“Meeting the Needs”
The
Ju ly - August 1993 Voi. XU, No. 4
Mountain Rare Abilities 4 bySome Margaret Gabriel
16 Kayla Makes a Wish by Glen Taul
18 Ten Years o f
Christian Living
by Beth Dotson
22 Sharing, Creating, Learning. . .
by Janice Golembeski
D e p a rtm e n ts
Emmaus, page eighteen
one explains that when CAP workers see a need, they try to meet that need. Most of CAP’S programs began when there was a request for help and CAP workers responded to that
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describe because of the breadth and scope of its work. It becomes a little easier when
The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project CT
The Christian Appalachian Project sometimes is difficult to
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Random Thoughts Letters Around The Project The CAP Closeup
request. In this issue, you’ll learn about the responses to some of those requests. On page four, you’ll meet Bobbie Wesley, manager of CAPRICE, CAP’S training program for people with disabilities. Ten years ago, CAP learned of the need for a special residence for elderly people. Celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Emmaus Christian Life Center on page eighteen. And through the Community Health Advo cates Program, CAP workers learned that women need the opportunity to meet and share their joys and sorrows. This need led to eight women’s groups in Floyd, Magoffin and Knott counties. Learn about those groups on page twentytwo. On the cover, Kayla Hall, a five-year-old cancer patient, delights in her new play house. Materials for the house were furnished by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Point Pleasant, West Virginia; construction by the CAP volunteers in Louisa, Kentucky (photo by Glen Taul).
Published by the Christian Appalachian Project. Editor: Margaret Gabriel. Advisory Board: Father Ralph W. Beiting, Mike McLaughlin, Bill Begley, Ike Adams, Barbara Delmonico, Katie Newsome, Beverly Potter. Graphic Designer: Elizabeth Reed Miller. Circulation: Linda Grider East.
The M ountain Spirit is published six times a year. The annual subscription price is $6.00. Subscriptions and other correspondence should be sent to The M ountain Spirit , Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Kentucky 40446. Copyright 1993, 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. A summary of the registration and financial documents filed by this organization can be obtained by contacting: in New York, Secretary o f State, O ffice o f Chanties Registration, 162 Washington A ve., Albany, N Y 12231; in Maryland, the Secretary o f State, State House, Annapolis, M D 21401; in Pennsylvania, residents may call the Pennsylvania Department of State at 1-800-732-0999; in West Virginia, the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, W V 25305; in Virginia, the State Division of Consumer Affaire, P.O . Box 1163, Richmond, V A 23209. Washington State residents may obtain a copy o f the last report filed with the Washington Secretary o f State by calling toll free within Washington, 1-800-332-4483. In Florida, residents may call the Division of Consumer Services at 1-800-HELP FL A . Or write to Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, K Y 40446. Our license number in Michigan is M IC S 9933. Registration with any o f the above government agencies does not imply endorsement by the state.
The Mountain Spirit
Random Thoughts Charlene Reynolds
Soon after the Adult Learning Center began operating, CAP workers learned that not every body who wanted to study GED could travel to obtain the help they needed. The “School on Wheels” has met that need in several counties as CAP workers travel to students’ homes. Some of the students are young mothers with pre-schoolers at home, others are elderly people who find it difficult and uncomfortable to travel. All, though, have been given an equal opportunity to receive the education they hope for. One of the eight parts of the GED test requires the student to write an essay. Lisa Bosley, manager of the center, decided to bind a collection of essays written by GED students into a booklet that can be shared with potential students, former students and other agencies in the area. Most of the students’ essays deal with homes, children or interest ing experiences. Charlene Reynolds, however, chose to write about some good friends. *** CAP is a good program. I have been in contact with CAP since 1963 when I would go to the Attic on Richmond Street and then it
M a y -Ju n e 1993
burned up. That was where I got clothes for my four children when I did not have money for new clothes, and that’s where I still get my clothes. In 1978,1met Dorothy Williams, who worked for CAP, and she asked me to help her with the commodities, which I did. CAP is a program that will help you when you are in need. Just stop and think for a moment what CAP has done for people. CAP is like the Bible said. If you are hungry, they give you food. If you are sick, they see you get medicine. If you are cold, they give you heat. If you don’t have a home, they take you in. CAP has been so good to me. They fixed my house when it was so cold. They give you seeds for a garden. CAP gives Christmas baskets when there would be so many people that wouldn’t have food for Christmas. I thank everyone who works for CAP. They are great people and work hard for people. If I need help, CAP would be the first place I would go. I knew I would get help. CAP won’t turn you away. They won’t turn you away if you are black or white or what your religion is, they don’t ask. I think the school for little children is great, and the school for the adults is even better. There are so many who don’t have a GED and so many didn’t get to go to school, and I am one of them. I went to a country school, and I never had a chance to get my diploma. I took a test for my GED but failed. But I will try again. I want my GED. If people don’t
Uschold
The Christian Appalachian Project Adult Learning Center has been meeting the needs—the educational needs, that is—of students since the mid-1980s. At the Family Life Center in Rockcastle County students can meet with teachers who will help them prepare to take the test for their General Equivalency Di ploma (GED). The majority of the students at the Adult Learning Center dropped out of school before graduating from high school. Others are acquiring literacy skills; a few are studying for college placement tests.
have a GED, they can’t get a job. The teachers for CAP are great people. They try to help you every way they can. There have been hordes of people that work for CAP who have come to visit me, and they are all great people. I was reading a paper Father Beiting had written about a family who did not have a bathroom in their house, and I just thought a lot about it and how they feel, for I am one that never had a bath room in my house. I know so many things CAP has done for people. If there is anything I could do to help the people of CAP, I would be willing to do it. If you ever say a prayer, please say one for CAP and the ones who work for CAP. Charlene Reynolds March 4, 1993
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Bobbie Wesley
♦ Story and Photos b y Margaret Gabriel ♦
¿1/hen Bobbie Wesley started there six years ago, she might have described herself as the “least empathetic person at CAPRICE.” Some folks might find that status odd for the woman who today manages the Christian Appalachian Project’s training program for adults with disabilities. “I grew up believing that people can be or do anything they want, so if they didn’t accomplish their goals, it was probably because they didn’t want them that badly anyway, or hadn’t tried hard enough.” Those attitudes and perceptions have changed as Bobbie has seen how lack of opportunity can be as handicapping as any mental or physical disability. Bobbie began working at CAPRICE while on summer break from college. Her sister worked at the training facility at the time, and as in previous summers, Bobbie was having a difficult time finding a summer job. Rather than sit around and do nothing, she volunteered at CAPRICE. One wouldn’t think that a person of Bobbie’s capabilities would have a hard time finding a job. She’s intelligent, outgoing—a high school cheer leader, for heaven’s sake. Many CAPRICE participants’first work experience is in the food services department, a training component o f CAPRICE’S total package o f services fo r adults with disabilities
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The Mountain Spirit
But rather than focusing on Bobbie’s abilities, potential employers focused on Bobbie’s disability; even more frustrating because she had never considered herself a person with a disability. “Until that time in my life, when I was looking for employ ment, I would forget that I was any different from anybody else,” Bobbie said. “Then it really hit me, how hard that it was going to be.” Bobbie sought jobs on her own and through employment counselors in her native Somerset, Kentucky, encountering employer after employer who concen trated more on the imperfections of her hands than the quality of her talents. Her mother had taken thalidomide while expecting and Bobbie was bom with three fingers on her right hand and two on her left. Bobbie said that she’s talked to her mother about decisions about her upbring ing. “She told me that they decided that other than these five fingers I was no different from anybody else. And because I have a sister close to my age, it made it easier for them to expect the same from both of us. I don’t think it was that big of a deal to them after the initial shock. “Mom said that her first visit to the doctor with me was the first time she had to take me out in public. She had me all wrapped up and I was flailing my hands around and she was trying to keep them covered up. She said every other mother in that doctor’s office was so proud of her baby, showing it off and she had me all bundled up. Well, I started fussing because I was hot and she went through something with herself. She said to herself, This is ridiculous. I’m not going to keep this child bundled up for the rest of her life, I might as well start to be proud of her right now. ’
didn’t matter when she presented herself as a job candidate. For a girl with a “cando” attitude, it was a hard lesson to learn. “I just assumed that was the way it was going to be, and I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I thought that getting my degree in education and getting good grades would put me on a more profes sional level. That’s what I hoped, anyway.” That hope diminished when her employ ment counselor told her that employers were looking for “the cream of the crop.” The implication was not lost on Bobbie. After nearly twenty years of doing every thing she wanted to do, except pull her hair into a ponytail, she was staring at a difficult, if not impossible, employment situation. After volunteering, Bobbie entered CAPRICE as a participant for a short while. “I ended up doing supervisory things which we called ‘peer training,’ I think. It was supposed to be a short-term solution, but my education transferred very easily to this type of work. A year later I was hired in a regular staff position. I fell in love with CAP easily, but CAPRICE had to grow on me. I think the Lord knew long before I did that this was where he intended for me to be. I’m glad he guided me in a direction I probably wouldn’t have taken, because one day I woke up and realized I really loved what I was doing.”
“So she unwrapped me and showed me off. It was hard, she said, but after that it got better. ” Growing up in Somerset, Bobbie had an uneventful childhood. She made good grades, earned a spot on the cheerleading squad (she nearly broke her neck trying to master the fine art of cartwheels, so became the permanent “mount” for team pyramids), went off to Pensacola Christian College, and majored in education. It wasn’t until Bobbie came home on her first summer break that she realized that her perceptions of herself—and her disability— Ju ly - August 1993
Denny Brown, a graduate o f the National Technical Institute fo r the Deaf, works in the Independent Living Skills (ILS) program, specializing in teaching sign language to hearing impaired participants.
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ILS participants learn to launder their own clothes and the laundry that is generated by the food services program.
CAPRICE, an acronym for Christian Appala chian Project Resources for Independence in Community and Employment, has progressed from primarily a work activity center to a training program which helps people with disabilities to attain as high a level of indepen dence as possible. The program features three distinct, but integrated components: independent living skills, food service (work adjustment) and supported employment. Most participants have multiple disabilities and training meets each person’s individual needs. In the independent living skills compo nent, participants learn the cooking, cleaning, housekeeping and money management skills necessary to maintain their own homes, or to have a higher level
of responsibility and independence in any other residential setting. ILS is a natural lead-in to the food service department, which fixes lunches for local agencies, including child care and senior citizens centers and several CAP child development centers. Although not every participant begins by learning independent living skills, Bobbie sees the components as a progression from ILS to food service to supported employment. “Ideally, we look for people who are motivated to learn and have power in their lives to say what they want or don’t want. Realistically, though, we serve people in whom we see potential. We know that we’re going to have to convince the person and his or her family that it’s there. ILS is a good starting point because it’s low risk. It gives the person a good opportunity to experience success. And they get to see the people in food prep actually working and getting a pay check. “The people in work adjustment have a lot of demands put on them because this is just like a community work situation. Many times a person who’s in ILS will come to a staff person and say ‘I want to work in the kitchen.’ “All of the participants in food service are there with the workings in place for them to go into supported employment. If you’re in food prep you’re always hearing about the staff trying to find a community job for a co-worker, or how someone left last week because they’ve got a job in the community. ” Most folks in CAPRICE’S food services program have no prior work experience, “And it’s pretty demanding,” Bobbie said. “Occasionally people change their minds about wanting a job. For those who tough it out, though, we try to give them an understanding of the kinds of jobs that are available.” The supported employment staff works to find the kinds of jobs that the partici pants want, knowing that placing a person in a job for the sake of placement is a one way road to failure. “We use a videotape of all of our partici pants working at their jobs to illustrate that people with disabilities can do different kinds of work. Then we’ve got descrip tions of different kinds of jobs. We ask them what would they choose if they
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The Mountain Spirit
could do any kind of job. That’s general enough to give us groups of professions to start with.” Bobbie told of a participant who had been involved with the program for two years and wanted to work with animals. He and the supported employment staff bided their time. “He was adamant that he didn’t want to work in food service [jobs that are always available in Somerset], and we didn’t want to spend the time and the energy to train him in a job that he wasn’t going to be happy in. It took us two years— because there aren’t that many pet stores in Somerset—but we finally got him a job in the pet store in the mall.” *** Some things have changed, others have stayed the same for disabled people since the days when Bobbie was looking for a job for herself. Because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many employ ers are far more aware of their responsibili ties under the law. “We had one employer tell us not too long ago that ‘those kinds of people’ wouldn’t fit in here,” but, those kinds of attitudes are changing, Bobbie said. “Many times our biggest successes come with employers who have people with disabili ties in their families.
..
asemployers become more aware, they’ll be more likely to hire a person with a disability . ” be more likely to hire a person with a disability and turn to programs like ours for help. ” CAPRICE began offering supported employment as the result of a grant from the state vocational rehabilitation depart ment. Along with the grant, CAPRICE received a sketchy outline of the purposes, goals and methods of supported employ ment. The outline was fleshed out by a worker who had worked in a similar program in Georgia, Bobbie said. At the end of the initial trial period, CAPRICE realized that although a sup ported employment program could prove costly, it added a dimension that they had never had before. “Up to that point, we had trained and trained and trained, but there was no place for anyone to go,” Bobbie said.
“ADA was not intended to force employ ers to hire people who could not do the job. Supported employment says that this person may not have all these skills coming into a job, but we’re going to give you this job coach who will fill that gap while the person is learning the job. So employers are going to start turning to programs like ours because they want to hire a person and they’ll want to know what we’re going to do to make that possible.” People involved with CAPRICE sup ported employment—participants, family members, staff and employers—hold a yearly retreat. One of the topics in the most recent retreat was the changes in the workplace that could be expected because of the advent of ADA. “Most of [our employers] knew very little about ADA,” Bobbie said. “They knew that it existed, but didn’t know a whole lot about it. I don’t think it’s made a big impression on employers, yet. I hope that as employers become more aware, they’ll Ju ly - August 1993
Bobbie confers with Ina Price, coordinator o f the ILS program.
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While a job placement specialist searched the area for willing employers and appropriate placements for participants, Bobbie (who was the supported employment program coordina tor at that time) made contact with agencies, re cruited referrals and asked for input from different sources CAPRICE has a fu lly operational kitchen, which allows participants to become concerning the proficient in a fu ll range o f tasks. good and bad points about their program. and his supervisor, make sure everything’s going okay. We retrained him when they “Job coaches go in and learn the job to enlarged the store, and when he got a teach to the participant. We get the person promotion we trained him for that, too,” the job and train them. Then, because of Bobbie said. our contract with voc rehab, we’re required to follow up with that person “That’s why lots of programs don’t do every two weeks. We get paid $3500 for supported employment well. Because their each person we place in a job, which parent agency isn’t committed like CAP is sounds like a lot of money until you realize to giving the extra money it takes for a that a job coach quality job.” can be with someone eight There’s another reason that Bobbie takes hours a day, five a lot of pride and satisfaction in CAPRICE’S days a week for relationship with other agencies in the as long it takes area. the person to learn the job. “The counselor that was my counselor Then we go six years ago [of the infamous “cream of back and check the crop” comment], now works with me on the person as a colleague. He is so embarrassed by the every two situation, and it wasn’t his fault even then— weeks as long as it was the system. But I could call him they’re in our today, and tell him I’ve got someone who program.” wants a job in a particular area, and what have you got? Well, he cleans his file out Supported trying to find something for that person. employment has That has been the biggest reward—to come many success full circle around to that. stories, but no one has been “After working at CAPRICE for six years, more successful I consider my handicap so minimal that I’m than a young surprised employers even got hung up on man placed in a it that much. But if I were back out in the hardware store job market today, who knows? When I four years ago. think about the people that we’re finding “Every two jobs for in the community now, I’m really weeks we go to happy to see how far we’ve come in six that job site, ILS workers travel to participants’ homes where they years.” ft check with him help individuals learn skills in fam iliar surroundings.
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The Mountain Spirit
Letters to the Editor Please print the address where we can send clothing in your next M ountain Spirit.
The breath of CAP’S outreach continues to astonish and inspire me.
I feel encouraged about the possibilities of the human spirit when I read your magazine.
Mrs. Jo h n A. Harney Trenton, N J Used clothing and household supplies can be sent to: Christian Appalachian Project Attic Warehouse, U.S. 25 South, Berea, K Y 40403-
I hope I can visit Appalachia and CAP someday. Meantime may God bless and multiply the effects of all you share. It is especially encour aging to learn how you involve everyone so that people are not just recipients but have the dignity of giving, too.
Keep up the excellent work.
Joe Begley is my kind of people; myself included, even though I’m saying it myself. Everybody should be like him in spirit. All of us should do good, however small, whenever and however we can morally do it. If we were all like his spirit in life, all the time the United States and the whole world would be much closer to the ideal God intended. We should do whatever small or large deeds our physical, mental, and financial resource powers, and other situations will allow at the time. I agree 100% on Jo e’s ideas about power (which leads to corruption) in industry and government. I also 100% agree with the stated effects on the poor, little people. Everett Rose Waldron, AR
I know of no other organization that does so much to help people in all ways, and help them to help themselves too! God bless you all—may Father Beiting continue his work in good health for a long, long time. He has done wonders.
MargaretJoh n son Arlington, MA
After our visit to your head quarters we are more than ever convinced that CAP is one of the best-run organizations of its type (if not the very best) we have ever seen. Frank & Alice Plyler Asheville, N C
Once again your magazine came and I couldn’t wait to read it. I was so happy to see the review by June Widman of “The Dollmaker” by Harriet Amow. It is a book that is constantly being checked out at the Kenton County Public Library. There are so many fine books in the Ken tucky section, whether they be fiction, non-fiction, biography, children’s, etc. Promoting reading to everyone is such a need to help oneself. Keep up your fine work.
We not only appreciate the work you are doing in Appalachia but we look forward to receiving The M ountain Spirit and your frank, pure way of allowing us to know about your ministry and the impact it has on the people of Appalachia. God bless you all! Robert & Linda Cleveland Gettysburg, PA
I really enjoy the stories of all that is happening in Appalachia. It is heartwarming to know there are people who are willing to help others.
God’s work is never done! There is always more to do! Look back now and then to see what good you have done, especially when you see so much need still.
People helping people. I believe this should be the moral of our future.
Mrs. Frances Nicholson Los Angeles, CA
Arlene Dunham So. Royalston, MA
Ju ly - August 1993
M ary Gotschall Falls Church, VA
Martha Stauber Fort Wright, K Y
I saw your Little Red School Bus in the February issue of N ational Geographic—keep up the great work! I know that God is blessing all of the wonderful work you’re doing. Kathleen O ’R eilly-Am old Ajo, A Z
Letters to the editor are welcome. They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them fo r space. Address letters to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, K Y 40446.
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------Around the Project — CAP Collaborates with 84 Lumber on Home Repair Program Johnny Thompson, procure ment coordinator for Operation Sharing, the Christian Appalachian Project’s in-kind donation distribu tion program, had a profitable trip to Las Vegas recently—profitable for CAP, anyway. He traveled to a meeting for the National Associa tion of Home Builders to meet people in businesses that might be interested in donating goods to Operation Sharing. ( While he was there Judy Donahue introduced herself to Johnny, saying “I’m a Christian, and I’d be interested in working with you.” Judy, director of public relations for 84 Lumber, devised a pilot program which enables customers to make a donation to CAP, which will then be matched by 84 Lumber. Through the month of July, thirteen 84 Lumber stores in Kentucky and one in West Virginia will circulate information about CAP by hanging posters and distributing brochures. The posters will feature tear-off sheets that customers can mark, indicating that they have made a donation to CAP. The customer gives the sheet to the 84 Lumber cashier and the
Customers o f 84 Lumber are being encouraged to make donations to CAP’S home repair program. The retailer, which is based in Pittsburgh, is matching its customers’ donations, dollar fo r dollar.
company will match the donation, dollar for dollar, with the proceeds benefitting CAP’S home repair program. “Our owner, Mr. Hardy, thinks CAP is great and he likes matching programs, to get more people involved,” Judy said. “I’m hoping we can spend a bunch of his money.”
G a r d e n in g P r o g r a m in F u ll Sw in g th ro u g h O u tr e a c h W orkers This year the Christian Appala chian Project garden program provided packages of seed, seed potatoes and fertilizer to 916 families in Casey, Garrard, Jackson, Lincoln, Rockcastle and southern Madison counties. Ed Cortas, volunteer outreach caseworker in Rockcastle County, said one of the best things in visiting his garden families— besides all the friendship—is always leaving with buckets of fresh vegetables. Ed says he tries to visit two or three times during the garden
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season, giving him the chance to see if people need help from other CAP programs. “It’s beyond giving seed—it’s also helping with other things people might need. Like freezer bags or lids and rings for their jars. Or friendship. Some of our elderly people like to have someone come out just to sit and talk for a while.” Ed would like to see someone collect all the knowledge and tradition of the area—such as watching and following the natural signs—from the older generation to share with the younger generation.
How Can I Help? CAP supporters often ask what more they can do to eliminate suffering in Appalachia. First, you can tell others of the problems you learn about in The M ountain Spirit and other CAP publications. Please share this magazine with a friend and w e’ll send a replace ment. Ask about problems in Appalachia and we’ll share our knowledge or refer you to another organization that can help you. Or you can give us a most valuable commodity—time. Since 1950, millions of hours have been donated to helping the people of Appalachia. If you would like to volunteer three weeks or more please contact The M ountain Spirit. 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 everywhere, moun tains can be moved, the course of rivers changed. The CAP family forms a powerful prayer network reaching into Appalachia and across the nation.
The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued P a r e n ts A r e T ea ch ers P r o v id e s E ffe c tiv e n e s s T ra in in g f o r P a r e n ts Parents Are Teachers, the Christian Appalachian Project program that works with pre schoolers with disabilities and their families, collaborated with the Lincoln County School system and offered Systematic Training for Effective Parenting to parents in that county. Four parents, all of whom participate in Parents-AreTeachers, were awarded certifi cates of completion. According to program manager Kathleen Leaveil, all the ParentAre-Teachers staff are trained as facilitators in STEP training. Lincoln and Garrard County teacher Suzann Fenton facilitated the Lincoln County group. “I think each parent here can be very proud of herself and her accom plishments,” Suzann said. “They have really stuck with this.” Kathleen was most pleased with the collaboration. The school system provided materials, refreshments and transportation. CAP, she said, provided the meeting facility, the facilitator and,through Operation Sharing, gave gifts to the participating parents and their children. “And Wanda Penman, from CAP’s Lincoln County outreach
office, provided child care,” Kathleen said. “The first time we met, the scheduled babysitter couldn’t come, and we were lucky that Wanda was able to fill in. She was so pleased with the opportu nity it gave parents, that she wanted to continue. She knew some of the parents from her work in outreach.”
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The mothers who participated in the training were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the program. Robin Adams said giving her children choices “makes them feel good about themselves and they mind better.” Ryvonnia Hartman admitted that she had been “bossy” with her children, but now she’s learned to be more cooperative. “Things are going a lot smoother,” she said. Janice Hawkins, a Lincoln County Head Start worker, also participated in the training. She was surprised to learn about the distinction between praise and encouragement and that it’s better to encourage than praise. Kathleen said that she hopes to be able to offer STEP training to parents in other counties in the future.
Parents-Are-Teachers moms who participated in Systematic Training fo r Effective Parenting. Left to right: Angela Patterson, Robin Adams, Head Start worker Janice Hawkins, CAP worker Suzann Fenton, Lesa Holmes, Ryvonnia Hartman.
Ju ly - A u g u s t 1993
M oving? Please notify us of any change of address to make sure you receive every issue of The Mountain Spirit
NEW ADDRESS name
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Mail to: The Mountain Spirit, 322 Crab Orchard Rd., Lancaster, KY 40446.
Participants Travel To Louisville Arc of Kentucky, formerly known as the Association of Retarded Citizens, sponsored a trip recently for nine participants of CAPRICE, the Christian Appala chian Project’s training program for disabled adults. The conference began with a dinner that included remarks from Mrs. Libby Jones, there on behalf of her husband, Governor Brereton Jones. She expressed concern for the rights of people with disabilities. Participants were impressed with her warmth and concern about the normalization of people with disabilities. Bobbie Wesley, CAPRICE program manager, called it “a really neat experience for our participants who had never been to a big city or stayed in a hotel. The participants, staff and parent that went along were encouraged to see we have so many con cerned persons sharing our struggle to become winners!”
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around the project. . . continued Communities Recognize Volunteer Week by Recognizing CAP During National Volunteer Week, April 19-24, several weekly newspapers in CAP’S service area devoted feature stories to the Christian Appalachian Project volunteers working in those counties.
In Magoffin County CAP participated in the community’s recognition of National Volunteer Week by awarding the senior citizens’ center in Salyersville (the county seat) a grant that will be used by the local volunteers who operate the center.
Stories focused on the back grounds of the volunteers, and gave information about CAP and the programs operating in the county.
CAP volunteer Nancy Novotny wrote a story for the McCreary Record, the weekly paper of McCreary County, which focused
on the volunteers at Eagle Child Development Center. Jean Marie Kalata told Nancy, “I had volun teered in college and wanted to commit to a full-time volunteer program. I felt I had been given so much and I wanted to give something back. ” Ed Schmitt, who also teaches at Eagle Child Development said, “It’s not a big sacrifice for us to be down here because CAP cares for us financially. The work CAP does is important and we re privileged to be a part of it.” Cullen-Conway
Bob Herron, Berea bureau chief for the Richmond Register, wrote in the April 23 edition, “Although this week has been set aside to honor the volunteer spirit throughout the nation, for the Christian Appalachian Project, every week could be ‘volunteer week.’” He told of the work of five CAP volunteers working in programs in Madison County, giving readers a clearer picture of the services that CAP offers in the county.
One o f the ways that CAP celebrated National Volunteer Week was by holding an Open House at the newly completed Jackson Volunteer House. The house was dedicated, and volunteers shared pictures o f work in Jackson County.
M e ? A C A P C h r istm a s B a sk e t S p o n s o r ? H o w D o I Sta rt? Yes! I’d love to sponsor an Appalachian family for gifts this Christmas. Please send more information to:
NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE, ZIP AREA CODE AND PHONE
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Brenda Watts, Christmas basket program secretary, received a note last year from a grateful sponsor. “Thank you again this year for the opportunity to experience the real joy of Christmas—that of sharing with others! Sometimes I laughed out loud while shopping, it was so much fun! Please also find enclosed a check for a Christmas food basket for Edwin and Marie and their wonderful family. Also, I’ve included some gifts for an older gentleman and lady. Again, thank you, and I hope all of you will also have a very blessed Christmas.” Over the years Brenda has heard from family after family, sponsor
after sponsor, telling her that purchasing gifts for an Appala chian family, wrapping them up and mailing them to CAP was the best part of their Christmas. Basket sponsors receive the first names, ages, sizes, and gift preferences for each member of the family they’re sponsoring, along with other guidelines and instructions. If this sounds like the kind of Christmas you would enjoy, please clip the coupon on this page, and return it in the envelope in the center fold of the magazine. If you have any questions, just call Brenda at (606) 792-3051, exten sion 279- We know it’s a little early, but Merry Christmas!
The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued Jackson County Students Place Well in Odyssey of the Mind Competion With support from the Jackson County Board of Education and coaching from the Christian Appalachian Project staff, students from Jackson County participated in the Odyssey of the Mind competition for the first time. Odyssey of the Mind is an international problem-solving competition which asks elemen tary, middle and high school students to solve one of five problems in such fields as architec tural design, engineering and the performing arts, according to Eileen Westgate, a CAP volunteer who coached the teams. Eileen worked with Odyssey teams before she became a volunteer. Three Jackson County teams each had seven members who worked on problems from January through April. “They really exemplified the spirit and the values of the OM philosophy,” Eileen said. These values include team effort (probably the strongest principle); divergent thinking; development of individual creative skills; fun; positive directions. “They learned that creativity is fun! “Participating can help develop self-confidence and creativity. And teamwork is one of the biggest benefits,” Eileen said. “They learned that it’s good to have your own ideas and diversity and that there are lots of answers. ” The sixth grade team partici pated in the “Dinosaur” competi tion. After plenty of research, they created a humorous and delightful performance which informed their audience about the Maiasaura and Toodon dinosaurs. The seventh graders designed and built a 17-gram structure of balsa wood and glue which supported 96 pounds of weight and performed a skit describing
Ju ly - A u g u s t 1993
why the structure was destroyed. The skit included a bragging elephant and a clever mouse who made a bet to see who could crush the “strongest building.” The eighth graders performed a realistic, original folk tale. They created the story of a family which had a baby that died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In the resulting turmoil, the mother considered suicide until she met a wise and magical “bag lady.” After seeing the potential fate of her children, she pulled the pieces of her life together, reached her positive inner self and was joyfully reunited with her family.
What You Don't Know About Wills Can Hurt Your Heirs. . . Find Out Why. Request Your Free Copy.
The sixth and seventh graders each placed third in the regional competition. The eighth graders won second place and the opportunity to compete on the state level, where they placed fourth. Eileen and Camp Andrew Jackson program manager Bill Lynch agreed that the students’ participation in Odyssey of the Mind was successful, as the teens learned about life’s ups and downs, working with others, taking risks, learning about themselves. “They really put their hearts and minds into the experi ence,” Eileen said. “I’m sure they’ll remember the laughter and the smiles. I’ll remember their eyes when they sparkled with wonder, self-confidence and inner satisfaction for a job well done!” Respecting the wishes o f deceased loved ones or in honor o f them, fa m ilies often request that m em orials be sent to us. M em orial gifts live on to benefit others. M any also specify m em orial gifts in their wills. A ny size gift is welcome. Contact us fo r more inform ation.
Much ofw hatyou know about wills may be misinformation that has been floating around for years. If you think, for example, that wills are primarily for rich people, or the elderly, you may be the victim of a common misconcep tion. The helpful booklet offered here will explain how your will can save your heirs from costly delays and confusion. Send for your copy today. Clip and Mail
Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, Kentucky 40446 Please send without obligation, your booklet, "37 Things People 'Know' About Wills That Aren't Really So." N a m e ____________________________ Address _________________________ C it y ______________________________ State_______________ Z I P _________
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The CAP Closeup Gabriel
But G od had other p la n s X es, I really was bom in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania—I had to be bom there to know how to spell it!” So claims Peggy Patrick, manager of CAP’S Emmaus Christian Life Center and elderly services program. The home of Punxsutawney Phil (the famous weather-predicting groundhog) was also home to the Anibaldi family, where Peggy was the oldest of four children. Although she was named after both grandmothers, Mary Marg aret was known as “Peggy” even before she was bom. All of Peggy’s childhood years centered around life in the small Pennsylvania town. Church and school were only a block away, and relatives populated the neighborhood. Peggy recalls her efforts and those of one of her
cousins as they tried to get their grandfather to teach them to count in Italian. John Anibaldi was bom in a region north of Rome, Italy. In coming to the United States, he made a concerted effort to leave his Italian ways in Italy—including his native tongue. Being surrounded by family, Sunday visits with relatives were frequent, and several cousins were among Peggy’s classmates as she attended the local Catholic school from first through twelfth grade. After attending one year of college in Punxsutawney, Peggy was given the opportunity to attend Mercyhurst College in Erie, about 120 miles away. “I would not have been able to attend Mercyhurst if it were not for the scholarship offered by my
church. They called it the Cadet Program for education majors.” In exchange for the scholarship, Peggy was to come back to Punxsutawney to teach for two years. And after graduation, Peggy did return to teach fourth grade in the school she had attended as a child. When she returned to Erie, Peggy taught third grade, then made a switch and began teaching a religion class at Mercyhurst High School. “I really was not prepared for that,” admits Peggy. “The person who had been teaching the class had removed all the desks and the students sat on a couch or pillows on the floor. Because of his background in theology, he could formulate his class each day based on the questions or concerns of the students! I couldn’t do that, so
♦ by June Widman ♦ 14
The Mountain Spirit
Peggy Patrick I left the couch in the room, but I brought the desks back in—my compromise was to arrange the desks in a circle.” Making the transition from third graders to high school students wasn’t easy, but it was another part of Peggy’s ongoing education. As a teacher, her summers were filled with different opportunities. Working with the Native Ameri can population in New Mexico one summer and as an assistant to a teacher of autistic children another summer broadened the horizons of Punxsutawney Peggy. Seven summers were spent pursuing the professional degree of Master of Religious Education as Peggy moved in to the full-time position of campus minister at Mercyhurst College.
Also during that time, Peggy had become familiar with Berea College and interviewed for a position as a dorm director. Settling in as head resident at one to the women’s dormitories in January of 1982, it looked as though Peggy was returning to a college vocation. But God had other plans. Ellen Burke, at that time the director of the CAP Child Development Center in Berea, told Peggy about a new program that was going to start in Berea. CAP would need a person to be in charge of the elderly residence that was nearing completion.
Ju ly - August 1993
In mid-April of 1982, Peggy began her position with the Christian Appalachian Project as the person responsible for getting the Emmaus Center up and running. In late June, Peggy married Guy Patrick in Berea, where they have lived ever since. By the second of July in ’82, the first two residents of the Emmaus Center had moved in and a community of elderly folks was beginning to take shape. One year later, Peggy and Guy became the proud parents of Gina Patrick. As Peggy remembers, “The residents had planned a baby shower for me, but that day I received word that my mother had died. They had made a crib sized quilt, each person sewing a different square. They gave me the quilt the morning I left for my mother’s funeral. Gina was bom the next day in Punxsutawney. ”
Gina spent a lot of time at Emmaus that first year of her life. Although she lost her own grandmother the day before she was bom, she came home to ten grandparents at Emmaus. “Having the baby around the older people was very positive,” says Peggy. There was no shortage of people to rock her, tell her stories, or take her for a walk in the stroller. When Gina became a big sister to Anna, bom on Christmas Eve in 1984, there were still plenty of laps and rocking chairs to go around. To this day, both Gina and Anna feel very much at home among the residents of the Emmaus Center. Peggy has settled into life in Berea with plenty of opportunities for her past experience to be utilized in other ways. She is active in peace efforts and justice issues in the Berea, in her church, and in her children’s school. Education in its broadest sense remains a focus for the woman who dared to see what God had in store for Punxsutawney Peggy! Corsale
“And then I was ready for a change!” says Peggy. She had a cousin living in Paris, Kentucky, who invited her to come and see what opportunities there might be in the area. A friend in her cousin’s parish knew about the Christian Appalachian Project, and suggested Peggy look into it. So by the fall of 1981, Peggy Anibaldi moved to Lancaster as a tempo rary volunteer for CAP. Her primary work involved visiting elderly people and helping with the Christmas basket program.
“Ellen encouraged me to apply,” Peggy says. “She hardly knew me then. Ellen really has a gift for seeing a person’s strengths and talents.”
The Emmaus Christian Life Center is alive with plants, most o f which are tended by residents. Shortly upon arriving, people fin d a “niche”fo r themselves at the home.
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KoijEei
VioSm a Wbh Frank Lee, o f the Make-A-Wish Foundation o f Point Pleasant, West Virginia, shares a moment until Kayla as she delights in her new T he Make-A-Wish Foundation, of Point Pleasant, West playhouse. Right, Frank and Kayla’s fam ily made sure the Virginia, suggested a host of dreams to Kayla Hall, a five-year- playhouse was a surprise.
old cancer patient who lives in Martin County, Kentucky. A trip to Disney World, Kayla? No, Kayla said, I want a play house. The foundation provided everything from a welcome mat to a mailbox for Kayla’s house, but couldn’t find a contractor in the area with the time to devote to construction of the house. A phone call to Rose Price, director of Christian Appalachian Project human development programs in Floyd County, delivered workers from CAP’S newest volunteer community in adjacent Lawrence County and the project was launched! The folks from Make-A-Wish timed the day perfectly so that Kayla arrived just as the work was being finished on the doll-sized Victorian house that was complete with front and back doors (with door bells), lace window curtains, rugs, a toy piano, and a flower garden. When CAP workers met the family, they learned that the doll house was to be constructed on the site where their home had burned to the ground in the winter of ’93- Rose asked outreach worker Judy Crum to interview the family and based on that contact asked Mike Sanders, senior director of Martin programs, to help the family move into their own home from the house they were renting. CAP will help the family secure a good used mobile home, which Rose said will give them some time to consult with FHA and the Kentucky Housing Administration about the means available to enable the family to have a permanent structure constructed on the site where the family home had burned. ft
♦ Photos by Glen Taul ♦ 16
The Mountain Spirit
Clockwise from the top, CAP volunteers participate in carnival-like games at the Emmaus anniversary celebration; Peggy Patrick, manager o f the Emmaus Christian Life Center; Emmaus residents determine their own degree o f socialization or solitude; CAP volunteers at Emmaus marvel at the tvisdom o f the residents; CAP workers also visit elderly people in their own homes. Here, Vi Ellis shares prayer with two o f her ladies.
♦ by Beth Dotson ♦ 18
The Mountain Spirit
Ten Years of Christian Living I t ’s hard to tell what kinds of activities you’re going to find when you walk into the Emmaus Christian Life Center. Waldo is likely to be whittling in his room, making earrings or decorative birds. Jim Bob might be returning from a trip with his little buddy, a young boy he likes to spend time with. A group could be gathered in the living room for prayer time or a card game. Or there might be a whole room full of people playing bingo or bidding funny money on auction items. Whatever you find, it’s part of life at home for 16 elderly residents who are part of a program that CAP started ten years ago. The intention was to provide housing to elderly people who could no longer take care of their own place, but didn’t need the assistance of a nursing home. Emmaus would provide a warm Christian community for the independent elderly of Appalachia. For ten years, it has done that and more. The staff and volunteers who have worked at Emmaus have grown with the times as they followed new directions in elderly services. Peggy Patrick, Emmaus program manager, has been with the program since its founding and she has seen it evolve from that early intent to meet the increas ing needs of the elderly. “I think our awareness of elderly people has grown to include things that we didn’t think of originally,” Peggy says. One of those first unplanned services was nursing care. Once a week, a nurse visits Emmaus to check in on residents and provide preventive health care. She performs a variety of tasks like keeping records of residents’ weight and blood pressures. “They also work with the staff to do training that would pertain to health care, like nutrition information and what to look Ju ly - August 1993
for if someone is having health prob lems. Sort of like red alert signs,” Peggy explains.
The nurse is necessary because Peggy discovered many of those who needed the services of Emmaus weren’t quite as independent as originally envisioned. Although Emmaus is not set up as a nursing home or hospital, the staff does provide transportation for medical appointments. In some cases, they also accompany the resident to the appoint ment to help them communicate with the doctor.
The staff also installed, with the help of Berea College Industrial Arts, a call bell system in case residents have emergencies in their rooms. Each resident has a private room with an adjoining bathroom. Another addition to the Emmaus pro gram is the talent of staff member Betty Turpin. Although she wasn’t hired for her hairdressing ability, she has recently become a licensed cosmetologist so she is able to wash, cut and set the hair of the residents. She also gives permanents. Sometimes, volunteers who do elderly visitation in surrounding counties bring the people who participate in their program to Emmaus to have their hair done. A third way the program has changed over the years is that the staff has become aware of “aging in place.” That is, they have come to realize that people who come into Emmaus in fine health might lose some of their abilities as they continue on in years, pointing out the importance of long-term health care. “The population is growing very, very fast. People are living longer,” Peggy said. “There’s a health care crisis in general that affects elderly people. There are segments of the population that are particularly affected by this health care crisis. “There’s every indication this is the fastest growing segment of the population. There’s going to have to be more and more that will respond to that with programs, We will find ways of dealing with this.
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old because they all seem to have a good attitude,” Mary says. Peggy says Emmaus residents have taught her to be patient and listen. When she was younger, it amused her that people repeated the same stories, but it also tried her patience. “I think one of the greatest treasures that people have is their memories, I’ve learned to treasure the opportunity to listen to people’s memories. I don’t think I had nearly the appreciation for that when I first came here that I have now,” Peggy says.
Emmaus residents take all o f their meals in a common dining room. They share living and recreation space, but each has a private bedroom and bathroom.
We re in the initial stages and that’s pretty exciting really. ” Ask Peggy about plans for the future of Emmaus and her excitement shows. She hopes to use the basement, which housed CAP volunteers until January of 1993, for a variety of services to elderly people. They would include nutrition and health pro grams, training for people who work with the elderly and intergenerational activities. “Services that would be provided with and for and by elderly people,” Peggy says. It is also encouraging for Peggy to see how productively and fully some people live out their later years. She fondly remembers one resident who attended Berea College while living at Emmaus. Peggy speaks with admiration of a volunteer from the community, Mary Allshouse, who leads a prayer group at Emmaus. “She is so articulate, interested in everything and comfortable with all kinds of people,” Peggy described. From people like Mary, she said she has learned a lot and found an ideal to shoot for when she reaches that age. Mary Burkhart a CAP volunteer from Hamilton, Ohio, has spent Tuesday evenings working at Emmaus during her 16 months of service. She enjoys playing rummy with residents and learning about their interests. “It’s helped me not to be afraid of getting
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“I find now that if people keep repeating memories, the best thing I can do is listen carefully and ask questions. I think that memory can be a wonderful gift, even if those memories are painful. Sharing memories can be healing.” The Emmaus staff and volunteers sometimes plan events to help residents and participants in the elderly visitation program in the surrounding counties to share their memories. Once a month, Emmaus hosts an event to which the volunteers bring their program partici pants. Through these events, they have opportunities to socialize and share stories. “The whole connection has had lots of positive results,” Peggy says about the monthly activities. “Another thing you can learn from people is to keep things in perspective,” Peggy says. “You know, the things that we think are important at 20 are suddenly not so important when we’re 40. The things we think are important at 40 may not be when we re 60 or 80. In a way, knowing people across the generations like that helps me keep things in perspective.” “Across the generations” and “intergenerational” are common terms to those who work with the elderly as Emmaus celebrates its ten years as a home. Society is beginning to recognize the importance of giving people of different ages the opportunities to spend time together and to learn from one another.
The Mountain Spirit
Peggy has seen some of the impact of this experience on her own children, two girls who are ten and eight years old. Their father, Guy, also works at Emmaus. “I think it’s wonderful to watch what kids can do for elderly people. And I think it’s impor tant to help kids understand what elderly people can do for them,” she says. When they visit Emmaus, Peggy sees how vital the interaction is to her daugh ters, whose one living grandparent lives 500 miles away, and to the residents. They bring a lively spirit and fresh outlook. “They make people smile, they quickly give hugs all around and I think that’s important to residents. I know it’s impor tant to my kids.” But intergenerational experiences are not limited to people at the extreme ends of the age spectrum. Peggy has also been working on activities with Students for Appalachia at Berea College, and if her dream of an expanded facility comes true, she will have more space for a number of activities. For now, she is working with others in the community to increase interest in intergenerational activities. One of her spring projects was to talk with the faculty of a local school about the importance of these kinds of activities. “I think kids today also have many, many, many more needs that are not being
“I think one o f the greatest treasures that people have is their m em ories . . . ” met,” Peggy says. “Things are changing very rapidly for them. I don’t think it’s easy for them to be a kid today at all. And I think the kind of interest and even stability that an older person can offer to a child is very important. And then I think the kids, of course, bring a sense of affection.” Peggy has also seen the residents’ contacts with the elderly programs’ volunteers bring a positive atmosphere into the home. On Saturdays, volunteers work at Emmaus to plan activities like playing bingo or making crafts. Sometimes they take residents out on shopping trips, to run errands or for a walk. In May, Emmaus residents and elderly program participants celebrated the arrival of spring with a carnival. They gathered in the Emmaus living room to hear songs, then make the rounds of the games: ring toss, bean bag throw, darts, fishing and a sponge throw. For some, it recalled fond memories of carnivals gone by. For others, it was a chance to meet new n friends and enjoy the gifts of | today. Emmaus has been a gift to many, and its value and warmth will surely increase manyfold in its next ten years.
Emmaus residents Jill their days with many activities, including gardening and reading. Residents can stroll in down town Berea, and many entertain fam ily and other visitors from the area.
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Sharing . . . Creating . . . Learning
Together A s k Alice Martin what CAP stands for and she’ll tell you “Caring About People.” Alice is a member of the Garrett Women’s Group in Floyd County and she radiates thankfulness when she talks about the difference the group has made in her life. “I lived two-thirds of my life with my husband and after losing him, this group gave me a new life. I never thought w e’d be fortunate enough to have something like
this, but it’s great, it really is. I am thankful every day of the world for it. God took away something very precious to me, but look what God has given back to m e.” Alice’s story is not unique to many women who have become member of CAP’S women’s groups. These groups provide fellowship that might not otherwise be found for many women in Eastern Kentucky.
♦ by Janice Golembeski ♦ Photos by Margaret Gabriel
Creating Together
The Community Health Advocates Program (CHAP) began its first group about five years ago. Its goal was to meet the need many women had to get out of the house and to build relationships outside of their immediate families. Intended to be an informal gathering in a relaxed atmosphere, the group focused on sharing interests, talents and information together. A typical meeting highlighted one particular issue of interest, and would also include the opportunity to learn to make crafts. Since that time, the women’s groups have certainly expanded. CHAP staff workers currently lead eight different groups in Floyd, Magoffin and Knott Counties. Members are women of all ages, personalities and backgrounds, but there is a bond in each of the groups, a sense of belonging that holds them together. In the recent months, many of the groups have created “friendship” quilts as a group project. This required each of the women to create their own individual quilt square by painting on a design of her choice. When they were finished, the individual squares were sewn together to create one large quilt. These quilts were displayed at the Annual Women’s Confer ence in May and how incredible they were with all of the different colors and pat terns. They were a true reflection of the groups themselves. Each of the women are beautiful as individuals, but when they are woven together in friendship, that beauty is multiplied many times over.
Many of the women could never afford the craft materials that are used in groups. Yet no one is ever turned away and materials are always found. Craft materials for the groups are often received from donations to the program. The groups sometimes sell their craft items to local churches, families and the like, so that they can purchase supplies to make their next craft. Sometimes the groups perform a community service project and make a craft item to give to children who are in the hospital over the holidays, or for a
Mm.
Crafts are often part o f a women's group meeting.
Sarah Hicks finds that the women’s group gives her an opportunity to learn things she never got the chance to do before. “I’m 67 years old and this is the first time I’ve ever painted or used a glue gun. We couldn’t afford those things when I was growing up, but I’ve always wanted to learn.” One of the most rewarding things about CAP’S women’s groups is that it enables the women to create. One woman explains, “The arts and crafts that we do encourages me to use and express my own ideas.” Craft ideas often come from the women themselves and range from holiday baskets to dolls to covered photo albums. Projects can be individual crafts or sometimes a group craft, such as the friendship quilt. Regardless of the project, the women work together and help each other along as they are learning. These projects give the women a sense of accomplishment and they are able to go home with something special to share.
A leadership conference was sponsored by CHAP fo r women's group partici pants. Dr. May Fox, o f Pike County, gave a presentation on AIDS and HIV.
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couldn’t have added those groups in Knott County,” Katie says. Jan believes that the women’s groups are serving to preserve some of the culture that seems to be slipping away from the mountains. “Many forms of the Appalachian culture, such as quilting, are dying out. Groups like this bring it back together. It gives the women an opportu nity to share their talents and traditions and they can learn from one another. ”
Sharing Together
Local beauty shop operators treated women to hair care and manicures at the leadership conference.
local festival. O f CAP’S women’s groups, Alice Martin says, “No one asks how much money I have or for a penny. They just give. No other group has given us so much without asking for a thing.” “I love my job,” beams Trish Joseph, women’s group leader for Magoffin County. “If I had to choose one part of my job that I love best, it would be group,” Trish said. “I always look for new craft ideas when I go to yard sales, flea markets and even in homes that I visit.” When Jan Bruns, a pre-med student, joined CHAP last year as a volunteer, working in a supporting role, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Jan brought her knowledge of many health related issues, a knack for presentations, a warm, friendly personality and lots of ideas and enthusi asm. With Jan’s help, Katie Newsome was able to extend CHAP services to include two groups in Knott County. After being assigned a leadership role at the Martin women’s group in Floyd County, Jan adapted quickly and was an instant hit with the ladies. Jan’s presence enabled Katie to organize two groups in Knott County, which she added to the four groups in Floyd County. “Without Jan I
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One of the best parts of the groups is that it gets the women together and gives them a chance to chat about their lives and share opinions and stories. When you stay at home all day it is easy to become depressed and lonely. Having a group of peers to go to each week gives the ladies something to look forward to, because they know they will be welcomed and listened to and cared about. Tina Bolen finds that “We can be ourselves, doing what we want, talking about what we want to talk about.” The women are free to express themselves. This is something they may not be able to do while at home tending to the needs of their families. Jan explains, “The role of women has tradi tionally been in the house, but there is only so much education that can go on in the house—it is limiting.” Sarah Hicks finds that “It’s good to get out of the house. It settles the nerves and helps you forget all the problems behind you. ” Most often what the women need is knowing that someone is there to listen. Katie, who leads groups in Floyd and Knott counties, says “The women need someone impartial to listen to them. So many times we go through situations that we have no control over and it’s good knowing someone is there—the group is there. We try to encourage positive thinking and to channel our negative thoughts into something positive and good.” Lori Sizemore of Floyd County says “We all share good times and we pray for each other when we have problems.” The women celebrate birthdays to gether and try to make things special for each other. One group has formed what they call “Secret Sisters.” Secret Sisters surprise one another with little gifts anytime something good happens to show that they share in each others’ joy.
The Mountain Spirit
Minerva Vanderpool lost her son recently in an accident and truly needed a support group in her life. She was feeling very alone and yet didn’t want to leave her house. Eventually, she and her daughter, Nora, began attending women’s group in Magoffin County and it has made a tremen dous difference in their lives. Just getting out and being with the other women has helped Minerva to find the strength to cope. “I can see things a lot differently now. It seemed like it was all closed doors before.” Sometimes the hardest part is getting the women to the group the first time. Alisha, a 20-year-old woman, reflects, “When I first started ‘group,’ I was nervous about it. I didn’t know everybody. But now I’ve gotten to know what they’re like and there’s no need for nervousness among friends.” All it takes is that first visit. After they see what CAP and the group is all about, they look forward to coming back. Katie says “Once they see that it’s not a schoolroom atmosphere and that we don’t demand, they want to come again.” It can become like a second family for many of the women. As Alisha put it, “It helps me to know that there are people in this world who care.” Beth Henegar has similar feelings. “When I first get around people, I’m really quiet. I don’t know who they are or what to say. But after a while you get to know
“. . .
wecan be ourselves, doing what we want, talking about what we want to talk about. ” them and you get to the point where you really care about them. You can tell these things because you can really feel it.” And Minerva said “I’m sure that if any of us needed one another, we’d be there.”
Learning Together Another highlight of the groups is the presentations on health issues. A definition of health includes one’s physical, mental, emotional and environmental well-being and CHAP brings in speakers such as nurses and health department employees who can give the ladies information about current issues, such as heart disease or osteoporosis, in a comfortable setting. Many of the women agree that they are often afraid or uncomfortable talking to their doctor about certain issues and feel much more open when the speakers come to them at group. It can mean the differ ence between someone who knows what symptoms to look for and someone who will never get the courage to ask. The women can share their thoughts and fears and encourage each other when they need to make a change in their lifestyle. The women especially enjoy the nutrition sessions. About once a month, a presentation is given on a current health or diet issue, such as the new food pyramid or how to cut down on salt in your diet. The women help to bring in ingredients, such as seasonings or beverages, and they prepare a healthy
In addition to presentations and a boat trip, the leadership conference included production o f several craft items.
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chance to share their expertise with one another. One group has “show and tell” days that allow each of the women to have their special day to share their interest with the group. The employees and volunteers of CHAP are touched by the groups and seem to find a change in their own outlook as well. There is a warmth about a room full of ladies waiting for you to arrive, ready to share all their latest news, the workers say. It becomes a support group for everyone involved, including the leaders.
Women’s group members completed dolls as craft projects, which were then given to a local hospital as gifts fo r children admitted to the pediatric unit. Community service projects are an integral part o f each group’s ongoing activities.
meal together using the new things that they have learned. The women have great fun working together and the nutrition sessions give them the opportunity to learn new recipes and menu ideas that they can take back home to their families. Alice Martin says “As a result of the recipes and health tips, I have become really aware of the importance of what I eat and drink. ” Whenever the women have an interest or concern, the groups try to plan presen tations in those areas. Some recent presen tations have included information about fire safety, death and the grieving process, and self-esteem. Occasionally, groups go on field trips, such as attending a local festival together or going on a shopping trip to a nearby town. Although many speakers come from the community or from CHAP, the women in the groups are encouraged to make presentations themselves. If they are knowledgeable in a certain area or have a special hobby, the group leaders are more than happy to give the women the
Dr. Fox and the CHAP sta ff made sure that participants had plenty o f educational and informational material.
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Katie gets a good feeling from working with the groups, she says. “We always find something to laugh about, something to share. Every time we have group, we learn something that will relate to our personal lives.” Jan finds that “Group isn’t a time to act as a mom or a wife, it’s a time to be as free-spirited as a child. It’s a time to laugh and hold nothing back because chances are good that in a few moments’ time, everyone else will be laughing with you.” The best way to tell what a blessing the women’s groups are is to see the smiles of accomplishment when a craft is com pleted, the hugs of goodbye at the end of each group meeting, the ease of laughter in the air as stories are shared and the concern in the eyes when others are hurting. One woman told me that she knew a few of the people before she got involved in group, but after joining they have now become the best of friends. Just about as close as people can get, she says. Now they’re starting to do things outside of group. And that’s exactly what it’s all about—planting the seeds for friendships that will last into the future.
CAP Helps Rebecca . . . and Rebecca Helps Herself "CAP makes a big difference in some people's lives. They're encouraged to make it on their own and be productive citizens." Rebecca should know. In 1986 she and her husband were having a difficult time meeting their bills, so they went to CAP for help. "They loaned us the money, and let us work if off," Becky said. She learned about a day care program that CAP operated at that time that could care for her children for a dollar a day while she went back to school. Shortly, they were involved in CAP'S gardening and Christ mas basket programs, as well. "I was a real backward person then, and didn't think I could do anything." She credits Sister Mary Gervase, who worked in CAP'S adult education program in Floyd County, with giving her the encouragement she needed to make changes in her life. After getting her GED through CAP'S adult education program, Becky, mother of five, became involved with the women's group in Floyd County. The group helped to raise her self-esteem and encouraged her try new things. "It was great. When I went to women's group I had nowhere to go to get out of the house and have some time to myself. That's all changed, now," Becky said. Today Rebecca Garrett plays a double role. First and foremost she's a mother, but she also sells cosmetics, in 1992 becoming one of the most successful sales representatives for her company in the state of Kentucky. "I love this job, but my family comes first, and my customers know that," Becky said. "It's hard work, but I can arrange my schedule so I can still go to their school parties, field trips and ball games." Becky says that her children also gave input when she decided to go back to work, and when she decided to increase her hours. "I told them that if they worked harder, just like me, they would be able to do more things. I knew it would make a big impact on their lives." But even more, she credits CAP with encouraging to make changes she needed to make to become self-sufficient. Your donation of $10 . . . $15 . . . $25—more if you're able—will enable CAP to continue the programs that can and will help folks like Becky become confident and self-sufficient.
Elderly People In Appalachia and in the U.S.A. Between 1980 and 1990 the percentage of elderly people living in poverty in Appalachian Kentucky rose from 23-3% to 28.4%. In the same period of time, the elderly poverty rate for the United States fell from 14.8% to 12.2%. In an area CAP serves, the percentage of elderly people living in poverty is as high as 43% (Jackson County). A 1986 report titled “The Elderly of Appalachia,” a joint project of the Appalachian Center and Multi disciplinary Center of Gerontology at the University of Kentucky, found the following: “Elderly people living in Central and Southern Appalachia suffer more inferior life circumstances than the elderly population in the nation as a whole. The Appalachian elderly in these areas fall well below the national average in terms of statistics on income, access to transportation, availability of telephones, and the presence of resources such as long-term care facilities.” “Poverty and isolation is exacerbated by problems with transportation and communications. Unable to take advantage of already scarce public transportation because of health conditions and further isolated because of lack of access to telephones, the elderly in Central and Southern Appalachia are often at a disadvantage. Nor do they have access to group living situations.” Shaded area indicates the boundaries o f the Appalachian region
CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT 322 CRAB ORCHARD ROAD LANCASTER, KY 40446 The Mountain Spirit
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Christian Appalachian Project
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