, represen­ tative from the Fifth Congressional District in Kentucky, introduced a w itness from Eastern Kentucky whose organization depends on af­ fordable mail: Father Ralph Beiting, the founder and chairman of the Christian Appalachian Project. Mr. Rogers is fighting to block any increase in the rates which non-profit groups in Kentucky pay for bulkmail when they raise money and stay in touch with the public. As a member of the House subcom­ mittee that funds the Postal Service, Rogers said he is unwilling to make those who can least afford it—the non-profit groups that help others— bear the burden of rising mail cost. W e’re talking here about churches, about the local community chest, the Boy Scouts and groups like the Chris­ tian A ppalachian P roject,” said Rogers (R-Ky.). “These are all organizations that pro­ vide hope,” he added. “To make it more expensive and more difficult for them to raise the money they need to stay in business would not just hurt the groups themselves. It would hurt the people they serve. And I won’t be a party to it.” Each year, when it sets spending levels, Congress must decide whether to continue to grant non-profit orga­ nizations a reduced rate of bulk mail­ ing—a provision known as “revenue foregone.” Mr. Rogers noted that CAP provides direct help to about 38,000 people

July - August 1992

Recently Carole Johnson, a CAP supporter who lives In Livingston, New Jersey, visited CAP. Carole is the founder of Tender Loving Care Ministries, which makes and distributes children’s clothes. She and Linda Grider, administrative assistant for CAP’S alternate fund raising department(left), traveled to McCreary County to see some recipients of Carole’s handiwork.

and indirectly assisted 22,000 fami­ lies with “everything from Christmas baskets to family counseling.” Father Beiting told the panel that the Christian Appalachian Project would be hurt severely if Congress increases postal rates for non-profit mailers. He said CAP expects to raise about half of its annual $32 million budget through direct mail solicitations and also needs the break on mailing costs to continue its mail order Christmas wreath business, which employs 120 people in Jackson County. “If Congress were to cut revenue foregone, it would sever our access to new volunteers, and it would cur­ tail donations of good,” Father Beiting said. “That’s because people find out about CAP—and the needs of Appa­ lachia—through their mailbox.” I f you would like to help assure that reduced cost mailings are available fo r charitable groups, including churches, please write Sen. Dennis DiConcini (D-Az.), U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510and ask him to support revenue foregone.

How Can I Help? 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 Appalachian which you leam about in CAP publications. (Share this magazine with a friend and we’ll send a replacement.) Ask us about any of the problems in Ap­ palachia and we’ll be happy to share any knowledge. Secondly, you can give us a most Valuable commodity—time. Millions of hours have been donated to help­ ing the people of Appalachia. If you would like to volunteer three weeks or more to working in Appalachia, please contact us and the informa­ tion can be given to the volunteer 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.

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around the project. . . continued

Volunteers Hold Retreat at Camp AJ Christian Appalachian Project vol­ unteers were honored at a recent Volunteer Recognition Day at the Family Life Center with lunch, gifts and plenty of cheering and applause. Each volunteer was called by name and presented with a small clock as a token of CAP’S esteem and gratitude for service. The day was a kick-off for a week­ end retreat at Camp Andrew Jackson, where the volunteers gathered for some spiritual renewal from CAP founder, Father Ralph Beiting. The former volunteers now working as employees for CAP enjoyed some time together, as they cooked sump­ tuous meals for the retreatants.

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please print

address aty state

In addition to showing great appreciation for each other, volunteers were recognized by CAP human development and administrative staff. Even Father Beiting (left) joined in the festivities.

CAP Plans River Mission When Kentucky celebrated its bi­ centennial on June 1,1992, the Chris­ tian Appalachian Project was plan­ ing a celebration of its own, one that combined that bicentennial with the five hundredth anniversary of Co­ lumbus’ encounterof the New World. To commemorate these two historic events, CAP will embark on sixteen days of preaching, entertainment, and education along 550 miles of the Ohio River, beginning at Point Pleas­ ant, West Virginia, June 26 and cul­ minating at Owensboro, Kentucky, July 12. The river mission will touch fourteen communities in four states— Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana—by its completion.

ZIP code

Father Ralph Beiting is an avid fan of Daniel Boone and chose Point Pleas­ ant as the launching site for the mis­ sion because of its historical signifi­ cance to the Daniel Boone legacy.

NEW ADDRESS name address T3TV----

state

ZIP code

Mail to: The Mountain Spirit, 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446.

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The river mission has multiple pur­ poses, in addition to the recognition of the Kentucky bicentennial and the introduction of Christianity to the Americas. Father Beiting and his crew are also celebrating the spirit exhibited in the struggles and tri­

umphs of the early settlers and cur­ rent population of the Appalachian region, and the CAP as a viable force dedicated to helping the people of Appalachia help themselves. Presentations are planned as a dy­ namic back and forth presentation from the CAP houseboat—The Daniel Boone—and the shore. Land­ ing sites will feature local participa­ tion, including gospel, bluegrass, and traditional music, drama, poetry, story telling, art, and, of course, preaching. Preaching will be shared by Father Beiting, local ministers, Father Frank Osburg, and three Protestant minis­ ters on the CAP staff: Barry Leonard, a Methodist minister; Geoff Barrett, a Baptist minister; and Ken Kinley, a Southern Baptist minister. The boat crew will include musicians who will perform at intervals. Local church, civic, school, and Scout groups will be invited to set up infor­ mational or vending booths to pro­ mote their own cause or to raise funds to support their cause These booths and activities will be set up and will take place on the riverfronts where the Daniel Boone will be docked. The Mountain Spirit

around the project. . . continued

Alumni Hold Reunion In Massachusetts T hirteen C hristian A ppalachian Project volunteer alumni who live in Massachusetts held a reunion in Bos­ ton recently, gathering to visit and share stories about their days with CAP. The reunion was the idea of assistant director of human developm ent Brenda Riddle. “W e’ve had such a strong volunteer network there. I though that we might use this one as a trial to see if volunteer alumni are still interested in CAP.” Brenda said that the response from the Massachusetts “alum” told her that they are definitely still inter­ ested in staying connected with CAP and helping with its work in Appala­ chia. “Alumni can talk about CAP in their churches or others groups that they’re involved with,” Brenda said. “They can recruit volunteers, raise money for the volunteer program, or they can be prayer partners with us.” While not completely organized, Brenda said, they hope to connect v olunteers w ith prayer groups throughout the country, “Groups who will keep us in their prayers. We

want people to know that everyone can help us. People can come to volunteer, they can lend physical support, and they can pray—for us, and for the poor of Appalachia, too.

Gift Annuities

“W e have one alum nus, B ill Brunsheen, in New York [perma­ nent volunteer, 1987-88], who has written letters to churches and col­ leges in his area, offering to come and speak about CAP,” Brenda said. “He comes back to see us every once in a while, too. He’s a really good example of the kinds of things that volunteers can do to help us after they go back home.” The volunteer reunion was “great fun,” Brenda reports. “We had some snacks, we prayed and watched a video about the red school bus and the workfest [see The Mountain Spirit, March-April, 1992]. And people asked lots of questions about what’s going on with CAP now. They wanted to know where the Attic is, whatever happened to the teen cen­ ters, things like that. Mostly, they just wanted to talk and visit, though.” Other volunteer reunions are planned, both in Massachusetts, and in other states, Brenda said. “W e’re going to ask alumni to organize reunions in their area, with a CAP representative attending.”

A gift annuity to the Chris­ tian A ppalachian Project will help us continue to provide em ploym ent opportunities to A ppalachian people. This ac­ tivity is an essential p art o f o u r m ission to help people help themselves. But, w hat is a gift annuity? It’s a legal agreem ent by which you m ake a gift to CAP and receive a gu aran teed life in­ com e in return. For a m ore com plete expla­ nation, write today for your free copy o f “Giving T hro u g h Gift A nnuities” by filling o u t the co upon below and enclos­ ing it in the envelope provided. Clip and send N am e_______________________ A d d re ss------------------------------C ity ________________________ State, ZIP __________________ Date o f B irth ________________ T e le p h o n e __________________

one that was held in Massachusetts

July - August 1992

13

The CAP Closeup Adams

Shelia Barrett God’s “Bargain Hunter”

by Ike Adams

S h e lia Barrett.

T h e r e may be people prouder and gladder to be working for the Christian Appalachian Project. There may be folks with more energy and there may even be some in closer and more frequent contact with God than Shelia Barrett. But I’ve been working here for six years and I haven’t met any of them yet. And that’s about as high as compliments get in our organization. You work hard. You stay close to God and you make your life a mission to serving others. That’s not often as simple as it sounds. My good friend, Shelia Barrett, however, lives happily in both her personal and professional lives as the good and friendly helper. I can’t think of anyone who better fits the description of “servant” in the terms that Jesus recom­ mended for all of us. Shelia joined CAP in 1985, seven years ago, as an assistant purchaser. Even then we had more than fifty programs scattered throughout eastern Kentucky; eld­ erly services, childhood development centers, home repair, emergency services, used clothing stores, teen development projects. Every program also had a tight budget and a manager looking for the best deal available on things like toilet paper, floor wax, cleaning supplies—whatever it took 14

to keep running. Shelia came on board as our “shop­ per.” In short order she was finding the best deals on washers and dryers, refrigerators and stoves, typewrit­ ers and copying machines. She also negotiated orders for office supplies for the entire organization. When I joined CAP as manager of the Rockcastle Teen Center, I learned, right away, that the expedient way to get a handful of bail-point pens or a box of crayons was to call Shelia. I inherited a typewriter—at least it came with the job—that had to have ribbons manufactured in Tibet, at a cost of $25 each, according to a local office supply store. Shelia found them free. And I, along with every program manager in our organization, learned that the best way to beat my supply budget was regular calls to Shelia Barrett. If you wanted or needed something, you learned to call Shelia and she would complete all the paperwork if had you the needed approvals. And it’s like that today. Shelia Barrett is still doing pretty much the same things that she started out doing in our purchasing department except that it is all computerized now. She’s learned to punch in data and information on a sophisticated com­ puter system that makes a bunch of decisions she used to make personally after doing all the math on a cheap adding machine while taking notes on a legal pad. It’s The Mountain Spirit

not the kind of transition you make overnight and it hasn’t been easy. Especially when you’ve been doing it the other way for more than thirty years.

tending big gardens, of canning almost everything the family had to eat in the hills before moving to Cleve­ land, Ohio, when the mines shut down.

On the other hand, Shelia maintains that computeriza­ tion is beginning to allow her to do what she enjoys most at CAP.

The only time that I have ever seen Shelia Barrett’s eyes well up is when she speaks of those early years in Cleveland.

When folks come to visit our central office (and they come from all over the country every day in warm weather), Shelia Barrett is one of the people apt to drop whatever she is doing to show them around. If you are planning a visit to CAP’s office in Lancaster, you may be lucky enough to coincide with Shelia’s assigned “tour week.” She has been known to spend more than three hours on a tour, if her guests wish to spend that much time. If Shelia shows you the ropes, chances are that you’ll know how to tie every knot when you leave us. The rest of us can show you around, but Shelia will make a believer of you.

“I hated it. I wanted to be home. I felt so out of place. I just wanted to be back where I belonged. I wanted trees and country and grass and quiet nights. I just wanted to come home so bad.”

Every day, in our central office, we have a morning prayer service. Folks from throughout CAP lead a daily devotional and then, as a group, we offer the prayer requests that come in the mail and from whomever shows up in chapel. About 75 people work in our central office. Over the last two years, one of them has taken on the responsibility of making sure that some­ one will lead morning prayer. One person makes sure that every prayer request is offered. Shelia Barrett is the person who makes sure that we stay in daily communication with God. And she does it in her spare time. Shelia was raised in the West Virginia coal fields. Her dad was a miner and she grew up in the fifties, without knowing that she was poor. Her dad was later a railroad worker and they had to move around. Shelia talks of

In the mid-sixties, in Cleveland, Shelia Lattie met Geoff Barrett, fell in love, and soon found herself married to the man “that I would follow anywhere today.” Geoff was a native of Cleveland but they moved to Harrrodsburg, Kentucky, and Shelia decided that was as close to home as she might hope to be in the near future. They ran a hardware store together and then Geoff took a stint with a utility company. In the mean­ time, Shelia and Geoff had a family of three children, two boys and a girl, all of whom are grown and have lives of their own now. In fact, there are three grandchil­ dren—but please don’t call Shelia “Grandma.” The children are grown now and this story wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that Geoff lacks only one foreign language course to complete his studies at Asbury Seminary. He works for CAP, as a maintenance man/counselor for CAP’s programs in Rockcastle County. Geoff may be called to a ministry in Eastern Kentucky and those of us who know him well are praying that will happen. We are also praying for Shelia and we are praying that their ministry will be close to our Floyd County offices so that she can continue to i work at CAP. f Please hold Shelia and Geoff in your prayers, too. And please pray that some­ one will be ready to pick up the load that Shelia Barrett so gallantly bears for CAP’s workers if and when God moves the Barretts deeper into the mountains. ft

Shelia and Geoff have been married 29 years, and when you see them together you have no doubt that each is the other’s best friend.

July - August 1992

15

Environmental Harmony A Career and a Lifestyle in Appalachia Story and photos by Beth Dotson

T h e task of saving the environment is some­ times so overwhelming that it’s easiest just to say, “Let someone else do it.” Who wants to worry about the hole in the ozone? Who wants to leam about organic garden­ ing when using all those chemicals is so much easier? The people who work at Appalachia—Science in the Public Interest (ASPI), can tell you about an array of people who are answering “I do” to those questions. They are mountain folk and city dwellers; nuns, stu­ dents and professors; Americans and people from for­ eign countries. From their offices near the Rockcastle River in Livingston, Kentucky, the ASPI staffers are helping these people turn their desire to save the envi­ ronment into positive actions that enhance their per­ sonal lives, without overwhelming them with grim environmental predictions. “You don’t have to get real heavy about the whole thing,” said Robyn Arnold, an editor at ASPI. “I think there’s where a lot of environmental and social action groups miss the point. It’s sort of the hellfire and brimstone concept. They try to scare people into behav­ ing a certain way and it’s just the natural tendency, I think, to balk about things.” People who live in the Appalachian region don’t need sermons to frighten them when the results of wasteful consumer habits are magnified in their mountains. It is ironic that an area known for its beauty—its Great Smoky Mountains, Daniel Boone National Forest, hik­ ing trails, camping spots and fishing holes—should also demonstrate the terrible environmental destruc­ tion of strip mining which chops off the tops of moun­ tains as if they were trees that needed to be trimmed. Unlike tree branches, these mountains will not “grow back.” 16

The strip mining begins a chain of environmental destruction that washes down the mountainside and into inhabited hollows that people call homes. Some have even witnessed firsthand the personal tragedy inflicted by these mammoth machines used in strip mining. In the pursuit of black gold, they have dug up family graveyards and sent coffins tumbling down the mountainside while family members watched help­ lessly. Strip mining isn’t the only environmental problem in Appalachia; there’s also all the garbage. It piles up in yards, gets dumped in creeks. It goes anywhere except to the dump, because people with little income cannot pay for its disposal. The garbage is another visible example of environmental degradation. Father A1 Fritsch, a Jesuit priest, has seen these trag­ edies occur in his home state of Kentucky. Father A1 is a chemist who served as a science consultant for the Center for Study of Responsive Law in Washington, D.C. for seven years. After that, he decided to put the “simple lifestyle” he had been preaching to work in Kentucky. That’s when he found ASPI in 1977 with a technological, practical and positive approach. “We talk about the positive aspects, you have to give people a sense of hope,” Father A1 said. “You’ve got to give them the things that take the place of something else rather than to tell them what’s wrong with what they’ve got.” For many people, what’s “wrong” is that their daily lifestyles put heavy demands on the environment. Our quick-moving society requires expenditures of energy that aren’t always renewable. We cut down our forests, drain our reservoirs, and as we do, it doesn’t even occur The Mountain Spirit

to us that we could be making an irreparable dent in the future of our planet. ASPI addresses these and other issues through a three­ pronged environmental education program that in­ cludes an environmental demonstration center, pub­ lishing projects and workshops. The work is done from buildings and grounds that exemplify a simple lifestyle and environmentally friendly technologies. The ASPI demonstration center and offices are located on 32 acres of land that contain a 30-inch seam of mineable coal. The previous owner did not want the area disturbed by surface mining, so he sold it to ASPI at a low price. Visitors to the demonstration center have included foreign guests as well as Americans from all walks of life and localities. As they tour the grounds, they visit a yurt (a Mongolian hut that is circular and used at ASPI as a meditation room), the office built from cord wood (small sections of wood that would likely not be useful in any other way), an organic garden, a solar powered water heater and compost toilets. The staff provides technical papers that can help people reproduce these technologies. Father A1 has recognized the importance of showing people that these technologies can work easily, without a huge investment of money. “We constantly try to stress that the alternatives we do are low cost alterna­ tives,” he said. He recalls the movement towards solar projects in the 1970s and 1980s and says their lack of broad success was due to their high cost which only appealed to a certain income level of society.

“We believe that the heart of the environmental move­ ment is going to be the poor. When the poor are involved with it, it’s going to be good environmental­ ism,” Father A1 said. It’s easy to doubt Father Al’s vision of the poor as environmentalists when a drive through low-income areas of Appalachia reveals unkempt yards and gar­ bage-strewn roads. But he doesn’t put the blame for that problem on Appalachia; he sees it in the context of the consumer society in the United States. “We dumped all of our stuff onto the mountains for tax exemption,” Father A1 claimed, explaining that mate­ rial donations that are shipped to the area are often at the end of their useful life and don’t last very long. “There’s an immense amount of material coming here as the tail-end of the consumer culture and they have no infrastructure to handle it,” Father A1 explained. It is the infrastructure and systems we use in our society that Father A1 sees as troubling. The system promotes a materialism that created an addiction to affluence that draws us away from the gospel and the earth. The ASPI staffers address these issues personally through their lifestyles, attitudes and work. Graphic artist Mark Spencer has discovered a new lifestyle for himself during his six-year association with ASPI. “For me, I can do without a lot of things,” Mark said. “I see a healthy respect for sacrifice and struggle as character builders and also as kind of enhancers of appreciating little things you normally aren’t aware of.” Mark’s appreciation for the little things began during his travels in Asia. There he saw people learning to live environ­ mentally because they didn’t sit around and phi­ losophize about it or read a book on the subject. “They are getting it

Martha Bond, ASPI office man­ ager, was brought In through a training program for Native Americans. Her assistant is her daughter, Renee Ayers.

July - August 1992

17

Steven Seibel also arrived wanting to help as an intern. A recent college gradu­ ate from Kansas, his assignment was to work on a paper to be presented at the Second International Waste Minimiza­ tion and Clean Technology Conference. The conference will be held in London, England in the fall; the theme for this year is “International Community.” “W e’re really trying to get at the under­ lying processes that generate the waste, not just deal with it as the end product of processes we already know,” Steven said about the essence of the paper.

As a means of recycling, Father Al adds crushed glass to the concrete he Is using in an ASPi expansion project. He and staffers are continually improving and upgrading their facilities in Rockcastle County.

through the skin, and I think that’s the way you have to learn, otherwise it’s just a head thing,” Mark said. Living on th ASPI grounds (which include a solar house) and working with the organization has given Mark the opportunity to learn about alternative lifestyles and technologies. Although he thinks what he is do­ ing—living near the land with environmentally friendly technologies and little materialism—is not part of America’s mainstream culture, he recognizes that much of life in the Appalachian mountains is set apart from life in the remainder of the country. “Because of the lifestyle,” he said about the mountains, “people have a lot of inner resources and I think that’s important.” Sometimes, that lifestyle includes choosing to garden and fish in a remote yet beautiful place, rather than living near a shopping mall and restaurants. But for many people who live in the mountains, their lifestyles are not chosen; they are dictated by a lack of education and job opportunities that push them into economic poverty. Y et, economic poverty doesn’t obliterate those inner, spiritual resources that Mark admires. In fact, it can build them. Mark has learned to be open to learning from the strength of the people he meets. He admits that when he first arrived in the Appalachian region, he had the same attitude as many others who move in wanting to help. “Like most people who do that, I learned a lot more than I gave. It’s much more a process of appreciating what’s happening here than imposing some sort of other idea.”

18

While working on the paper, Steven asked the questions about a lot of “givens” in our society, such as if our sewage system is the best system and if the flush toilet was really an advance. The paper also looks at affluence as a cause of waste, political structures that encourage waste, and the high cost of recycling.

Besides learning a lot from his work on the paper, Steven also grew personally during his internship. He enjoyed observing what can happen when someone decides to work independently from society’s norm. “I like just seeing how one person has really provided the leadershop for an organization that’s done a lot of good,” Steven said about Father Al Fritsch. What he learned from his own experience that he wants to tell others is this: “Taking positive action on these issues is really something anyone can do from any level of society. And it’s not a sacrifice necessarily, it can improve their lives.” For Steven, that improvement would include becoming as self-sufficient as possible. Self-sufficiency allows some independence from businesses and technologies that might be too profit-driven to recognize or act on their practices that might harm the earth. It can allow freedom from debt that sometimes chains people to jobs that pay the bills, but don’t fulfill them personally. Robyn Arnold recognized early on that she wanted to use her work to prevent harm to earth. She grew up in the country in Rockcastle County and studied environ­ mental issues in college. She knew she wanted to stay near home, so a job with ASPI was ideal. Robyn works on the ASPI publications, writes grant proposals, speaks to groups and works on anything else that needs to be done. After three years at ASPI, she has learned that dedication to “eco-justice” doesn’t always

The Mountain Spirit

require the more exciting jobs, like leading workshops. “Saving the world involves folding 3000 newsletters— it’s a little humbling I think,” she explained. But it is also fulfilling. “I like being able to go home at night and think I might have possibly made a difference somewhere, even if it was just folding and stapling newsletters. I know that somewhere out there, some­ body is going to read those and that it’s going to be really important in the end.” ASPI’s work is already important to many people who rely on their publications and workshops for guidance. A source of guidance for religious communities has been the Resource Auditing Service which helps groups with landholdings examine their environmental re­ sponsibilities. Through RAS, groups host a “team” (usually Father A1 and one of his partners) that exam­ ines the group’s use of food, energy, shelter, land and general lifestyle practices. The audit results in sugges­ tions for setting goals and taking actions that will increase self-reliance, save money and make the group an example of living in harmony with the environment. ASPI offers this service to religious congregations and universities across the country. An audit helped make some major changes in Loveland, Ohio at the Grailville Educational and Conference Center. Grailville was founded in the 1940’s with ecology in mind. It is situated on more than 300 acres of land and offers programs relating ecology to spirituality, femi­ nism and justice. As the staff at Grailville sought to create a stronger and more visible model of environ­ mental harmony, they called on assistance from ASPI.

In September, 1990, Father A1 and auditing partner Paul Gallimore, director of the Long Branch Environ­ mental Education Center in Leicester, North Carolina, conducted a resource audit at Grailville. The staff at the center has integrated the audit suggestions with their own plan that include growing all of their own food; using composting and organic gardening; landscaping with edible bushes and trees; running a tree nursery and greenhouse; marketing their farm products; increasing educational efforts; and accepting leaves from three local cities to use for composting on the farm. These are the types of things ASPI addresses in some of the workshops they provide. ASPI is continuing to pursue its initiatives in work­ shops, publishing and demonstrating with an open mind to the alternatives it might discover. “We don’t believe in a single way of approaching things,” Father A1 said about ASPI’s variety of projects. “We don’t get a single source of money. Environmentally, the more healthy is the more varied. That’s the way our earth is.” The staff is also continuing to pursue professional and personal goals. “If people see that w e’re happy with the way that we’re living, then I think they would be more apt to want it for themselves,” Robyn suggested. Some people would call the way Robyn, Mark, Steven and Father A1 are living choosing a “simple” lifestyle. Spend some time with them and it’s obvious that whatever you call it, it is a lifestyle that demands personal strength, and conviction that we must care for the earth, not destroy it. It also demands answering “I do” to that jumble of environmental questions that face us as we look toward the future. ft

Father Al and Renee sort pack­ ets of vegetable seed which will be distributed to people inter­ ested in organic gardening.

July - August 1992

19

H ie Handcraft Revival

The Handcraft Revival in Southern Appalachia:

1930-1990 Garry G. Barker

A Review by Beth Dotson

The Handcraft Revival in Southern Appalachia, 19301990, by Garry Barker; Knoxville, Tenn: University of Tennessee Press; 257 pp.; $28.95.

Take a drive through the Appalachian region and y ou ’re sure to encounter handcrafts. Large billboards posted along highways promise crafty treasures at souvenir stands that sit next to gas stations. In the Great Smoky Mountain tourist mecca of Gatlinburg, imitation gim­ micks and well-made gifts vie for attention. Berea’s stores offer high-priced goods that aren’t always Appa­ lachian but are beautifully crafted. And even when you wander off the main roads and onto winding mountain passages you ’11encounter “Quilts for sale” signs roughly painted on wood and posted at the end of gravel drives. Few of the items you’ll find have roots as deep as the mountains. In the 19th century, settlers made crafts out of necessity. They needed chairs and baskets and toys for the children, so they made them. As the settlements grew, they began to sell their work. But when the industrial revolution brought factory-made goods into 20

stores, the handcraft production stopped until mountain “missionaries” saved them by creating a marketplace and providing workshops. The Handcraft Revival in Southern Appalachia, 19301990 documents this rebirth, primarily through the history and work of the handcraft guilds of the day. Author Garry Barker has drawn upon his own career in the handcraft industry to publish a book that looks at the evolving business and marketing of Appalachian crafts. His feelings about the industry seem to range from a true fondness for the people who made it boom; to praise and criticism of government funding; to irrever­ ence for Appalachian craft design. Through sparsely sprinkled personal stories and highly detailed descriptions of guild politics and business, Garry takes readers into a sector of society that struggles with craft-as-art versus craft-as-economics. Major forces in this movement were the Southern Highland Handi­ craft Guild, the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Crafts­ men and the Appalachian schools with strong handcraft programs such as the Penland School in North Caro-

The Mountain Spirit

lina, Berea College in Kentucky, and Arrowmont in Tennessee. Barker’s career in the world of handcrafts began upon his graduation from Berea College in 1965 when he joined the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild. There, he learned about handcraft marketing, public relations and guild fairs and politics. He then moved on to direct the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen from 1970 until 1980. After a short time away from the business, he returned to help direct the Student Crafts Program at Berea College in 1985. Barker guides the reader through the inner workings of these organiza­ tions from a manager’s perspective. According to the book, the rebirth in handcrafts was made possible by sponsored workshops that taught people the skills they needed to successfully produce “handmade” products, then helped them with market­ ing. The region’s schools often attracted students from other parts of the country, resulting in Appalachian crafts made by non-Appalachians. Garry takes readers through the agonies of craft fair organizers who feared torrential downpours every spring at the successful craft fairs at Berea’s Indian Fort Theater. He discusses the market explosions aided by customers in search of a simple life (in the 60s), and benevolent government figures—governor’s wife Phyllis George Brown followed by Governor Martha Layne Collins—who drew market and media attention to Kentucky.

the marketplace, as a fact of the future. He equates the absorption of regional flavor into mainstream society with changes in the culture in general. “Change is the natural process; those of us who would cling to a regional culture know we’re absorbed into the American mainstream and even, at a rational level, agree with the change, for the very isolation and region­ alism which helped preserve the Appalachian craft culture also helped preserve poverty, inferior educa­ tional systems, and a very difficult way of life. One price of progress, and perhaps a small price at that, is the vanishing culture.” Garry quotes a more poetic and artistic point of view from artisan Charles Counts: “We who grew up know­ ing the land are really and truly attached to the land in ways that cannot divide us even in our dreams and nightmares. Even if we are finding ourselves in some hostile city like Detroit as was Gertie in Harriette Amow’s novel The Dollmaker, we still recall our agrarian past. And it is not poverty that we shall recall. Rather we will also be remembering some certain urge to make something of ourselves and our lives. We are a people of cunning, braving in some stubborn way the need to do something of our own making even if that doing is the doing of nothing but staying alive.” D* The Handcraft Revival in Southern Appalachia, 19301990, can be ordered by calling the Berea College Craft Program, (800) 347-3892. Courtesy Kentucky Crafts Marketing Program

Although most of Garry’s book is devoted to the busi­ ness and politics of the handcrafts world that insid­ ers will fully appreciate, the last two chapters are enter­ taining and informative for the untrained reader. The au­ thor looks at the history of Appalachian craft design, then discusses reasons for growth and predictions for the future. Garry’s view of the crafts world that emerges is appar­ ently more tainted by eco­ nomics than art, possibly be­ cause he did not come to the industry as a craftsmaker, but as a writer and manager. He seems to accept the homog­ enization o f craftsw ork, brought on by education and

July - August 1992

These crafts are a small representation of the works that are available from Kentucky artisans. The pieces are made in Lexington, Elizabethtown, Berea and Beverly, Kentucky.

21

And the Winner Is..

Lauri Eiselt ? (William Hamilton)

Believing that our ranks are filled with talented people, The Mountain Spirit recently conducted a photo contest for CAP workers, inviting them to submit photographs of CAP programs, workers and participants. We were right about the talent, as you can see by the photographs of our winner, volunteer Lauri Eiselt. Lauri works at the Eagle Child Development Center in McCreary County; the subjects double as her students. The readers get the real prize in this contest, though. Lauri will have a photo assignment for an upcoming issue of The Mountain Spirit.

*

Daniel Strunk

Arica Higginbotham

Sarah Patrick

22

Kim Hurd

The Mountain Spirit

Issues and Gatherings by Margaret Gabriel

I n “Appalachian Voices” Pam Wall Shingler targets one of the greatest challenges for the future of Appalachia, or indeed, for all of America. “Perhaps the greatest need is not jobs, clean-up, better education, better roads, better attitudes. These can be considered secondary in the light of our greatest need: leader­ ship that puts the greater good above personal gain and power.”

McCreary County is participating in the Common­ wealth Fellowship Program, working vigorously to “make a difference for the children who live around Eagle,” as she stated her desire on her program applica­ tion. “I feel very honored,” Jean said of her participa­ tion. “This make me feel very good and I’m excited about it. It gets me in touch with other people from all over the region who are doing all that they know how to do to improve things. Right now I’m just over­ whelmed with all the possibilities.” As a Commonwealth Fellow, Jean has been involved in community issues gatherings in McCreary County, another component of the Appalachian Civic Leader­ ship Project. Designed to gather citizens and introduce them to the process of discussion and public talk, these gatherings are being initiated by Jean and two fellow­ ship colleagues, Delbert Goodin and Doug Stephens, who have all assumed solid, although unofficial, lead­ ership roles in the county. Delbert is a local retailer who daily has the opportunity to talk to county residents and leam of the concerns people have for the community. Doug works for the state fish and wildlife commission and he, too, has access to public opinion. Jean, a resident of Pulaski County, has been working with McCreary County parents and children since CAP’s first days in the area. CAP’s local involvement in McCreary County began in 1989 when the McCreary Christian Center asked if CAP would start a child development center in the Parkers’ Lake area of the county. With support and involvement of the community, including the school

Ms. Shingler is quoted on the cover of the brochure of the Common­ wealth Fellowship Program, a pro­ gram of the Appalachian Center of the University of Kentucky. The two year program, part of the Appa­ lachian Civic Leadership Project, encourages participation by citizens of the 49 Appalachian counties of Kentucky, and “trains, inspires and supports emerging leadership in eastern Kentucky through a diverse series of activities,” according to the program overview. Jean Bames, manager of the Chris­ tian Appalachian Project Eagle C hild D evelopm ent C enter in July - August 1992

Barnes and Doug Stephens work to call and organize issues gatherings.

23

g age of county land that is owned by the 1 federal government. Delbert, with his fin­ ger on the pulse of local concerns, agrees. At an initial community issues meeting, after talking about the need for activities for their children, and the land it would involve, the people decided to invite repre­ sentatives from the Forest Service to thennext meeting. Several weeks later, Jean, Delbert and Doug led a community meet­ ing that posed the question “How can the Forest Service and the community work together to improve our community?” The meeting was held at “Our Place,” a community house in the Parkers’ Lake area of McCreary County. While several at­ tendees were there to observe, the majority were area residents with a vested interest in improving the community for their chil­ dren. Delbert opened the meeting and sug­ gested that the gathering break into groups Jean Barnes, right, is the manager of CAP’S Eagle Child Development Center. of three and four in order to facilitate dis­ system, Eagle Child Development Center began to cussion. “In groups, let’s decide two or three issues that gather students age three to five years old. Interaction need to be discussed,” Delbert said. “Then have some­ with children and their families has led to an expansion body from your group write them down on the board. of CAP’s School on Wheels into the county, as Jean After we have questions from all the groups, we’ll became aware of the need for adult education. decide on some steps we can take.” In the past year, Jean has directed several volunteers in the formation of an infant stimulation program. Often, children in the child development center have baby brothers and sisters. Infant “stim” workers travel to children’s homes and spend time playing developmen­ tal games, and teaching parents how to play those same games with their children. In the nearly 20 years that CAP has been involved in early childhood education, staff has learned that sometimes intervention long before the age of three is crucial to future development.

The community issues meetings are new to the people of McCreary County, Jean said. “People were never

Jean’s involvement with McCreary County led her to the realization of another need in the county. Even in the largest metropolitan areas one hears moans that “there’s nothing for the kids to do,” but in few places is there more truth to that statement than in McCreary County. The need set the stage for community issues gatherings for the area. At an introductory meeting conducted by Jean, Delbert and Doug, residents decided that Little League softball would be a great improvement for the community. But Little League requires land for a softball diamond— land that in McCreary County belongs to the National Forest Service. Jean says that the Forest Service is never far from the minds of the community because of the large percent-

in small group, M cCreary Countians discussed questions to pose to the National Forest Service.

24 The Mountain Spirit

\s one of several actions /vhich were decided, the iroup spent an evening ouring McCreary County, /(siting Forest Service Drojects. Center is Commonwealth Fellow Ooug Stephens.

asked their opinions before; we had the ‘filter down’ system. Somebody out there made decisions that fil­ tered down. By involving people in dialogue with the Forest Service they have an opportunity to express thoughts even if they don’t think anything will change.” Federal control of McCreary County makes some change impossible, but “it’s better to hear that from the horse’s mouth and not just hearsay,” Jean said. “When people start to see results, they’ll participate in the forums.” Over 80% of the land in McCreary County is owned by the National Forest Service. While the terrain is very beautiful, it is, to a great extent, the cause of the much of the poverty in McCreary County, one of the poorest counties in the state. Little of the land is assessed with a tax, therefore the pool of revenue for services in the county is very small. Because so much of the land is federally reserved, little is available for economic development. For these reasons, Jean, Delbert and Doug see communication between residents and the Forest Service as crucial, if not imperative, to county development. A group of about 25 attended the meeting. Four small groups engaged in lively discussion for nearly an hour before representatives began writing on the board points of concern to bring up with Jerry Stephens, the representative from the Forest Service. One question brought up by every group involved some people who have recently come to the county. Several people attended the meeting because of their concern about the presence of the “rainbow people” in their community. A loosely knit coalition of young people who congregate in federal land reserves, the

residents perceived that the “rainbows” are receiving preferential treatment not afforded to others in the county. “Area number one is my favorite subject, all of a sudden,” said Jerry. “I almost think we’re going to have to change our name from Somerset to the ‘Rainbow District,’” he said. “There’s a lot of things that group does that I don’t like either, but they’re part of the general public whether we like it or not. We want them to have a successful gathering, because they’re going to have it somewhere, without major incident and with minimal impact to the land.” Jerry emphasized that areas of the national forest are open to everyone equally, including the wilderness area, an ecologically sensitive part of the forest. “If it comes to the point where they ’re harassing people, then that will be handled, but I’ve got to know about it. If they’re harassing hunters, that will not be tolerated, but you’ve got to help me out by telling me what the situation is.” People also raised concerns about logging jobs that have been lost; the absence of a game warden, espe­ cially in the light of the service’s concern about poach­ ing; and the need to generate revenue from the forest in ways other than logging. Concern number six on the list asked “Is there a possibility to buy or lease property for a community ballpark (one geared for small children)?” When Jerry inadvertently skipped from point five to point seven, a general edginess came over the room. Was he inten­ tionally skipping over the biggest reason for the meet­ ing? 25

July - August 1992

| “800” number to call to report I illegal activity concerning game and wildlife, and told which local offices to contact. Jerry said that they could look into things like growing mush­ rooms and making mulch from forest materials, “And anybody can come in and get a permit to get woods for crafts. Some of that yellow poplar that might have a broken top from logging—that’s pretty good craft wood. In fact we’ve got a lot of standard rates developed for sm all product sales.”

Right is Jerry Stephens, representating the National Forest Service.

“That’s the one he checked off and said I didn’t have to answer,” Jerry joked. “The Forest Service doesn’t generally sell land, except to schools. W e’re selling about twelve acres to Eagle Creek School down there, because they’re expanding. Sometimes we will give land for special use, though. That means we charge a minimal annual fee on it. W e’ve got a lot of old special use land, and they’re cumbersome because it takes a lot of administrative people. We can’t just issue special use at will; they can’t be approved at the district level.” At that point Delbert asked if he could contact the service with the results of a meeting of a committee he has formed to look at the possible sites for ballparks. Others chimed in about the need for recreation for the children. “You know, when we sell that land to Eagle School, they’re going to have twelve acres right on a flat ridge. It’ll be many years before they develop all of it. That might be a possibility we can talk about later. I’m sure we can work something out,” Jerry said. As the meeting drew to a close, Delbert, Doug and Jean agreed that it had been successful. They were coming away with a definite action plan for ways in which the citizens and the Forest Service can work together.

Jean said that the group will con­ tinue in their discussion with the Forest Service as long as they perceive a need. “We hope that the meetings will keep bringing up different issues that people are concerned about. When they feel that all of the questions are answered and the issues are resolved, we ’11move on to something else, another area of concern. I think people enjoy being involved.” “There was some discussion at our first meeting about inviting representatives from SSI [Supplemental Secu­ rity Income] to talk about medical cards. Or to get someone to explain why private health insurance is so expensive. A lot of our people who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid can’t afford health insurance.” A scheduled meeting will feature a woman from the area who dropped out of school when she found when was pregnant at the age of 14. After she had her baby, she studied for and received her GED and now is going to college. “She’s a good speaker,” Jean said. “She talks about the importance of staying in school and getting an education. The meeting might even spin off, and we’ll see people getting better pre-natal care and attending nurturing and parenting classes.”

They had set a date to assemble and tour Forest Service holdings in the county. “I can get a few vans and we can go out and look at some things we think are good things, and some things you think are bad things, and we’ll talk about it,” Jerry said.

Jean said that she, Doug and Delbert have been asked by the University of Kentucky to continue organizing the county’s community issues meetings even after their time in the Commonwealth Fellowship Program is concluded. “I think a few of the people who have been coming will be ready to take leadership roles in the meetings, but we’ll continue to chair as long as there’s a need,” she said.

Jerry and Doug, who works for the state fish and wildlife commission discussed the need for community involvement with apprehending poachers, giving an

“These meetings are all about empowering people to begin to speak up for themselves. And people are beginning to do just that.”

26

The Mountain Spirit

Many mothers can tell stories like this one, about putting their own needs after their children’s. Betty needed a pair of glasses. The tiny family income didn’t allow for such “ex­ travagance,” so Betty got in touch an agency that could help her with the pur­ chase. She put her name at the end of a very long waiting list. . . and began to wait for her glasses. And wait. And wait. When she enrolled her youngest child in a Christian Appalachian Project child devel­ opment center, Lauri, a CAP volunteer learned of Betty’s need for glasses and of her patience. “I found her some frames in the Attic; we agreed to pay for part of the lenses and she was going to pay part,” Lauri said. “Then we found out that the frames wouldn’t work for her prescription—her lenses are really thick, with bifocals. We didn’t know what we were going to do about having to spend more money for frames, then the fellow at the optical store gave her a pair of frames that would work.” Now Betty has her glasses, extremely grateful for the boost from CAP—and from the local merchant. And she’s extremely proud, too, of the portion that she was able to pay for herself. Your generosity made this partnership possible. And your next donation . . . $15, $10, $25 (more, if you’re able). . . will enable people like Betty to join in similar partnerships! A little sidebar: After their trip to the optical store, Lauri treated Betty and her four-year-old daughter, Mary, to their first trip to a fast-food restaurant for an ice cream cone. Laurie reports that “Betty was really impressed with how clean it was!”

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CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT 322 CRAB ORCHARD ROAD LANCASTER, KY 40446 s The Mountain Spirit

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