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The

Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project

In this issue: The Holiness o f Teamwork November-December 1994

CAP Christmas wreaths

Book Review

T he

N ovem ber - D ecem b er 1994 Voi. xm , No. 6

Mountain Spirit

The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project

N u r tu r in g K n o tt C o u n ty by Margaret Gabriel

A p p a la c h ia n C la ssic s

CAP and LKLP, page Jour.

by Linda Piwowarski

The W re a th L a d ie s by Margaret Gabriel

26 L iv e s o f Christmas

C itiz e n s h ip a n d S e r v ic e

page twelve.

by Beth Dotson

D ep a rtm en ts 3 16

18 24

Random Thoughts The CAP Closeup Around The Project Letters

The Holiness o f Teamwork Our November issue, as always, addresses spirituality. There are many aspects of spirituality within CAP and the Appalachian area in general, but w e ’ve decided to concen trate on cooperation in the work that w e do. In fact, after w e ’d already decided on that particular topic, w e learned that Barb Delmonico, with CAP’S volunteer program, gives a workshop on that very subject! Barb’s thoughts are on the facing page. Knott County, the site of one of CAP’S latest entries into outreach services, has achieved a beautiful rhythm of cooperation with the local community action agency (page four). A group of Berea College students are learning that cooperation is a vital part of their education (page 2 6 ). Because this is our Christmas issue, w e ’re intro ducing tw o ladies w ho have been making Christmas wreaths in Jackson County for many, many years. They make the wreaths you see in our photographs and make sure every one of the nearly 40,000 wreaths that are shipped meet that standard. On the cover, Ann Sizemore admires the ramp that she and a group of CAP employees and volunteers constructed for Brad Holland and his family (photo by Gabriel).

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 1994, 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 of State, Office of Charities Registration, 162 W ashington Ave., Albany, NY 12231; in Maryland, for the cost of copies and postage, the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 (all financial information is available from the Secretary of State for the cost o f postage and copying); 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, WV 25305; in Virginia, the State Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209. Washington State residents may obtain a copy of the last report filed with the W ashington Secretary of 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-FLA. Or write to Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446. Our license number in Michigan is MICS 9933. Registration with any of the above government agencies does not imply endorsement by the state.

T he M o u n ta in S p ir it

Random Thoughts Barb Delmonico H ave y o u ever seen a large flo c k o f geese fly in g in V fo r m a tion? I ’ve rea d th a t there is no one lead goose. Rather, specialists in aero d yn a m ics sa y th a t geese can f l y so fa r, so long because each helps the flo c k by ta k in g his tu rn as leader. Two engineers discovered th a t each goose, in fla p p in g its o w n wings, creates a n u p w a rd lift f o r the fo llo w in g goose, g iv in g the w hole flo c k a b o u t 70% g rea ter fly in g range th a n i f each b ird fle w alone. Leadership is rota ted because no goose can sta y u p there very long. I f o n e goose fa lls back a n d begins to th in k he w o n ’t be m issed he im m e d ia te ly fe e ls the h ea vier burd en o f fly in g a lo n e a n d speeds u p to g e t back in to the fo rm a tio n . B ird w atchers sa y th a t those w h o fa l l b e h in d are encou ra g ed by the h o n k in g o f th eir peers. T h a t’s w h a t happens in a c o m m u n ity o f Christians, too. N one o f us can sta y in f r o n t f o r very long. B u t i f w e rotate leadership, b u ild o n each o th e r’s w eaknesses a n d help one a n other, w e can e x te n d the range a n d scope o f o u r sp iritu a l adventure. M ilton Olsen At CAP w e know that the con cep t o f a Christian team is one of th e m ost im portant elem ents in the w ork w e do. Any good team — a sports team , a n ew spaper staff, a family —has similar characteris tics. W hen I talk about it w ith CAP’S volunteers, I always em phasize four “Cs” in team w ork. The first “C” is com m itm ent. Teams have to be com m itted to the same goal. A basketball team is com m itted to w inning games, a new sp ap er staff is com m itted to a

November - December 1994

publication that is fair and accu rate, a volunteer com m unity is com m itted to helping each o th er live and w ork in the love of Christ. The second “C” is com plem ent. W e all have different strengths and weaknesses; it’s great to look at th e cooperation that takes place w h en you have a group w orking together, getting the job done because everyone is playing the role that he or she can play best. W hen new volunteers com e in I preach —or maybe “philosophize” is a b etter w ord —that w hen w e ’re critical and judgmental, that kills cooperation, kills a good team. But, w h en you tell m e w hat you think my strengths are, it makes m e m ore aware of my ow n giftedness. It w orks that way w ith w eaknesses, too. Once, one of the volunteers m ade a com m ent to one w om an, “You know, you’re crabby in the m orning.” She seem ed surprised until some other folks in the com m unity agreed. I guess she did some reflection and hopefully, is a little m ore cheerful in th e m orning. O r maybe sh e’s staying in h er room until she’s ready to face the day. Com m unication is the third “C,” w hich sounds easier than it is. People say, “Well, sure w e need to com m unicate,” but you can’t just com m unicate the good things. You need to com m unicate the difficult things, like “You drive me crazy w hen you blow dry your hair at 5:00 in the m orning.” It’s im portant to com m unicate frustrations, otherw ise how can w e break through superficial things to the im portant stuff? By com m unicating honestly and

gently w e ’re able to com e to the spiritual base. Even though you frustrate m e som etim es, I can still love and care about you as a bro th er o r sister in Christ. The last “C” is carrier o f Christ’s love. W hat is our m ission here on earth? If w e are truly Christian, w e ’re here to carry C hrist’s love, and share it w ith th e group that w e ’re living or w orking w ith. In ch ap ter tw elve o f his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul had som e great reflection about living Christ’s love by recognizing and sharing our gifts and w orking together. It’s not like these are w onderful new theories; th ey ’re just basic life principles, like consideration and cooperation. W e get so busy that it’s easy to forget som e of the things that can m ake our lives richer. W e get self-centered; at least I know I do. I d o n ’t w ant to cooperate w h en I think I know w h a t’s best. I’m not going to com e right out and tell you your idea stinks, b ut I m ight think it. Until w e let go o f that, a strong, Christian team isn’t possible. The key w ord is understanding. Think back to story about the geese flying in form ation. Every goose understands the dynamics. They all know their roles, and how they relate to th e others. The geese not only get w here th ey ’re going, but they get th ere w ith an incredible am ount of grace and beauty. • B arb D elm onico is the m a n a g er o f CAP’S volu n teer houses. She is a fo r m e r volu n teer fr o m M inne apolis, M innesota.

Nurturing in Knott County Together a CAP outreach worker and a Knott County War on Poverty worker are making a difference. ♦ Story and p h o to s ♦ b y M argaret G abriel

S h irle y Conley had a problem . The K nott County outreach coordinator for LKLP, th e Letcher-Knott-Leslie-Perry County Com m unity Action Agency, had received a call from a teach er w ith a student w h o is hom ebound as result o f an autom obile accident. “Well, th e m o th er called m e first because they couldn’t get him in and out of their trailer,” Shirley said. “She said if it caught on fire and she w as th ere by herself, he w ould have burned up. T here’s no w ay she could have gotten him o u t.” Shirley p o ndered th e situation. She knew that the isolated area w h ere the family’s trailer w as located w as miles away from th e nearest fire protection, and even if it had been closer, trailers usually b u m m ore quickly than fire fighters can reach them . She k new th at th e family needed a ram p that w ould enable them to m aneuver Brad’s w heelchair out of the trailer.

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“The only crew w e ’ve got is for w eatherization, ” Shirley said. “T hat’s state money, and th e only thing they can use it for is w eatherization. So I called Ann. She said sh e’d see w hat she could do about it.”

Ann Sizemore, right, is the outreach worker fo r Knott County. She met Brad Holland and his mother, Gwen, when

Shirley Conley, the LKLP worker, asked i f it would be possible to make the trailer accessiblefo r Brad’s wheelchair.

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Opal Pridemore has worked with LKLP since 1967. Although she recently retired, Opal plans to continue helping people. “It keeps me young, ”she says. Ann is Ann Sizemore, the Christian Appalachian Project K nott County out reach w orker. Together, Ann and Shirley are tackling som e real problem s in K nott County. Like many counties in th e Appala chian area of Kentucky, K nott County is affected by a com bination of isolation and unem ploym ent. Recent statistics show K nott County w ith an unem ploym ent rate of over 14 percent, a figure w hich reflects only those people w ho are out of w ork and actively seeking em ploym ent. It does not include those w ho are considered discour aged —out of work, but no longer seeking work. Over 35 p ercent of the people in K nott County live below the poverty level, a percentage that increased betw een the years of 1979 and 1986, possibly because of the decline of mining in the county. Thirty percent of personal incom e w as earned through mining in 1987. W ith the decline in the num ber o f people em ployed in the mines, some are probably p art of the unem ploym ent statistic, o r are w orking in the low er paying service sector. Shirley, a native of K nott County, began h er w ork w ith LKLP in 1967, at the height of the W ar on Poverty. She w asn’t con sciously attacking poverty, though. She w as just trying to help support her family. “I started as a secretary,” Shirley rem em bered. “There was a coordinator here, w ho

and I have been w orking w ith has filled in an applica tion. W e’re hoping to get h er a house. She lives in a small trailer w ith a big family. They need a yard; they need a ho u se.” Through state and federal program s, LKLP has re sources th at enable Shirley to provide m edical transporta tion, distribute food, and help w ith utility bills. The com m unity action agency operates a Head Start program , a family preserva tion program and th e spouse abuse shelter th at serves the area developm ent district. 7he success o f the adult education bus in Magoffin County, “The Little Red Schoolbus," it’s called, has led CAP to acquire a bus fo r a similar program in Knott County. Here Ann shows it o ff with pride. w as an attorney, and had com e in to help organize and set up com m unity action. I w as nex t door one day —there w as a clothing store over th ere —to charge a pair o f shoes for my husband to w ear to a funeral. W hile I w as in there, a lady told m e there w as a job o p en here. I had my little boy on m y hip and came in and asked about th e job. They gave m e an application and shorthand and typing tests. A lot of girls had applied, but she called me and told m e to com e in at nine o ’clock. “I asked h e r if I’d gotten the job, and she said she couldn’t tell m e, but to com e prep ared to spend the day. Just think how m any years th a t’s been, and I rem em ber it so vividly, and w h at it m eant to me. I feel blessed that I’ve had this job. It’s helped m e raise m y kids, and I haven’t had to pack w ater from th e neighbors, I d o n ’t have to carry in coal. I’ve got a decent little house w ith w ater in it and a bathroom .” Through LKLP, a private, non-profit agency, Shirley helps o ther people attain those basic com forts. “O ur w eatherization program does hom e repair and repairs heating systems. I also take applications for FHA. Low-income people m ight be eligible to buy a hom e o r build one, or repair the one they have. One of the girls that Ann

Much has changed in K nott County in th e days that Shirley has spent w ith LKLP, including the am ount of support that the agency has received from th e governm ent. W here once there w ere fifteen w orkers serving th e various needs of th e com m unity, no w there are tw o. Opal Pridem ore and Olive Bolen both have been w orking almost as long as Shirley, and will be retiring soon. Shirley is n ot sure they will be replaced. Shirley has seen seven presidential adm inistrations since sh e’s been w orking in K nott County. She and LKLP have experienced varying degrees of support. “There w as a tim e w h en they even cam e in and tagged our stuff, they w ere closing us out. They w ere cutting out the m oney for th e W ar on Poverty. W hen I first started, though, there w ere centers in each community. I see a trend tow ard starting m ore program s, b ut now getting a center in each of the com m unities w ould be impossible, unless w e had a lot of money.

“Back then people w ould donate a building to use as a com m unity center; maybe w e ’d just have to pay the utilities, b ut they’re just not available n o w .” D espite few er resources to help attack problem s, Shirley proudly points to the progress th a t’s been m ade in h er 27 years w ith LKLP. “We all have days w h en w e feel T h e M o u n t a i n S p ir it

“You c a n ’t tell th e n e ig h b o rs th a t th e y liv e in th e w r o n g cou n ty. ”

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YV - ■ ___^_____ _________ j \ Shirley Conley, outreach coordinatorfo r LKLPin Knott County. it’s a lost cause, and w e get bogged dow n in putting Band-Aid on, but if p eo p le are hungry, a box o f food can m ean every thing. I’ve been there, and I know h ow good a bag o f flour looked at times. W hen I first started to w ork, I rode th e school bus to the m outh o f th e holler and w aited an ho u r to ride to Hindm an w ith a girl w ho w orked there. I d idn’t have a car, and couldn’t have driven it if I’d had o n e.”

People w h o receive help from CAP are asked to repay their loan by w orking. In K nott County they som etim es w ork for Shirley at th e LKLP outreach office in Hindman, folding clothes in th e used clothing store o r helping w ith clerical duties. “Shirley’s always got som ething for folks to do!” Ann said. This collaboration betw een CAP and LKLP could m ean a turning point for Fay and h er family. Fay’s first contact w ith CAP cam e several years ago w hen h er trailer burned. She received some clothing and furniture, and moved to another trailer. W hen Fay w as again burned out of h er hom e last w inter, again she turned to CAP for help. “You needed help w ith gas, w asn ’t that it Fay?” Ann said. “Yes, and I w orked at the Head Start for three days,” Fay said. “And th en Ann got on m e to go ahead and get my GED. If it h adn’t been for h er I w ouldn’t have gotten

CAP becam e involved in K nott County almost accidently, according to Rose Price, assistant directo r o f hum an developm ent. Some hollers in K nott County are continua tions o f hollers in Floyd County, w h ere CAP has had an outreach program for several years. “W hen y o u ’re w orking w ith one family, you can ’t tell th e neighbors they live in th e w rong county,” Rose said. “W e never approached anyone in K nott County formally, but w h en w e realized that w e w ere w orking w ith som e o f the same families as LKLP, w e established a good w orking relationship. T here are som e things that they c an ’t do, and they asked us. W e never tried to m ake a big splash, w e just accidentally w en t in the back d o o r.” Shirley often refers to CAP families w hose problem s fall outside th e allowed services o f LKLP. Ann Sizemore calls on Shirley w h en one o f h er families fits the profile th at Shirley can serve.

November - December 1994

Mary Sue met Shirley when she worked to repay a loan from CAP. Today she works as the LKLP receptionist through the Jobs Training Partnership Act.

out o f th e house —I’d still be there w atching soap o peras.” Ann unabashedly uses the w ord “nag ging” w h en she talks about the encourage m ent she gave Fay to finish high school, saying that she could see a great deal of potential in her. “She failed th e [GED] p re test, but passed the real test on the first try ,” Ann said. T hen she took and passed th e test required to becom e a teachers’ aide. “I’d been out of school since 1982,” Fay said. “I d o n ’t know w h ere the sm art came from because w h en I w as in school, I was totally dum b —d idn’t know w h eth er I w as com ing o r going.” Fay’s contact w ith LKLP, w here she w orked off h er loan, p u t h er in a position to apply for jobs after she received her GED. She has also obtained h er com m er cial driver’s license w hich she needed to get a job as a van driver for LKLP’s Head Start and has applied for a position as a teach ers’ aide in tw o school systems. “She’s done so m uch the last six m o n th s,” Ann said. “She’s gotten h er GED

and h er teach ers’ aide license. She’s getting h er com m ercial driver’s license, she’s lost w eight. She feels b etter about herself. ” Fay smiled and pointed at Ann. “It’s because of this one right here. If she h adn’t talked to me and kept on and k ep t on, I’d still be hom e sittin’ on th e co u ch .” The LKLP outreach office in Hindm an is a busy place —phones ringing, people pulling files, answ ering questions. Mary Sue, the receptionist, w orks in the thick of th e hustle and bustle, another w om an w ho m ade contact w ith th e agency through CAP. Mary Sue’s first contact w ith CAP came eight years ago w h en she w as pregnant w ith h er first child. At that tim e, CAP operated a m utual care hom e for young m others. Mary Sue m oved from K nott to Rockcastle County early in h er pregnancy and stayed at the m utual care hom e until h er daughter w as a year old. Mary Sue got h er GED and took a business course at the vocational school in Rockcastle County. “If it h ad n ’t been for CAP I w o u ld n ’t have gone back to school, I w o u ld n ’t have gone to vocational school. Even though I m oved back into the same situation I w as in, I w o u ld n ’t have been able to do anything. I can do a lot m ore than I could have if it h ad n ’t been for CAP.” Mary Sue becam e acquainted w ith th e CAP program in K nott County w h en she needed help getting glasses. Ann w as able to help, and Mary Sue w orked in the LKLP office to repay h er loan. There she learned that she could participate in th e Jobs Partnership Training Act.

LKLP’s offices in Knott County operate out o f a storefront in Hindman, the county seat.

The Mountain Spirit

“I w orked w ith a couple of CAP’S volunteers, and in four h o u r’s tim e w e had that ram p up th e re ,” Ann said. “W e w orked non stop in th e h o t sun and got it built. I’m real proud of it. I had sore hands that day, but it w as really w o rth it.” The collaboration o f CAP w orkers, Shirley and th e LKLP w orkers makes possibilities available for folks like Fay and Mary Sue. Both have been on the receiving end of services, but they are taking those services and creating opportunities for them selves to becom e self-sufficient. “I’m partial to K nott County — and I’m not even from here, I’m from Floyd County. It’s like raising children,” said Ann, m other of three. “You start w orking here and you nurture it and you try to build it up. I’m sure Shirley feels the same way, or she w ouldn’t have been here 27 years!” ft H er training will continue until w inter, w h en Mary Sue will try to find a job on h er ow n. “I should have enough experience by then. If th ere w ere jobs, I could get one, easy.” Mary Sue w ants to stay in K nott County, w ith h e r husband and th e four children they have now . “I’m trying to settle dow n in one sp o t.” Mary Sue is trying to m ake th e connec tions she needs to find clerical w ork in the area, although she is quick to po in t out th at transportation is a problem for her. “Y ou’ve m ade th e first ste p ,” Ann told her. “Y ou’ve gotten into th e w ork fo rce.” Ann gives LKLP credit for helping people m ake solid progress tow ard self-sufficiency by helping them w ith tem porary em ploy m ent and th e job training they need to im prove th eir o pportunities to find w ork. Shirley is grateful to Ann, and to CAP, for giving h e r program a little m ore flexibility than she ordinarily has. W hen she was called on to help w ith th e ram p, for exam ple, Ann w as able to step in.

November - December 1994

Fay says that since she got her GED, teachers’ aide license and commercial driver’s license she hasn’t had time to keep up with soap operas.

A p p a la c h ia n C la ssic s

A uthor Loyal Jones and p hotographer W arren B runner collaborated on an affec tionate, m odest, gentle and occasionally hum orous book p resented as a word-andphotographic essay, A ppalachian Values.

w hose dignity has not always been assured, and w hose p resent is a struggle to retain the practices and beliefs that once w orked, and that still w ork som etim es for and som etim es against m odem and ongoing challenges.

Jones is a loyal and loving son o f his C herokee County, N orth Carolina, m oun tain farm. His essay about A ppalachian people and th e values that define and circum scribe th eir lives is bone deep. His reflections are ten d er and tentative —as though he is describing som eone he knew in his youth, som eone w h o has been hurt,

Though it is a book about Appalachian people, and though Jones doesn’t ignore the exploitation of th e land and the people, he is not brutal o r strident w h en he w rites of th e coal, gas, tim ber and oil exploiters o r the do-gooding, som etim es patronizing, attitudes of social m inisters.

♦ Review by Linda Piwowarski ♦ The Mountain Spirit

He is instead th e alm ost too w ell brought up son of the values he cherishes in th e people he describes. He suggests that those values may have contributed to th e success o f big-money interests and that the Appalachian p eople m ust decide w hat and ho w they m ight change them selves to p ro tect their culture, th eir interests and th eir souls. It is an affectionate description and history o f the canons o f Appalachian culture, w hose people love the beauty of nature and th eir autonom ous and culturally adapted churches. They are independent, self-reliant, proud, neighborly, hospitable, familyoriented, relationship-centered, self-deprecating, hum ble, m odest, patriotic, artistic. Theirs is a story telling, musical and humor-loving inheritance.

Presbyterian church. The Presbyterian m inister asked, ‘Will you w ear a robe?’ ‘Do I have to w ear a robe?’ ‘Well, no you d o n ’t have to w ear a ro b e.’ ‘Well, all right, th e n ,’ said the Baptist. ‘I’ll w ear o n e.’” W hen Jones w rites of Love of Place in ch ap ter eight, he tells o f a fellow w ho died and w en t to heaven. St. Peter show ed the fellow around and the gentlem an found everything he expected: heavenly choirs, streets of gold, all he anticipated. But off in one c o m er of heaven he heard som e awful arguing, com plaining and shouting and w en t to see w hat w as going on. A bunch of people w ere chained to a wall there. He asked St. Peter for an explanation. St. Peter said that those people w ere Appalachians. “WTiy are they chained?” th e fellow asked. “Because if w e didn’t do that th ey ’d go hom e every w eek en d .” T hat’s h o w m uch Appalachians love their hom eplace, Jones w rites.

The values he claims as A ppalachian are, of course, not only o r prim arily theirs alone, nor are they th e only people p ro tected by landscape and a self-selected tendency to retain p io n eer characteris tics; they m ay be, how ever, one o f th e last W arren B runner’s photos cultures to be offered a com panion Jo n es’ essay on The A p p a la ch ia n s , J o n es w rite s, values. The 96 black and less forceful enculturation by w hite photos tonally a r e lea rn in g to r e s is t p o w e rfu l, com plem ent Jo n es’ respect m odem America (less forceful than, say, the for Appalachian people. o r g a n iz e d a n d u n w a n te d Cherokee nation w hich There are only th ree photos once flourished in the w ith any hint o f harshness: in te re sts by o rg a n izin g same m ountains and the triptych is of coal valleys o r th e Inuits of m iners posed at a mine th e m s e lv e s . . . arctic America o r the opening, three coal m iners Spanish o f th e American at w ork underground, and a southw est). The bulldozer and driver w orking to expose a coal seam in a strip mine. The Appalachians, Jones w rites, are learning to resist o ther photos are portraits, family poses, people at pow erful, organized and unw anted interests by w ork or prayer or socializing, and landscapes. organizing them selves, a m ethod that Jones m entions briefly and wistfully, as som ething that is The portraits are especially appealing. These are sound, necessary and hom egrow n but contrary to people m ost o f us w ould like to sit dow n w ith, on the values o f personal autonom y, independence their front porch, in their kitchens, on a tree stum p. and solitude w h ich his people cherish. The photographs are well chosen for th e character izations of the values Jones identifies: pride in Much is w ritten about Appalachia that is nega w orkm anship, personal relationships, m odesty, tive, dismal, and superior in tone. Jones and laughter, religiousness. They are, in fact, simply Brunner engagingly p resen t th e positive, bright and pictures of people, people of Appalachia certainly, appealing story o f the founding and th e life o f a but people w e easily can call kin. presen t and functioning p io n eer people. Jones, the recently retired director o f th e A ppalachian C enter Jon es’ and B runner’s book is a rom ance; it at Berea College, is a graduate of Berea College and rem inds us of our roots; the immigrants and the University o f N orth Carolina. He w rites o f his pioneers, and of the tough, painful losses w e ’ve people w ith kindness and hum or. forced on others and on ourselves. ft C hapter three, w hich explains the values of A ppalachian Values, by Loyal Jo n es a n d W arren independence, self-reliance, and pride, offers this B runner. The Jesse S tu a rt F oundation, PO B o x anecdote: 391, Ashland, K Y 41114. 144 pp. $19.95, $2.00 “A Baptist p reach er was asked to p reach in the shipping a n d handling.

November - December 1994

The Wreath Ladies

+ by Margaret Gabriel +

Photos by Lorraine Corsale

B e t t y J o M a in o u s a n d L o r a in e S m i t h w e r e n 9t s t a n d i n g t h e r e m a k in g w r e a t h s w h e n C A P b u i l t its w r e a t h f a c t o r y — it j u s t s e e m s t h a t w a y !

F o ik s w h o live in Jackson County, Kentucky, are likely to tell you tw o things. First, th ey ’ll tell you th at they love th eir hom e county. Second, th ey ’ll say, Jackson County needs m ore jobs, so their young people will not be forced to leave hom e in order to m ake a living. Although th ere is a small am ount o f coal mining in Jackson County, even in the “bo o m ” days o f coal production, Jackson County never enjoyed th e bounty o f the large m ining counties farther to th e east, no r does it have th e abundant flat land needed for large-scale agriculture. Many Jackson County residents travel to adjoining counties to w ork, som e even to Lexington, Kentucky, nearly fifty miles away. Richm ond and London, both about twenty-five miles from McKee, the county seat, profit from th e willing Jackson County w ork force. Many eager w orkers, how ever, are not able to travel that far to w ork, o r they are unable to find a job that m atches their skills.

The Mountain Spirit

In th e late 1960s, w h en th e Christian Appalachian Project w as only a few years old, providing jobs in areas w ith few opportunities w as a high priority. Jackson County, w ith its w ealth o f evergreens, easily lent itself to Christmas w reath m anufacturing. In th e early days o f CAP’S factory, w reaths w ere m ade from boughs cu t by the tim ber industry. The Christmas w reath factory w as one o f several small businesses th at w ere established w ith the goal o f im proving th e em ploym ent situation and providing w ork training that people could take into o th er areas of em ploym ent. In 1969 Betty Jo Mainous, a Jackson County native w h o had recently m oved back to the county from Ohio, began w orking in th e w reath factory, making bow s and o th er decorations for the w reaths th at w ere fashioned from native Jackson County pine. The following year Loraine Smith began w orking in the factory, m aking th e w reaths that Betty Jo decorated. “Factory” is a kind term —but not a terribly accurate one —for th e facility w h ere Betty Jo, Loraine and the oth er w orkers m ade and decorated w reaths. A handful o f p eo p le w orked in an old tobacco bam and a shed that w ere w rapped in plastic to p ro tect them from the elem ents. “And there w as plastic on the ceiling, too, I guess to keep it w arm ,” Loraine said. “We p u t our feet dow n in boxes to keep them w arm , it w as so cold. I stood in a box w hile I w as making bow s to keep th e w ind off,” Betty Jo said. “W e enjoyed it, though. W e needed th e w ork. ” More than tw enty years later, Betty Jo and Loraine are senior w orkers at the w reath factory —a real factory n ow —a , state-of-the-art operation, w h ere they w ork w ith Douglas fir, w hich is higher quality and longer-lasting than native material. Rather than making each bow by hand w ith a small b ow m aker (w hich she still has, by th e way), Betty Jo today supervises a crew o f w reath decorators w hile Loraine w orks in quality control. “I w atch w hat th ey ’re making and m ake sure that the w reaths that go out o f here are good,”

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Betty Jo Mainous talks with Gene Hensley, manager o f the wreath factory. Loraine said. Loraine also has a crew of inspectors w ho make sure that th e w reaths are top quality. “I look at an awful lot of w reath s,” Loraine said. “I walk up and dow n the aisles, inspecting.” Loraine and h er inspectors m ake sure that each w reath is full and rounded, that the boughs are clam ped properly and that the color of the w reath is even. “Some times there are tw o or three different colors of fir —som e’s light, som e’s dark. We have to have it all blended together. We can’t have a dark spot in the w reath .” Betty Jo supervises seventeen people w ho decorate the w reaths w ith pine cones and berries. Untied bow s are included, w ith instructions for attachm ent to prevent crushing in shipm ent. “I w atch out for glue, and make sure they w ear their gloves and their safety glasses. I make sure they box them right and get them on th e line [for shipping]. ” The 1993 wreath-making season em ployed over 130 people w ho made, decorated, boxed and shipped almost 40,000 w reaths and sprays all over the country. For m any of them , their w ork in the w reath factory is the only “public” job they hold all year. To support them selves and their families the rest of the year,

education, young people in the area will increase their opportunities. “They’ve got a good opportunity to go to school, if they’ll just try ,” Betty Jo said. “W e’ve got a nice school, and th eir parents need to push ‘em .” Loraine said she has observed m ore and m ore young people graduating and going on to college, to Sue Bennett College in London, and Eastern K entucky University in Richmond.

A few days before production begins, Loratne and Betty Jo tram produc tion leaders and quality control workers. w orkers farm o r contract for day w ork. Nearly 100 o f th e em ployees had never w orked in th e w reath factory, so they required extra attention and training. Although Betty Jo and Loraine regretted th at som e o f their m ore experienced w orkers w e re n ’t returning, it w as for the best o f reasons, they said. Mid-South Electronics, a factory in Jackson County, expanded and a lot o f the w reath factory w orkers w ere able to find perm anent, rather than tem porary, work. Betty Jo and Loraine see this expansion of perm anent jobs as a key to solving some o f the problem s in Jackson County, problem s th at include poverty and low education levels. “Even some of the marriage problem s start out as money p roblem s,” Betty Jo said. “We just need m ore jobs in Jackson County. And they’d w ork at just about anything they can get.” Betty Jo and Loraine laughed w hen they w ere asked to tem porarily assume roles as econom ic developm ent specialists for Jackson County and identity the greatest advantage that a business w ould have by locating in th eir county. “Jackson County needs the jobs,” Betty Jo said. “And you’re going to find good w orkers here. Good jobs w ould get people off w elfare and food stamps, and it w ould help th em .” The “Specialists-for-a-Day” also believe th at by increasing concentration on

“But th en th e re ’s no jobs available in Jackson County, so they have to leave to get a job. The potential is there, if th e child w ants to go to college, but th en w hat do they have at hom e w aiting for them ?” The w reath factory has p u t a lot m ore m oney in the county, Loraine said, “And it’s given a lot of little kids som e extras for Christmas!” Betty Jo added. W reath w orkers are paid an hourly rate, plus a bonus for every w reath they produce over the m inim um num ber required. In 1993 w reath w orkers earned over $128,000. Betty Jo and Loraine said that their families bind them to Jackson County. Loraine w as b o m in nearby Owsley County and moved after she m arried a Jackson County native. Loraine’s daughter, son and three grandchildren live in Laurel County. She doesn’t know m uch about living in o ther places, although “W hen w e first married, he w ould go to Ohio in the w in ter tim e and try to find a job. He couldn’t ever find one —he w as a m aintenance m an and he farmed. H e’s retired n o w .” Betty Jo ’s daddy w as coal m iner in Jackson County. W hen she w as about 15, “The mining got slack and he got out of a job and he w en t to Ohio and got a job. T hat’s w hen he com e after m e and mama. He w ent up and got a job and a house, th en came back for us.” Betty Jo m arried and started h er family in Ohio although h er parents returned to Jackson County after h er father was disabled, a m igration that is familiar to many people in Appalachia. “They got sick and I had to help Mama w ith Daddy, so I had to move back to help take care of

The Mountain Spirit

them . I w as p roud to do it. Delores was about in grade school and Paul lacked tw o years and he finished up grade school dow n h e re .” Today, one o f Betty J o ’s sons still lives in Ohio, one lives near Tyner, in Jackson County, “And m e and my d aughter live real close. And I’ve got four grandchil dren: tw o in Ohio, and tw o h e re .” W orkers in the w reath factory are like family to Betty Jo, now , she said. “We love to see o u r old friends com e back,” she said. Questions about the first day o f the produc tion season, w hich involves the onslaught of over a hundred w orkers, evoke a m ixture of groans and laughter. “Before the season starts w e like to plan w h o ’s going to do w hat: w h o ’s going to cut, w h o ’s going to make, and w hat positions th ey ’re going to be in ,” Loraine said. “We call th e lead p eople and inspectors in a day early so w e can w ork w ith them . Then it’s a little bit b etter the first day. ” Betty Jo and Loraine have learned that som e people are b etter suited to one job than another, and on occasion, th ey ’ve sw itched assignm ents in mid-season. “T hat’s w hat they do! They’ll send som ebody over to decorating!” Betty laughed. “You let them m ake w reaths for about a w e e k ,” Loraine said. “Then if you see th ey ’re not going to do any good, you p u t them som ew here else. You have to do that o r you c a n ’t get your p roduction o u t.” But Loraine certainly d o esn ’t w ant to hurt feelings, “So you talk kindly to them , and tell them w h en th eir w reaths are looking better. All th e tim e you w ant to try to encourage th em .” This kind of encourage m ent, Loraine said, has m ade wreath-m akers out o f p eople she never thought w ould m ake it on th e first day.

that isn’t any good, I’ll take it back to h e r,” Betty Jo said. If an inferior w reath gets to the decorating departm ent Loraine takes it to the inspector and show s h er (inspectors are almost always w om en) w hy it is an inferior w reath. Betty Jo and Loraine have the distinction of making the w reaths that are p hoto graphed for the brochure that CAP uses to sell the w reaths and the sprays. W hile they take a great deal of pride in their profi ciency and the high quality of the w reaths they make, Loraine said that she enjoys supervising w orkers. “W hen I w as making, I always tried to make beautiful w reaths —I w anted good ones. Now, this gives m e a position w here I can see that they’re all good.” W hen Loraine and Betty Jo get caught up w ith their supervisory tasks, for old tim es’ sake, they slip back into their old roles on the production line. “Loraine will grab a table, and I’ll cut for h e r,” Betty Jo said. “We enjoy that. We give them to som eone else on the line, so th ey ’ll get a little extra for it! W e d o n ’t w ant to send anything out that w e ’re ashamed of —w e w ant to be proud of our w reaths. ” ft

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Betty Jo said that in all h e r years in the w reath factory sh e ’s only had one person w ho couldn’t learn to decorate w reaths to suit her. Making w reaths is m ore difficult than decorating, they said, and som etim es a good w o rk er in Betty J o ’s departm ent will m ove up to making w reaths. Quality is u pperm ost in both o f th eir minds, though. “We w ork to g eth er in that. If Loraine’s n o t th ere to w atch, I w atch. If I get a w reath

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Betty Jo supervises people who package the wreaths in addition to those who decorate.

The CAP Closeup T m as

p r o u d to be a hillbilly a s is possible. ” People begin w orking for the Christian Appalachian Project w ith varying degrees o f know l edge of th e area and experience w ith program s. It w ould be difficult, though, to find a w orker w ith m ore know ledge than Ike Adams, m anager o f foundations and grants. Ike d o esn ’t just have know ledge and experience. He has a real passion for Appalachia. “It’s transparently obvious that I believe very, very strongly in the region. I’m as p ro u d to be a hillbilly as is possible. And I m ean that in the m ost positive light. Lots o f folks w rite to m e saying ‘Dear Hillbilly,’ and they know that I view that term w ith a sense

of real pride. I d o n ’t go around apologizing for my accent, and I think I understand the econom y of this area as well as the learned econom ists at the Universities of K entucky and Louisville,” Ike said. T hat’s not bad for a kid from Blair Branch, in Letcher County, Kentucky. One of a large family, Ike says that w hen they w ere grow ing up, “We w ere p o o r as church mice, but w e didn’t know it. I think that the sense of poverty that exists now that didn’t w hen I was in my late teens has to do w ith the spirit. W hen LBJ and the W ar on Poverty cam e along w e reluctantly accepted the fact that w e w ere w orse off than the rest of

the country. But since all of our th e neighbors w ere in th e same shape, it just didn’t m atter. There w as a lot of self-sufficiency.” As a graduate of Pikeville College, w ith a degree in English and sociology, Ike w anted to follow in th e footsteps of som e of th e m ost influential people in his life, his teachers. “And my m other said th e re ’s no w ay I w ant any of my kids to w ork in a coal mine. Dad did and w h en he w as w ork ing in th e m ines in th e sixties, he w ould have been disabled by today’s standards.”

After a year teaching senior English at Virgie High School in

♦ by the CAP News Service ♦ 16

The Mountain Spirit

Ike Adams Pike County, Ike determ ined that he w asn ’t cu t o u t for the class room . He o perated a Head Start program in Letcher County for a couple o f years, “T hen ran into som e p eo p le th at w ere into econom ic developm ent, w h ere my h eart has been all along. I m oved to London, Kentucky, and w orked w ith K entucky Highlands Investm ent C orporation.” For ten years Ike w as w ith the corporation w h ich w as w orking hard to create jobs. During th at tim e Ike had first hand ex perience w ith loss o f industry in a county th at de pen d ed on it. “T here w ere as m any as five h undred jobs directly related to deep m ining w h en I lived in M cCreary County. I saw w h at h appened to th e county w h en th e m ines closed dow n. It’s no w one o f th e p o o rest counties in K entucky because it lost one big mine. T hat’s w h at happens w h en y o u ’re d ependent, not just on one industry, b u t on one com pany. W hen th e com pany shut dow n and left th e county, it left five h undred p eople directly out o f w ork. Probably th ere w as an o th er thousand people affected in th e retail and service busi nesses. Service stations closed dow n, grocery stores closed dow n, restaurants closed dow n, clothing stores w en t out o f business overnight. I saw all that h a p p e n .” D iscouraged and depressed, Ike started a photography business, and began w riting a w eekly new sp ap er colum n, w h ich is still syndicated in over a dozen w eekly papers in Kentucky. Ike’s colum n caused his p a th to m eet CAP’S

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w h en he w as interview ed for a story in The M o u n ta in Spirit about local new spapers. After the story appeared, Ike w as invited to apply for a position managing Camp A ndrew Jackson, “But Loretta didn’t w ant to have anything to do w ith Camp AJ,” Ike said o f his wife. “T hen w e started talking about the teen cen ter.” Ike w as th e first m anager o f the Rockcastle Teen Center, and also spen t some tim e as th e m anager of th e Garrard Teen Center. After com ing to w ork at the teen center, Ike’s passion for Appalachia also becam e a passion for CAP, a passion he now channels into grant w riting for foundations. “I love w hat I’m doing —it’s like Christmas for me every day. I can’t think of any thing else I’d rather be doing. Oh, m aybe I’d like a job in journalism, but as a columnist, not real responsible journalism .” “It’s been really rew arding for m e to get CAP placed in front of that foundation com m unity, and even m ore rew arding to have them tell me they believe in w hat w e ’re doing, and support it. You have to be real. I show them that not only are w e doing w ork th a t’s vital, w e ’re doing it very econom i cally. W hen you com pare the bang that CAP gets for every buck that w e spend to som ething that th e governm ent w ould do, th e re ’s no com parison. W e’re probably a thousand percen t m ore efficient in everything from child develop m ent to adult education to services to the elderly to all of those o th er program s that CAP is running. And th at’s w hat really excites m e about w orking for CAP.”

Ike believes th at w ith CAP, h e is doing his p art to m ake his hom e a b etter place to live. He still has folks in Letcher County’s Blair Branch. ( “The farther up the holler you go, th e m eaner it gets and m y youngest b ro th er lives in th e last house.”) He uses that as a barom eter for o th er places in Appalachia. “In 1967 w h en I graduated from high school, w e d idn’t have indoor plum bing. In fact, there w ere fifty families on Blair Branch, and you can count on th e fingers of one hand th e num ber of people w h o had bathroom s inside their house. In 1994 th e re ’s tw ice as m any hom es in that holler and they all have w ater, th e road’s paved. You can get into and out of eastern K entucky n o w and you couldn’t do that in 1967. “You couldn’t com m ute from Letcher County to Hazard, to a job, because it w as an h o u r and a half each way, and you never knew w h en you w ere going to hit a broken-dow n coal truck in the middle of a two-lane road. T here’s a four-lane road to Hazard now —I think making th e region accessible has m ade th e biggest difference.” W hile m any of th e problem s of isolation have been addressed by im proved roads and com m unica tion, Ike says, th e increases in education and econom ic develop m ent will address th e poverty of th e spirit w hich is still far too com m on in Appalachia. “People w o n ’t be content to th ro w in th e tow el and depend on th e governm ent. W e’re heading for a lot m ore self-sufficiency.” 'O’

Around the Project V olunteer, A ge 81, S ays “Y o u ’ll N e v e r R e g r e t I t ” This story appeared in “CAP C onnection,” a n ew sletter for the Alumni o f th e Christian Appala chian Project, u n d er the title “Reflections From an 81-Year-Old V olunteer,” by Mildred H. W right, o f Livermore Falls, Maine. “I recently returned to my hom e in Maine from one o f th e m ost rew arding experiences o f m y life —a short term o f volunteer w ork w ith th e Christian A ppalachian Project in Kentucky. “My assignm ent w as at the C hildren’s Discovery C enter in Somerset. I will adm it to a slight tw inge o f disappointm ent w h en I learned I w ould be w orking w ith pre-schoolers, as I have had very little ex perience w ith children of this age. I have no children, and therefore no grandchildren to

spoil. I believe I breathed a little prayer to the effect that ‘This isn’t m y cup of tea. Did you make a m istake by leading m e here?’ “H ow ever I soon learned that God makes no mistakes and my disappointm ent soon faded into oblivion as it gradually turned into a w onderful new experience that took on new dim ensions every day. I assisted the teachers —Sarah Dixon, Karoline Stringer, Kim Del Re, Paula Rice and Dom inique Branner —w ith w hom I immedi ately felt a kinship. They w ere all lovely persons and there w ere so m any ways I could be of assis tance that it proved to be a real learning experience for me. It was hard to tell w ho w as benefitting th e most, b ut I am convinced it w as me. Children need grand m other images, too, you know.

Spirituality is an important component o f life as a CAP volunteer. Volunteers meet in their communities fo r prayers every day and gather fo r retreats with other volunteers once or twice a year.

CAP Board Discusses Future The Christian A ppalachian Project board o f directors gath ered for a retreat over a beautiful fall w eekend to discuss CAP’S future. Members w h o have been w ith CAP fifteen years o r m ore and those w h o have recently joined the board m ade for a good

m ixture of experience w ith new , vibrant ideas. CAP’S senior m anagem ent staff joined the board for the weekend, “It w as really helpful to m eet the n ew people, especially the ones that will be involved w ith p ro gram s,” said Moe Mercier, senior director o f hum an developm ent.

“My ‘hom e away from h om e’ w as at the volunteers’ house in W hitley City w h ere I lived w ith seven o th er volunteers —w h at a grand group! It w as like being on vacation w ith your favorite people. “A w eekend retreat at Camp A ndrew Jackson w as another great experience. This w as a beautiful spot on a lake, com plete w ith all th e conveniences neces sary to an R and R vacation. Fortytw o fellow volunteers w ere registered, m any of different denom inations, b ut all fellow Christians. W e heard som e great talks and the m eetings w ere interspersed w ith games, music, and getting-acquainted time. “The highlight o f my stay was m eeting th e person w hose w ritings had inspired m e to volunteer, Father Ralph Beiting. A Sunday afternoon visit in his hom e provided a m em ory that will be w ith m e forever. “There is so m uch m ore th at I could w rite about my experiences and th e m any w onderful people I m et, b ut I close w ith this thought: I am a living exam ple that it is never too old to pursue a dream for I am 81, soon to be 82. If you have a genuine desire to do som ething w orthw hile w ith your life before subm itting to the beckoning of the old rocking chair, go for it. Send for an application to volunteer w ith CAP. Y ou’ll never regret it.”

Christian A p palachian Project is a p a rticip a tin g agency in the C om bined Federal C am paign. Federal a n d m ilita ry em ployees can contribute to CAP by designating # 0 8 9 8 on the CFCpledge card.

The Mountain Spirit

around the project. . . continued W hat Can I d o to H elp CAP? CAP supporters often ask w hat m ore they can do to help elimi nate suffering in Appalachia. First, you can tell others o f th e p ro b lems in A ppalachia w h ich you learn about in The M o u n ta in Spirit and o th er CAP publications. Please share this magazine w ith a friend and w e ’ll send a replace m ent. Ask us about any o f the problem s in Appalachia and w e ’ll be happy to share any know ledge w e have o r to refer you to another organization that can help you. Secondly, you can give us a m ost valuable com m odity —time. Since volunteers first arrived in 1950, millions o f hours have been

donated to th e Christian Appala chian Project in helping the people o f Appalachia help them selves. If you w ould like to volunteer three w eeks or m ore, contact The M o u n ta in Spirit and w e ’ll pass the inform ation to the volunteer office.

Moving? Please notify us of any change of address to make sure you receive every issue of The Mountain Spirit please print

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Finally, o ur m ost pow erful form of assistance is prayer. We believe that if our supporters spend at least one m inute a day praying for p o o r people everyw here, m oun tains can be moved, the course of rivers changed. The CAP family forms a pow erful prayer netw ork reaching into Appalachia and across the nation.

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Partners Complete House in Rockcastle County On a hillside, along a narrow street in Mount V ernon, lives Myrtle Kidwell. She is 63 years of age and w orks at th e Rockcastle County courthouse on the custodial staff. For tw enty years she lived in a quickly deteriorating trailer, w here she raised th e last o f h er children and one granddaughter.

Daniel Boone D evelopm ent Council in M anchester, Kentucky. The grant was made to the housing board through the Rockcastle County Fiscal Court. Three houses w ere built under contract by a local builder. A surplus of $56,000 w ould have been enough for one m ore house at least, but w ith the donation o f CAP labor three m ore houses w ere built.

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

Teaming up w ith local groups to provide for the needs of lowincom e people is a ongoing effort by CAP. Several CAP em ployees, volunteers and a host of tem po rary volunteer groups helped in the construction of the houses.

The trailer was replaced this year by a new house w hich has tw o bedroom s, one bathroom , and a kitchen and living room area. The n ew house w as dedi cated in th e sum m er o f 1994. Myrtle and h er grandson w ere all smiles as neighbors, relatives, and m em bers o f th e housing board cam e to share th e joy o f the new house. Ken Stuber, represent ing CAP and its hom e repair crew , presented Myrtle w ith a Bible as a housew arm ing gift. CAP built th e house in partner ship w ith th e Rockcastle County Com m unity Housing Board, one of six built w ith a grant from the

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Myrtle Kidwell o f Mount Vernon moved from her trailer to this two bedroom house recently. The construction was financed by a grantfrom the Daniel Boone Development Council and the labor was donated by CAP.

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Improvement Shown in Education in CAP Area From infancy to high school, and beyond, th e Christian Appala chian Project is involved in program s th at give folks th e opportunity to increase th eir education. Child developm ent w as one o f CAP’S earliest program s, and today is considered a m odel in th e state o f Kentucky. Many o th er organizations also w o rk to im prove education opportunities. R ecent statistics show that this hard w ork is paying off. The 1990 Census and th e K entucky State Data C enter show significant

increases in th e p ercentage of people w h o have com pleted eight years and high school betw een 1980 and 1990 in the three area developm ent districts that make u p th e m ajority of CAP’S service area. In 1980, nearly two-thirds of the people in these three districts did n o t com plete high school. By 1990, nearly half o f the population attained either a high school diplom a o r GED (high school equivalency). There w as also a significant increase in th e num ber

K n o tt C o u n ty T ea ch er H elp s W ith A lg eb ra C lass It w as m y blessing to have had th e pleasure o f having Bill Tussey w ork w ith m e last sem ester w hile I w as taking a pass-fail course at Prestonsburg C om m unity College. W hile one m ight think th at a pass-fail course m ight be a piece o f cake, this algebra class w as anything but. Right away I began to have difficulties. This w as particularly upsetting because, w hile I’m used to w orking hard, I always end u p understanding course m aterial and doing excep tionally well. This how ever, I felt, w as m ore than I could handle. A friend o f m ine, w h o is also a student o f Bill’s, suggested I call him and ask for help. W hen I contacted Bill by phone, he w as very nice and appeared eager to help this p o o r distressed damsel w ith h e r fears o f algebra. Many tim es during o u r tutoring sessions I w ould w ant to th ro w m y hands u p and quit because I just didn’t understand th e con cepts. N evertheless, Bill never m ade m e feel stupid o r incom pe tent. Instead, he w ould calmly and

patiently say, “N ow Rose, I know you can do this,” despite th e fact th at I w ondered if, after all this blood, sweat, and tears, I w ould rem em ber any of this stuff and be a survivor of this DRE 070 class. After all, I w as w atching the class dw indle from nearly fifty to the tw enty-tw o w ho took th e final test —four (of w hom I am one, thanks be to God and Bill Tussey) actually passed the course. During this sem ester Bill w ent far beyond the call of duty as a Christian Appalachian Project employee. There w ere times w h en he w ould tu to r m e for hours past his normal w orking schedule. Sometimes he w ould even tutor m e on Saturdays. In my opinion, he really w anted to see me be com pletely successful in my course of study. I w ant to com m end Bill. Not only is he kind, patient, dedicated and a great teacher, but Bill makes th e “Christian” in Christian A ppalachian Project com e alive. Sincerely grateful, Rose Griffith

o f peo p le w ith one to th ree years o f college. D espite th e increase, th e areas continue to lag behind th e state of Kentucky, and significantly behind th e U nited States as a w hole. In 1990 over 64 p ercen t of Kentuckians and over 75 p ercen t of Americans w ere high school graduates.

K entucky R ecogn izes O p eration Sharing The Christian Appalachian Project w as recognized by the state o f K entucky for th e services it has provided to Family Resource Centers in eastern Kentucky. Family Resource Centers are com ponents of th e Kentucky Education Reform Act designed to m eet needs that can im pede education. They are also intended to increase family involvem ent in the education process. Research show s that increased family involvem ent increases educational attainm ent. Moe Mercier, senior director of Human D evelopm ent in Lancaster, received th e service aw ard on behalf o f CAP from Libby Jones, wife of Gov. B rereton Jones, and Ronnie D unn o f th e Kentucky Division o f Family Resource Centers. CAP w as recognized for the m ore than $400,000 in in-kind gifts m ade by O peration Sharing as w ell as contributions m ade to Family Resource Centers by o th er p ro grams. The service aw ards w ere made by the K entucky Arts, Humanities, and Education Cabinet during cerem onies at the G overnor’s Mansion in Frankfort, th e capital of Kentucky.

The Mountain Spirit

around the project. . . continued S ta ff T akes on E x tra P r o je c t During th e particularly tough w in te r o f 1994 Kentucky, th e w all o f th e Maggard family’s kitchen collapsed u n d er th e w eight o f sno w and ice. Recognizing their need for a hand up, H enry Maggard’s neighbor o f ten years assem bled a crew o f p eo p le to w ork five successive Saturdays to fix th e roof, jack u p th e house, straighten th e foundation, connect w ate r in th e kitchen and dry wall th e interior.

Although his wife and all of his children have studied for and received th eir GED, Henry is a non-reader, w hich limits his w ork potential, Moe said.

Helpful neighbor and crew chief for th e p ro ject is Moe Mercier, CAP’S senior directo r o f hum an developm ent. H e’s trying to m ake life a little b e tte r for th e Maggards.

He is also a black lung victim, th e result o f nearly tw enty years w orking in the coal mines in Perry County. “He lacked three m onths o f w ork tim e in the mines, so h e ’s

“H enry’s been trying for years to fix his house, b ut he just doesn’t have th e dollars to do th e job right,” Moe said. The biggest problem w as the leaking roof, w hich destroyed all the w ork that H enry has done.

n ot eligible for any black lung benefits,” Moe said. Moe has recruited his crew from CAP em ployees and volunteers, skilled and unskilled laborers, w ho are willing to give up a few Saturdays for a good cause. A group o f classmates o f Moe’s son Todd, a senior at Lexington Catholic High School, are w orking too. “H enry can ’t read, b ut h e ’s sm art,” Moe said. “He gets used, though. T hat’s th e problem w ith being p oor. He goes to w ork every day; h e ’s n ot trying to eat off th e system. This family really deserves som e help —Henry and his boys are w orking right along side o f u s.”

FieeYmiweli lo

Sm Volunteer w ith the Christian Appalachian Project CAP volunteers assist the people of Appalachia through such programs as child development, elderly outreach, adult education, home repair, and emergency assistance while focusing on a life of prayer, community and service. Permanent volunteers: 21 years of age or older; one year (renewable); room and board; health insurance; monthly stipend. College loan deferment information available. Temporary volunteers: 18 years of age or older. Three weeks to three months. Room and board. Applications accepted year-round. Contact CAP Volunteer Program, 235 Lexington Street, Lancaster, KY 40444, (606) 792-2219, (800) 755-5322, Fax (606) 792-6625. N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 1994

around the project. . . continued

Families Share Experiences For th e second year, the Christian A ppalachian Project’s program s that provide services to people w ith disabilities held a retreat for families in early O ctober. The program last year had seven attendees, according to CAPRICE program m anager Bobbie Wesley. They w ere so pleased w ith th e inform ation and fellow ship o f th e program , nearly fifty p eople attended this year. Thirty people —children as w ell as adults w ith disabilities —received care “all over th e valley by the Rainbow Respite Care staff,” Bobbie said. The day’s program included panel discussions by m oms, dads and siblings, w h ich answ ered questions like “H ow did you feel w h en you found out your child had a disability?” A nother p opular w orkshop told parents to “G row Y our Own A dvocate.” Bobbie said, “We w anted to teach parents of children w ith disabilities how th eir children can advocate for them selves, and not w ait for oth er people to speak for th em .” Bobbie said that both year’s retreats w ere well received by the

people w ho attended. “They expected to hear professionals telling w hat they should and shouldn’t do w ith their children w ith disabilities, and w ere pleasantly surprised w h en they found out that all the speakers w ere parents. They told of their experiences and asked if other parents had had similar experi en ces.” The idea for the retreat was the product of a brainstorm ing session among Bobbie; Gloria Jordan, m anager of Rainbow Respite Care Center; Kathleen Leavell, m anager o f Parents Are Teachers; and Pat Hagan, assistant director of hum an developm ent. “There are issues involved w ith having a child w ith a disability that nobody but parents understand.” Bobbie said. “Even as professionals, w e d o n ’t understand, but w e knew that w e could find parents w ho could relate to our folks. It’s w orked out really w ell.” Bob Moore, w ho served on the fathers’ panel said, “The experi ence of netw orking w ith parents w ith similar concerns and learning how they m et the needs of their children and their families, really h elped.”

Can You Use a Payroll Deduction? If your employer has a payroll deduction giving program, you may donate to any tax exempt [501 (c) 3] charity of your choice including CAP! If you would like to use this easy way to make your gifts to CAP, please designate: Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, KY 40446 Please be sure to include CAP's address when you make your request. If you would like more information about ways to become involved in corporate giving, contact Teresa McAnly at CAP's address.

S ch o la rs to A tte n d K en tu c k y S ch ools Nearly all of th e recipients of CAP’s Com m unity Service Scholar ships will attend K entucky colleges and universities this school year, according to Glen Taul, m anager of public relations. Sixty-three percen t of them will attend public institutions like the University of Louisville o r Hazard Com m unity College w hile the rem ainder will attend private schools like Berea College. The majority o f the graduates will attend Eastern K entucky University, the University of Kentucky, M orehead State Univer sity, and Transylvania University.

Mike McLaughlin, CAP ’S president, poured punch for workers in CAP’S mailroom as they were thanked and congratulatedfo r a safety record that included 740 days without a lost time accident.

CAP distributes Com m unity Service Scholarships in over thirty Appalachian counties, recognizing students w ho are not only high achievers academically, but have donated a significant am ount of tim e to their com m unities.

The Mountain Spirit

around the project. . . continued What You Don't Know About Wills Can Hurt Your H eirs.. . Find Out Why. Request Your Free Copy.

Charlene Reynolds o f Mount Vernon frequently helps CAP volunteers and employ ees with Christmas baskets.

C h ristm a s B a sk e t P r e p a r a tio n in Full S w in g Gift boxes started arriving in August. People are thinking about shopping for Christmas six m onths, even seven m onths, before, and they’re not doing it for th eir o w n families. It is for their “ado p ted ” families, in Appalachia. CAP began preparing in May to celebrate Christmas, w h en Brenda W atts, adm inistrative secretary for outreach services in Lancaster, began to solicit sponsors to m atch w ith participating CAP families. By O ctober o utreach casew ork ers have signed u p m ost o f the participating families and Brenda’s m atch o f sponsors w ith families has neared com pletion. In July casew orkers began visiting eligible families. Generally, if a family o r an elderly perso n has participated in CAP program s during th e year, they are invited to participate in the Christmas basket program . Basket recipients have usually participated in th e garden or outreach program s, child developm ent, a dom estic violence program , teen center, elderly visitation, Parents Are Teachers,

November - December 1994

hom e repair, or som e com m unity program s, according to Brenda and Judy Crum, m anger of outreach services in the Paintsville area. W hat m ust be done before distribution in early December? Food m ust be ordered. Food boxes m ust be packed. Gifts for elderly people m ust be w rapped and processed. In the Paintsville area, clothes m ust be bought for children w h o have none. In com ing in-kind donations, such as toys, diapers, and pants, w hich supplem ent the sponsors’ gifts, m ust be separated and stored for later use. And Christmas w orship services m ust be planned. The w rapping, the packing of food boxes, the shipm ent of baskets to th eir different distribu tion sites, and the distribution will be done by staff and volunteers.

Much of what you 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 _____________________________

“Volunteers are an essential p art o f making th e Christmas basket program w o rk ,” said Bev Potter, outreach services m anager in Lancaster, “But it w ould never w ork w ithout our sponsors!”

Address ___________________________ C it y ________________________________ State________________ Z I P ___________

Letters to the Editor I w as so pleased, as a contribu tor, to y our causes in Appalachia, to receive copies o f Rev. Beiting’s book F rontier o f the Heart. I som etim es share your leaflets or publications w ith friends w h o may consider contributing also. I found th e book very inspira tional reading, and a good synop sis o f all your goals o r ideals and th e m otivation behind it all. I feel com fortable contributing to an organization such as yours, w h ich offers an inter-denom ina tional flair com bined w ith aid to th e p o o r right here w ithin our ow n land w ith history w e can all relate to. The needs are great and stories, such as th e one about th e old w om an Ruth are not uncom m on am ong m any o f th e elderly or incapable. I’ve found myself disappointed m any tim es over such occurrences w h en all it takes is som eone’s help to resolve. It is a good thing that you are th ere to encourage, as m uch as possible, personal independence com bined w ith spiritual grow th in Christ always. T h ere’s no ways like His ways. D a n iel N. W inkles N. Ridgeville, OH

The M o u n ta in Spirit brings the w ork of th e Christian A ppalachian Project to life. Each issue is filled w ith caring, loving people helping o th er people in a region that is often forgotten in this heavily urbanized society. May God bless you all richly for doing th e w ork Jesus Christ called us to do —that w e love one anoth er as He has loved us. My prayers go out to you. P a u l B u rk h a rd t Waterloo, N Y

I enjoy every w ord of The M o u n ta in Spirit, and my heart rejoices w h en I read of the many ways so many people help their fellow m an w ithout thought of personal gain. May God bless those w ho help and those w ho receive help. Bernice M. B uck P enn Valley, CA I look forw ard to reading The M o u n ta in Spirit, the good and sad stories about those great people in Appalachia gets me emotional. I cry about their suffering but I am happy that som eone like Father Beiting, his caring staff, and kind benefactors are doing a w onderful job. I know God is looking on, and is standing by the golden gate in Heaven to w el com e these good Samaritans. God bless them all. Victoria Gomes Hem pstead, N Y Y our recent articles about dom estic violence w ere excellent. People need to becom e aw are of how it affects the w hole family. Sherry Snyder B u en a Park, CA Love your magazine! I w as a volunteer several years ago so I enjoy reading about folks I still rem em ber and cherish. Keep up the good work! J o a n L in d em a n H om ell, N Y Your magazine helps me to see poverty in o ther areas of our country. Poverty is not restricted to urban areas. However, w e in our small w ay can help. Mrs. George Turner Salem, MA

The Christian Appalachian Project is one of the best chari table organizations th at I know of anyw here in th e w orld. It is a good feeling to know that every penny, and every box of clothes I send there is used to help those good people learn to help them selves and others for th e glory of God. M arjorie B a te m a n M em phis, TN

I feel com pelled to w rite to the readers of The M o u n ta in Spirit to briefly share my experience w ith CAP and the Appalachian people. I spent this past sum m er w orking as a cam p counselor at Camp Shawnee. The m em ories of the Appalachian children will forever be forged in my m ind and heart. The children th at I had the opportunity to m eet gave me m ore than I could ever give of myself. I w en t to Appalachia w ith the m indset th at I could help the im poverished children w ith my love and friendship. Paradoxically, th e children at cam p and CAP in general have had m ore of an im pact on m e than I on them . I discovered true love and happi ness in m any of the people I m et in my tw o m onths in eastern Kentucky. I now have a special peace about myself and in my relationship w ith God, and I ow e it all to the m ajestic m ountains and glorious people o f the Appalachian com m unity. D an Z e p f C incinnati, OH Letters to the editor are welcome. They sh o u ld n o t exceed 150 w ords in length, a n d w e reserve the right to ed it them f o r space. Address letters to The M ountain Spirit, Christian A ppalachian Project, J 2 2 Crab O rchard Road, Lancaster, K Y 40446.

The Mountain Spirit

--------Lives of —— Citizenship and Service Students at Berea College learn lessons of life T h e staff m eeting in th e Students for Appalachia (SFA) Learning Loft is informa tive, inspirational and supportive. A pproxi mately tw o dozen students sit casually on chairs, sofas and the floor as SFA student director Krista Bender leads them through th e afternoon’s agenda. It is m apped out in an array o f colored m arkers on a piece of poster-sized w hite p ap er that hangs behind her. Students discuss future events and program s that need m ore volunteers. Two m em bers get a public p at on the back for w ork well done; another shares w ords of w isdom from an essay. T hen Krista gets out a ball of w hite yam the size o f a small canta loupe and throw s it to Melissa. Tell us, Krista prom pts, about your biggest stress of the w eek and w hat w e can do for you. Melissa is a Mickey Leland H unger Fellow from the Congressional H unger C enter w ho will be w orking w ith SFA for four m onths. O f the tw enty Fellows w h o are w orking throughout the country, tw o w ere sent to Madison County. Melissa talks about moving to K entucky and h er need for friendship. She th en throw s th e yam ball across the room to som eone else, holding onto the end herself.

Krista Bender, a Berea College student, serves as student director o f Students fo r Appalachia.

♦ Story and P h otos b y B eth D o tso n ♦ November - December 1994

SFA created jobs and volunteer o pportuni ties for Berea College students. “I get to practice w h at I’ve read about. School is so m uch m ore than books,” says Krista Bender, w h o is in h e r fifth sem ester w ith the group. She is a nutrition major w hose service w ork opened h e r eyes to nutritional deficiencies in th e region. “If it w e re n ’t for service, I w o u ld n ’t have this major . . . B etw een Berea Buddies and the sum m er program , it really hit m e ho w m uch difference food can make in a kid’s life.” W hile w orking w ith children, Krista saw som e of them eat meals provided by SFA as if they w ere their last, leading h er to w o n d er w h at they ate at hom e. Some times, w hat they typically ate w as obvious by the foods they preferred —junk food w ith little nutritional value. Bender hopes that through h er w ork as a nutritionist, sh e’ll be able to show families that even if they shop w ith food stam ps they can still afford nutritious meals. ■It weaves a complicated pattern oj college stresses spurred oy room mates, families and homework

The ball zigzags across the entire room, w ith everyone holding a piece of it. It w eaves a com plicated p attern of college stresses spurred by room m ates, families and hom ew ork. Someone needs help w ith a diet. A nother student w ants messages on h e r answ ering machine. W hile th e stresses are typical, the students are not. They have chosen to take advantage o f Berea College’s service learning opportunity. These young people have recognized th at education and o pportunity can lie not only in the class room , but also in the community. SFA started as a student effort in 1968. As th e W ar on Poverty that brought many people from o th er states to Appalachia w as ending, a group of students approached th en Berea College president Willis W etherford about form ing a student service organization. Berea College was founded to give young people from the m ountains, w h o often could not afford college, an education in exchange for w orking for th e institution w hile enrolled.

Krista is just one of the m any students w h o have experienced SFA and decided they w ant to continue serving th e com m u nity after graduation. But it isn’t only career guidance SFA has given her. “It’s a place w here you can be yourself,” she describes. She has seen SFA su p p o rt h er and o th er students through difficult times. “I hope m ore and m ore places develop like this.” According to director David Sawyer, m ore service opportunities have been developing for the past ten years. “Since the mid-’80s there has been a resurgence in the cam pus service m ovem ent nationally led by students, adm inistrators, som e faculty, and college presidents w h o feel that preparing young people for lives of citizenship is w hat higher education should be about. Doing active com m unity service w hile you’re in college is really the best w ay to do that. You learn by doing,” explains David. Besides directing SFA for seven years, Sawyer has also w orked on the national service m ovem ent and w as recognized by th e Campus O utreach O pportunity League (COOL) as one of America’s outstanding com m unity service directors.

The Mountain Spirit

David says one-third o f all college cam puses in the country have a student service program . “To m e, th at signals new and im portant directions for higher education as a w hole so that its p urpose is m ore tow ard helping o u r nation solve its problem s, preparing young p eople for lives o f citizenship and service, as w ell as the usual aims o f education: acquisition of know ledge and preparation for a career.” David has seen students acquire all of those things as SFA volunteers and employees. “As they are all program managers they are having an unbelievable experience in leadership developm ent and personal g ro w th ,” he says. Last year, SFA em ployed 30 students and had approxim ately 150 volunteers from the school and com m unity. The program s served 300 children, 25 n ew adult readers and 50 elderly and term inally ill people. Unlike m any service program s that lend students to established social service agencies, SFA is th e service agency that addresses th e unm et needs. SFA runs ten program s. Adult Ongoing Reading Program recruits and trains local volunteers to w ork one-on-one w ith adult readers. Berea Buddies is a m entoring program for students w h o are betw een six and 12 years old. Environmentally Con cerned Students is a group o f teens from

K r is ta s a w so m e o f th em e a t m ea ls p r o v i d e d b y SFA a s i f th ey w e r e th e ir la s t . . . area high schools w ho have expressed an interest in saving their environm ent. Hospice provides a reliable relationship for terminally ill persons and their families. Football/Basketball Tutoring is provided to Berea Community School’s athletics departm ent w h en coaches request tutoring and study skills sessions for students. Oneon-One Tutoring m atches students in kindergarten through tw elfth grade for help w ith school w ork. Partners in Preven tion is a tutoring and m entoring initiative for African-American students in the Richmond area. Social O utreach w orks w ith com m unity social w orkers to help m aintain older adults in their homes. Summer Day Camp is for elem entary, junior high and high school students. Teen Mentoring is for middle and high school students —those older than those in the Berea Buddies program . Besides the ongoing projects, the students also reach out to the com m unity w ith special events. For exam ple, they held a “READ-IN” to protest illiteracy. The

Berea College’s mission o f providing affordable education to everyone in Appalachia, regardless o f race or economic status gives a witness to students, encouraging them to make a difference where they can. N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 1994

recruit students for SFA. Sometimes h er efforts frustrate her. “It’s really hard to convince people to take tim e away from their college schedule,” she said, noting that studying and socializing are usually tw o higher priorities. Micah Johnson from Bowling Green, Kentucky, is one student w h o w as reluc tant to get involved. Since becom ing a Berea Buddy, he has found his w ork rew arding. “I think on cam pus th ere is a real negative view o f SFA. It’s sort of know n as a hippie organization o r som e thing. I think th a t’s w hat I sort of saw it as: a bunch of idealists w h o go around trying to save the w orld.”

Several SFA programs provide tutoring and mentoring fo r younger children and encouragement to pursue excellence in the classroom. first h o u r o f th e p ro test included reading, tutoring and studying. The second hour w as a presentation o f thoughts and reflections on th e gift o f reading. During th e sum m er o f 1994, SFA sponsored a forum for teens on racism. They brought togeth er tw enty black teens from R ichm ond and tw enty w hite teens from Berea to discuss th e subject. One of th e organizers w as Kahlil Baker w ho has been involved w ith SFA for tw o years.

Although som e young people m ight shun th e idealist label, th ere are Berea College staff m em bers w h o have voiced support for idealism and SFA. Some w ish m ore students w ould be involved. For David Sawyer, th e idealism he sees in young people is a boost. He em phatically disagrees w ith th e idea that today’s college students are apathetic and he ponders if all young people are idealistic by nature. “The system is set up in such a w ay th at w e d o n ’t tap into that idealism o r enthusiasm to make a difference.”

“I’ve gotten a lot o f satisfaction from it. I d idn’t really k now h o w im portant it could b e ,” Kahlil says. He found out w h at an im pact he could m ake w h en he talked a 13-year-old out o f com m itting suicide. Many o f th e students w h o are involved w ith SFA say it o pened th eir eyes to the d ep th o f poverty —m aterial and spiritual — th at exists in th e w orld. After being introduced to som e of th e poverty in the region through SFA, Jennifer Galang, w ho w as b o m in th e Philippines, took off for a sem ester to volunteer w ith a medical program in th e m ountains. T here she observed feuding families and im pover ished children. “It d oesn’t have to be that w ay and you w o n d er w hy it is,” she says. “It m akes you feel kind o f guilty for having such a good life.” Jennifer is so sold on the need for and benefit o f service w ork that she tries to

The Learning Loft gives SFA members a quiet place to study and concentrate.

The Mountain Spirit

Form er SFA w o rk er Lisa Perkins felt anger tow ard th e system before doing service. She grew u p in an im poverished eastern K entucky family and lived in a house to w h ich she w as asham ed to bring h er friends. She w as th e first in h er family to attend college. Before she graduated, Lisa w rote: “My life has been changed forever by th e experiences I have had, through the people I have helped and through th e service I have been part of. No longer am I w ithout purpose. I have com e from being a w om an full of unfocused anger at th e system, to Center, StudentsJor Appalachia director David Sawyer. a w om an w orking tow ards a better w orld, focusing m y anger, my frustrations, my energy tow ards th e w ork th at I do, the speeches th at I give, th e hugs that I share, Among h er fondest SFA m em ories are the and th e education that I provide. I have times she has spent w ith h er little buddies, becom e a servant-leader, serving those especially one girl from Sand Gap in w h o need to be served.” Jackson County. David has seen similar changes in attitude and direction in o th er students as well. “All th e indicators o f young people w h o do service show it im proves self esteem , it m otivates young people in a way that com es across in th e classroom ,” he says. “In o th er w ords, students w h o do w ell in service and extra-curricular activities also tend to do b etter in their academ ic classes. It m eets a com m unity need and God know s w e have enough of those. It breaks dow n th e wall betw een school and com m unity.” Jennifer, w h o started college as a nursing major, says “W ithout SFA I w o u ld n ’t have form ed th e goals o f my career in child developm ent o r had the confidence to change my m ajor.” She also recognizes that SFA has affected m ore than just h er career. She has built leadership skills, found new opportunities, and says, “It’s just a m atter of opening your eyes to som ething outside of your career, outside o f Berea, to the com m unity, to others, I guess to w h a t’s genuine in y our life.” O ne o f th e things th at is genuine in Krista B ender’s life is h e r love for children. N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 1994

Krista rem em bers the details of their visits —the girl falling asleep in B ender’s car; w earing a soiled Halloween costum e; clutching a stuffed bunny all evening. W hen driving the child hom e, Krista rem em bers, the little girl w ould do everything she could think o f to prolong h er tim e w ith Krista and p u t off going into h er hom e. “If you can make one person feel half as loved as w e w ere. . .” Jennifer muses. People from outside of the college have recognized the contributions SFA has m ade to the com m unity and to its students. In 1992, the SFA sum m er day cam p w o n a Points o f Light Award from President George Bush. Individual students have also been recognized nationally. David talks about Mary Roenker, a non-traditional student w ho founded the Adult On-Going reading program . She received th e fourth Annual Student Humanitarian Service Award for outstanding com m unity service activities in the country. She w as also nam ed K entucky Student Employee o f the Year by

(she is from H orseheads, N ew York) but h adn’t seen it. N ow that she has encoun tered it firsthand, she doesn’t doubt that even a few hours a w eek w ith a child can m ake a difference. “It gives them a positive role m odel — som ebody w ho believes in them even if only for a few hours . . . . If one person believes in you, som etim es that can be the turning p o in t,” she says. Micah Johnson agrees. He has seen kids w ho have a limited vision of w hat they can accom plish in life because they have only know n adults w ith low-paying jobs or unem ploym ent checks. Micah says kids need to be in a place w h ere they believe they can do som ething else w ith their lives. Jerem y Asher, the new SFA student janitor w h o is from N ew Albany, Indiana, thinks SFA staff and volunteers can do that. “I got involved because I saw w hat a great im pact it makes on p eo p le’s lives,” he says. SFA members report that their participation makes their college education much richer on a multi-cultural level. th e Midwest Association of Student Em ploym ent Administrators.

Making that im pact teaches two-way lessons. Jennifer adds, “Service w ork is not glamorous. It’s real w o rk .” '3*

David recalls a recent telephone conversation w ith Jeannette H um phries, w h o w as one o f five students in th e nation to receive Com m unity Service Awards from th e Campus O utreach O pportunity League. Jeannette tutored a 17-yearold boy in Jackson County w h o had never attended school. ABC television nam ed h er one o f Am erica’s Unsung Heroes. Melissa Hessel hears about achievem ents o f o th er SFA m em bers and looks forw ard to the day w h en she, too, can look back at h e r accom plish

ments and what she learned from doing service w ork. Before she got involved w ith SFA, she said, she had heard about poverty in the region

*Kids need to be in a place where they believe they can do something else with their lives. ”

The Mountain Spirit

A Beautiful Christmas Gift — Share The Mountain Spirit How many times have you read a story in The Mountain Spirit and thought "Oh, I wish I could share that with . . . !" We hear from readers almost every week who tell us that they pass their Mountain Spirit to their mother, brother, pastor or friend. This Christmas we want to make it easy for you share The Mountain Spirit with your family and friends. For only $10.00 we'd be happy to send the magazine to two folks you'd like to tell about the work of the Christian Appalachian Project. (That's two dollars off the regular price!) We'll be happy to announce your gift with a specially designed card. If you've told yourself that you'd like to do more for CAP, this might be the very way to do it. By sharing The Mountain Spirit you can tell more people about the joys and challenges of the mountains and the work that the Appalachian people are doing to help themselves out of poverty.

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In the Christian Appalachian Project's service area 37.3% of the children

age seventeen and under live below the poverty level. • Thirty percent of the total population live below the poverty level. • Although over 37% of the population under age seventeen live in poverty, only 18.2% of their families receive Aid to Families With Dependent Children. • According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 1990 County and City Data Book, seven Kentucky counties are among the 25 poorest in the nation. Six of them are in the Appalachian area of Kentucky.

Shaded area indicates the boundaries of the Appalachian region

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

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATI U.S. POSTAGE PAID Christian Appalachian Proje

Address Correction Requested

CAROLYN SUE MARKS 4 4 3 0 KY. HWY 6 4 3 WAYNESBURG KY 4 0 4 8 9