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Mountain Spirit The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project

In this issue: Economic Development Women’s Initiative Networking Groups

Stella Marshall

September - October 1 9 9 5

The

Mountain Spirit

Septem ber - O ctober 1995 Vol. XIV, No. 5

The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project

Mountain Women Take WINGs by Beth Dotson

In Kentucky United We Stand —

by Margaret Gabriel

Stella Marshall by Ike Adams

Twenty Years of Innovation by Ike Adams

D e p a rtm e n ts

CAP Closeup, page sixteen.

3 9 10 16

From Our President Letters Around the Project The CAP Closeup

Attacking Joblessness When Father Beiting moved to the Appalachian mountains in 1950, it soon became obvious to him that much of the poverty of the area was rooted in joblessness. In the years since, it has become obvious that the solution to the problem of poverty lies in a great deal of cooperation. This issue of The Mountain Spirit examines some of that cooperation. Many times in this issue you will see the name MACED, the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development. On page twenty-six, Ike Adams tells of his experience with the beginning of the association and the outstanding opportunities that it has provided to the people of Appalachia. Stella Marshall, recipient of the 1994 Mountain Spirit Award for Eco nomic Development, has taken advantage of opportunities afforded to her by MACED and several other groups, and is now making opportunities available to others in Owsley County through Workers of Rural Kentucky (see page twenty-four). On page four, Beth Dotson introduces you to another MACED project, which encourages and nutures women entrepreneurs in the region. On the cover, Sarah Culbreth, a potter whose studio is located on a farm near Berea. Sarah is part of the Women’s Initiative Networking Groups (photo by Gabriel).

Published by the Christian Appalachian Project. Editor: Margaret Gabriel. Advisory Board: Father Ralph W. Beiting, Mike McLaughlin, Bill Begley, Carla Durand, Teresa McAnly, Katie Newsome, Beverly Potter. Graphic Designer: Elizabeth Reed Roberts. 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 1995, 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 o f 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; in NEW JERSEY, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, 202-626-4380; in N O RTH C AROLINA, A CO PY O F TH E L ICEN SE TO S O L IC IT C H A R ITA BLE C O NTR IB U TIO N S AS A CH A R ITA BLE O R G A N IZA TIO N O R SPO NSO R AND FINA NCIA L IN FO R M A TIO N M AY BE OBTAINED FROM TH E D EPA R TM EN T O F H UM AN R ESOU RCES, SO LIC IT A TIO N LICEN SIN G BRANCH, BY CA LLIN G (919)733-4510; in Pennsylvania, residents may call the Pennsylvania Department of State at 1-800-732-0999; for W est Virginia residents, the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305; in Virginia, the State Division o f Consumer Affaire, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209; W ashington State residents may obtain a copy of the last report fried 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 by writing to Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446. Our license number in M ichigan is MICS 9933. Registration with any of the above government agencies does not imply endorsement by the state.

The M ountain Spirit

From Our President Mike McLaughlin As a n ew facet to CAP’S econom ic developm ent efforts, w e have lent m ajor su p p o rt dollars in th e form o f a grant to th e M ountain Econom ic Develop m ent Fund, Inc. in Clark County, Kentucky. CAP’S grant w ill help MEDF m ake loans to small businesses in eastern K entucky and surrounding states, enabling them to increase th eir w orkforces and becom e an additional elem ent in th e overall econom ic solution to th e problem s w e face in Appalachia. O ur grant to MEDF is yet ano th er w ay in w h ich CAP w orks to forge relationships w ith groups in A ppalachia that have aims similar to ours. W ith the expertise of th e folks w h o m ake u p MEDF, w e h o p e that o u r effort will be effective and efficient. Eastern K entucky has struggled w ith joblessness since th e Great Depression. A ppalachia has seen ups and dow ns since then, but joblessness has continued because of th e m echanization of coal mining, th e decline of th e rural farming hom estead, and in general, the location of new m anufacturing and industry to larger urban areas. G eographic isolation, lack of infrastructure venture capital, and business entrep ren eu rs have further h u rt th e region. Many groups and organizations are w orking to turn th e econom y around, b u t it will be a long, slow m arch until significant progress is seen. CAP w ishes to contribute to this progress, and partnerships w ith groups like MEDF are a pivotal key in our strategy. MEDF is involved w ith several businesses that CAP believes will begin to tu rn around the eco

Septem ber-October 1995

nom ic p icture in eastern Ken tucky. A ppalachian Environmental Projects o f Booneville, is one such com pany. AEP em ployes five people to m anufacture handsom e plastic o utdoor furniture w ith recycled material. Earth Care Products, of Sharon, Tennessee, anoth er recipient of an MEDF loan, m anufactures the materials used by AEP. They are exploring th e possibility of establishing a m anufacturing plant in eastern K entucky that w ould create 70 n ew jobs. In addition to its loans, MEDF has also been involved w ith grants that will provide training and m arketing initiatives. CAP remains an active partner in Sunshine Valley Farms, a biscuit-making operation form ed in partnership w ith Kentucky Highlands Investm ent Corpora tion, the largest and m ost success ful entrepreneurial and venture capital com pany in eastern Kentucky. The m anufacturing facility in Harlan, Kentucky, in tem porary facilities for nearly tw o years, m oved in May of 1995 into a new facility provided by the County Judge and fiscal court. The source of the funding was coal tax severance money, w hich is paid by the state of K entucky to counties w here mining materials are extracted, thereby diminishing future resources and creating the need for econom ic assistance of o th er types. Meat- and fruit-filled biscuits are m ade by Sunshine Valley Farm from the unique recipes of a Kentucky entrepreneur. They are bite-sized, convenient, delicious and —m ost of all —m arketable, according to folks w h o ’ve tasted them . The m anufacturers hope to em ploy forty people and begin large-scale production soon.

In the fall, CAP will begin its tw enty-seventh season of making w reaths. Starting from initial production of about 400 Christ mas w reaths in an otherw ise unused bam , em ploying 15 to 20 seasonal em ployees, this year a production of 35,000 is antici pated. W e believe our w reath is the finest available, and over the years has been featured in L.L. Bean and H orchow catalogs, P arade magazine, and on “Good Morning, Am erica,” the ABC-TV m orning new s program . A CAP w reath has hung in the W hite House and adorned walls and doorways in our nation’s Capitol. Eighty p ercent of our sales are repeat orders, so w e know our w reathes are satisfying and wellreceived. This year over 100 seasonal em ployees will partici pate in bringing Christmas joy to all fifty states. The econom ic developm ent com m ittee of CAP’S Board of Directors continues to search for new and innovative roles for CAP to play in the future of the Appalachian econom y. Over the years our businesses and roles have been many and varied and have included individual entrepre neurs, businesses, retail and w holesale catalog and craft ventures, as well as technical assistance to folks w ho cam e to our attention. From farming to greenhousing, crafts to biscuits, recreation to service to manufac turing, CAP has tried to be w here there is need and hope, to make the as-yet-unrealized dream of econom ic sufficiency com e to individuals and com m unities alike.

• M ike M cLaughlin has w o rked w ith CAP since 1974, a n d has served as p resid en t since 1986.

g Above, left, Sarah Culbreth z works at her wheel at Tater Knob Pottery; above, right, a market outletfo r Golden Kentucky Products; below, new ideas fo r the Livingston Economic Alternatives in Progress. Center, Sarah Culbreth, Pat Martin and Ina Taylor meet discuss strategies with Carol Lamb.

I_____

Mountain Women Take WINGs When Sarah Culbreth told the

not willing to be deferred, Sarah pur

people at Berea College she wanted to

sued pottery anyway. She joined other

learn pottery, they were not support

women who had gone before her on an

ive. They warned her it wasn’t for

obstacle-littered course that could have

everyone and she might not have the

kept her from success as an artist and a

talent. Knowing what she wanted and

businesswoman.

♦ b y B e th D o ts o n ♦

.....

W om en ow n 7.7 million businesses in the U nited States and provide jobs for 15.5 million people. According to a study by D un and B radstreet Inform ation Services, in collaboration w ith th e N ational Founda tion for W om en Business O w ners, w om enow ned businesses are m ore likely to have rem ained in business in th e past three years th an th e average firm in th e United States. The study also rep o rted that w om en-ow ned businesses em ploy 35 p ercen t m ore w orkers in th e U.S. th an the Fortune 500 com panies do w orldw ide. W om en can m ake substantial contribu tions to th e econom y, com m unity and family w h en th ey succeed in business. In rural areas like Appalachia, physical isolation and a culture th at says th e w om an ’s place is in th e hom e have prevented w om en from launching busi nesses. Sarah C ulbreth is one m em ber of a small group th at form ed last year to encourage w om en en trep ren eu rs in A ppalachia. The M ountain A ssociation for Com m unity Economic D evelopm ent (MACED) brought Sarah to g eth er w ith Pat Martin, o w n er of Turquoise Records, and Ina Taylor, director o f Livingston Economic Alterna tives in Progress (LEAP), to discuss how they could su p p o rt w o m en in business in th e A ppalachian region. The th ree w om en form ed W om en’s Initiative N etw orking Groups (WINGs) through w hich they hope to provide o p p ortunities for w om en in Appalachia to build th eir business and personal skills. W hen deciding w h at kind o f program could be m ost useful to o th er w om en, these th ree have draw n from th eir ow n experiences. They discovered th at lack of accessibility to bank loans is com m on am ong w om en in the region. Sarah, for exam ple, had been running h e r p ottery business for five years w h en she faced a financial crisis and needed a loan. W hen she w e n t to th e bank, they said h er husband, at th at tim e, had to co-sign for the loan —even th ough he had been unem ployed for eight m onths. “It w as the m ost incredibly infuriating thing I’ve ever exp erien ced ,” she recalled. Although rem em bering th e difficulties of being a w om an in business can incense

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

Sarah and her husband, JeffEnge, moved fro m Berea to a nearby 30-acre fa rm which is also the location o f their studio and showroom.

Sarah, she has also learned to laugh at som e of the difficulties she has faced. “You can overcom e all sorts of obstacles in life,” Sarah said w ith a smile, rem em bering one order o f 14 dozen pots that the custom er rejected. She had taken the job as a third party contract and had not spoken directly w ith the custom er. The subcontractor neglected to tell Sarah that the client w anted daisies on the pots. Sarah w as stuck w ith a load of pots for w hich she w asn’t paid. Thanks to the creativity of Sarah’s business adviser, Clara Mieres, those rejected products becam e Sarah’s best sellers. Clara had the idea to p u t a spoonbread recipe into each one and sell it as a baking dish —now know n as spoonbread bakers. Custom ers liked the product. Sarah and h er present husband, p o tter Jeff Enge, estim ate that they now make betw een 500 and 1,000 spoonbread bakers a year. W hile Sarah will discuss the difficulties she has faced as a w om an in business, she will also tell you that Berea is an oasis of sorts that has provided h er w ith many opportunities. She hasn’t faced the same difficulties as Pat Martin, w ho lives in

w ho could do m ore than th ey ’re doing. They just need som ebody to believe in th em .” Pat can relate to the hard tim es o f some w om en. Her father w as an alcoholic, h er parents divorced, and after her ow n divorce she becam e a single parent. “Being a single paren t is not a piece of cake. I’ve never been rich. I’ve always had to pinch and save and scrim p to have anything that I’ve g o t . . . my life h asn ’t been a bed of roses.

Pat Martin owns Turquoise Records, a recording company in Whitesburg, Kentucky, which specializes in bluegrass, fo lk and instrumental music.

W hitesburg, a smaller and m ore isolated com m unity than Berea. Pat is very aware o f ho w th e culture of Appalachia can be a hurdle for w om en in business. “Eastern and central Kentucky, I think, is still relatively behind th e tim es w hen it com es to accepting w om en in business,” said Pat Martin. “W e see w om en as nurses and secretaries, not necessarily as presi dents o r directors o r doctors.” Pat Martin started h er career in the m usic business as a shipping clerk w ith June Appal Recordings, a division of A ppalshop, w hich is an arts organization. By w atching and learning, the high school graduate trained herself on the job and advanced through th e organization to run th e record label. W hen she found a band she w anted to record on the June Appal label and A ppalshop rejected the group, she decided to start h er ow n recording com pany. The four m en in the band, No Strings Attached, decided to go w ith Pat’s n ew label, Turquoise Records. Turquoise records bluegrass, folk and instrum ental music. “They took a ch an ce,” she rem em bered w ith gratitude. Since then, the band and Pat have done six recordings together. Pat said people have show n faith in her and she feels blessed for that. “T hat’s w hy I feel strongly that given that kind of support, there are m ore w om en out there

“W hen I started Turquoise I guess it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life,” Pat says. Pat started the business in h er hom e in a rural area w here even overnight mail delivery takes m ore than 24 hours. She has faced difficulties getting supplies, finding a good printing com pany and connecting w ith o ther business ow ners. Pat and h er assistant m arket recordings, fill orders and prom ote concerts throughout the country. The business, in its ten th year, rem ains in h er hom e. Last year, Pat began to rely on h er assistant m ore than ever w hen she becam e director of the National Association of Independent Record Distributors. The organization so w anted h er to lead them that they agreed to move their headquar ters from N ew Jersey to W hitesburg.

Sarah has owned and operated her pottery business fo r sixteen years.

The M ountain Spirit

Pat has chosen to stay in W hitesburg for th e im m ediate future although it p resents h e r w ith problem s. “Eastern K entucky is uneducated I think, particularly people w h o deal w ith financial institutions and lending institutions. They really are a lot slow er to accep t th e fact o f w om en entrep ren eu rs in business than a larger m etro area. They still ten d to stick w ith businesses th at th ey kn o w and are familiar w ith. H ere in eastern K entucky if you w alk into a bank and you w an t financing for anything th a t’s n o t coal-related, they d o n ’t w ant to talk about it.” W hen going into a bank, Pat discovered, “You still get th e typical questions here, at least I have. Are you married? W hat does your husband do? Is he willing to co-sign for this loan to you? It’s still very sexist. W h eth er it’s openly so o r not, it’s th e re .” For w om en w h o have not been raised to believe in them selves, one “n o ” at a bank is all they n eed to pu sh ideas about running a business out o f th eir m ind. On th e oth er hand, som e w om en need only opportunity to succeed. Ina Taylor is one such w om an. W hen Ina becam e d irector o f Livingston Economic Alternatives in Progress (LEAP) she felt m ore like a “d o e r” th an a “leader.” The wife and m o th er had been an active part of the organization th at oversees four projects that aim to im prove life in th e com m unity by providing education and jobs. But Ina d id n ’t believe she had the business know ledge o r c o m p u ter skills to take th e position. W hen th e w om en in the cooperative p ushed h e r into it, they knew they w ould be getting a w om an they w ould all get along w ith.

“You can do things if the people will stick with you and if you’re really determined. ” W om en find part-tim e em ploym ent w ith LEAP’S Golden K entucky Products that are sold prim arily by mail order. They include item s such as honey, sorghum and biscuit mix. Business and the traditional role of the Appalachian wife d o n ’t always mix. Ina has heard som e husbands com plain about their wives being involved in LEAP. “They w ant them hom e taking care of the children and th em ,” she said. LEAP m em bers are willing to stretch that traditional definition. Ina believes that the traditional w om an’s w ork at hom e, like m anaging their children and the family finances, gives them skills to run a busi ness. “I guess it’s because the w om en have to manage the hom e life that they realize the need (for m ore incom e) m ore than the m en, probably, because they are at hom e having to stretch the budget. And I think, too, that w om en d o n ’t w ant to sit at hom e all the time. They w ant to have a life

They also knew they w ould be getting som eone w h o w as willing to w ork for the im provem ent o f th e com m unity. “I think if peo p le w an t things they have to w ork to g e th e r,” Ina believes. Ina has seen th at thro u g h w orking w ith o th er w om en on business endeavors, she has grow n and added to LEAP’S list of successes. The group helps w ith local em ploym ent by supporting farm ers w ith the Sweet Sorghum Project and as m em bers of Heifer Project International. It also gives back to th e com m unity w ith a hom e repair p roject and Christmas fruit project.

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

Ina Taylor is the director o f LEAP, Livingston Economic Alternatives in Progress.

beginning, that the w orst thing/they can do is fail and so w h at if they fail they can get up and try som ething else.” Pat rem em bers that w hen she w as starting Turquoise Records, she had to accept the fact that just by trying to start h er business she w as succeeding. Though she thinks it’s corny, she said, “You really have to believe in yourself before you can expect anyone else to believe in you. And, you’re capable of doing a lot m ore than you’re willing to give yourself credit for.”

LEAP’S Golden Kentucky Products sells items such as honey, sorghum and biscuit m ix by mail order.

besides housew ork and children. And th ey ’re really struggling.” Ina believes that w h en w om en apply th eir determ ination and intelligence to business, they can succeed. “I see m ore and m ore w om en getting into business. I think the main thing is w e d o n ’t give up easy. W e’re very determ ined . . .You can do things if the people will stick w ith you and if y o u ’re really d eterm ined.” “Some of them , if th ey ’re really deter m ined, th ey ’ll do everything they can to m ake sure it h ap p en s.” W orking to gether also creates a support system outside th e hom e for these w om en. “W e give each o th er moral support. We talk o u r problem s o u t,” Ina said.

/ Through the 1 6 years that Sara has built a successful pottery business, she has learned that she enjoys w orking w ith other w om en. “T here’s an exchange th a t’s real exciting, in a netw orking group as well as in an education exchange g ro u p ,” Sarah said. She enjoys hearing the stories of how w om en have turned their dream s into business successes. Sarah’s hope, along w ith Pat’s and Ina’s, has been that they could find funding WINGs that w ould allow them to offer entrepreneurial training and m entoring to o ther w om en. By mining the untapped potential of low- and m oderate-incom e w om en in the region through these opportunities, m ore w om en could succeed in business like Sarah, Pat and Ina. If WINGs can give these w om en the op p o rtu nity to discover their ow n potential, they will becom e successful entrepreneurs w ho can stim ulate the region’s econom y. They can also provide hope and support to o ther potential rural businessw om en. ft

By being a part of the coop erative, th e w om en of Livingston have contributed to the well-being of the entire com m unity. This is the typical result of w o m en ’s involvem ent in business. “I think that there are a lot of w om en from this area that just have so m uch p o ten tial,” observed Pat Martin. “If they just had som e support and some encouragem ent and they could netw ork w ith these oth er w om en and see how far th ey ’ve com e and . . . understand that it w as just as scary for them in the

through their networking groups, ina, Sarah and Pat hope to encourage other women to enter business.

The M ountain Spirit

Letters to the Editor I enjoy reading The M o u n ta in Spirit magazine. I enjoy reading Father B eiting’s colum n and outstanding short stories. Espe cially h o w th e A ppalachians are helped and th e n th ey tu rn around and help others. Each tim e I read it I can feel G od’s love in each story. The Appalachian p eo p le are p o o r but at th e sam e tim e th ey are richly blessed by God. Father Beiting, I thank God for sending you to them and all those w h o w o rk w ith you to help them . God bless you all! M ary A. B ailey Star City, Ark.

I look forw ard to receiving my magazine as th e pictures are so true to life. You can just see the p eople th ere and p icture them just as described. F ather Beiting is a living saint and his rew ard in Heaven will be great.

I look forw ard to each issue of The M o u n ta in Spirit. It is spiritu ally uplifting to see the faith the p eople of this p o o r region gain from the w onderful good w orks of th e Christian Appalachian Project! May God bless each and every w orker.

The M o u n ta in Spirit im proves w ith each issue. I really enjoy it, since I know w h at w onderful w ork has been done by Father Beiting. I w orked in Appalachia about 15 years ago and can com pare h o w things w ere and ho w they are now.

M argaret McCoon Syracuse, N. Y.

I pray that Father Beiting rem ains in good health so that he may continue in his w ork for the poor.

Your articles in The M o u n ta in S pirit, are truly heartw arm ing, and m ake me feel that the message of hum anitarian accom plishm ents th at are carried out by CAP volunteers and the w hole CAP family, is truly one that I w ould w ish w as extended to each o n e’s neighbor throughout this troubled w orld of ours. To all at CAP I could sum up by saying “bravo” and God bless. Ja m es M cConnell Brooklyn, N. Y.

D orothy F lavin H in g h a m , Mass.

I do not w an t to miss an issue of The M o u n ta in Spirit. The articles depict a w onderful, caring organi zation w h ich stands as a m odel for helping. I pray th at th e Christian Appala chian Project will influence m ore com m unities to follow its lead, w ith G od’s help.

I really enjoy The M o u n ta in Spirit. Reading about all the w onderful people w ho volunteer and the great things they do to help the Appalachian people, renew s my faith in the hum an race. H o w a rd D. Keller Ogden, Utah

I enjoy The M o u n ta in Spirit very m uch. The articles m ake you understand and (as they say) “the pictures are w o rth a thousand w o rd s.”

Y our magazine is so positive and uplifting. In a w orld w here th e printed w ord can be so negative, it’s so nice to read the success stories as well as concrete exam ple of help to the people of Appalachia. Yours is an organiza tion I can feel so good about and confident that my donation is being p u t to good use.

M ildred N. K err McAlisterville, Penn.

B ria n a n d D iane Pillsbury Westford, Vt.

N a n W ilson St. M a ry ’s City, Md.

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

Sister M ary Fabiola Detroit, Mich.

The M o u n ta in Spirit is a w onderful magazine. It is informa tive, very easy to understand, a pleasure to read. I love the stories about the things that are happen ing in the Appalachian region. Just keep up the good work. Letchwich W atkins Ellijay, Ga.

Y our very fine magazine does an excellent job in describing life in Appalachia and the plight of the p o o r and lonely. Everytime I pick it up I am blessed by its pages and content. The pictures speak volum es of w h at life is like for the people in this —in spite of conditions —very beautiful co m er of the w orld. Keep up the good w ork and I will continue to keep you in my prayers. K en K arbel St. Louis, Mo. 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 edit them f o r space. Address letters to The Mountain Spirit, C hristian A ppalachian Project, J 2 2 Crab O rchard Road, Lancaster, K Y 40446.

--------Around the Project — Sunshine Center Receives National Accreditation The Sunshine Center, the Christian Appalachian Project child developm ent cen ter in Lancaster, recently received national accreditation from th e National Academ y fo r Early Childhood Programs. Becky Kana, m anager o f th e Sunshine Center, said th at the accreditation process involved self-evaluation and scrutiny. “W e w ere p retty w ell on target w ith everything th at th e program w as looking at, b u t w e did enhance a few things.” The academ y looked closely at each culture rep resen ted by th e students at th e center, determ in ing th at each w as given a high level o f acceptance. Becky said th at attention to diversity w as an im portant aspect o f th e evaluation and th at th e Sunshine C enter scored w ell because o f th e high levels of

The Sunshine Center holds morning and afternoon sessions so that CAP is able to serve as many children as possible in its child development program.

integration betw een th e cultures represented by th e children at the center. In assuring that th e Sunshine C enter program w as developmentally appropriate for three-, fourand five-year-olds, Becky did some extra research and planning, but

Successful Season at Andrew Jackson

“Teaberry, ” right, is a junior counselor at Camp Andrew Jackson in 1995. “JCs, ”as they're called, are teens who spent several years at camp, then when they are past camp age, come to participate in activities and help supervise the younger children.

“the self-evaluation w as the h ardest,” she said. “You w ere tem pted to go through and give yourself high grades on every thing, but w e had to describe how w e did things and m ake com m ents, so th a t’s ho w w e knew w hat things w e needed to w ork o n .” For the staff, Becky said, the national recognition gives good reinforcem ent “th at w e are doing this the right way, but for our families it gives a real sense of pride. They have ow nership here. W e co u ld n ’t have done it w ithout them , and they know that. In fact, before th e validator cam e to observe our program , three of the m om s in our paren t group volunteered to com e and clean the center; to w ash th e walls and the w indow s, and m ake it look pretty, they said. They take a real sense of pride in the Sunshine Center. ” The Sunshine C enter joins CAP Child D evelopm ent in Berea and Family Life Child D evelopm ent as the third CAP child developm ent cen ter to receive national accredi tation.

The M ountain Spirit

------------------around the project. . . continued------------Rockcastle Countians 6 through 12 Enjoy Day Camp The Rockcastle County Day Camp celebrated its te n th anniver sary this year and reached its goal of serving 200 kids ages six through tw elve in Rockcastle County. In addition to th e four w eeks at th e Family Life Center, the cam p held one w eek at th e public housing pro ject in Brodhead and one w eek at the Brush Creek Holiness Church. “We d id n ’t have to transport so many o f those kids,” said program m anager Jeff B urchett. “And their folks got to drop in and see w hat w as going on at cam p.” Rockcastle County w as not spared th e heat w ave th at en gulfed m uch of the eastern part of the U nited States in mid-July. “We played a lot of w ater games those tw o w eeks, and took a lot m ore w ater breaks,” Jeff said. “Some how , th at heat d o esn ’t b o th er the little kids so m uch —they just keep going until they conk o u t.” Jeff, an avid angler (see page 15), added fishing to th e activity list this year, and program coordinator Glenna Robinson

Day campers at the Family Lije Recreation Center in Rockcastle County read the instructions fo r a scavenger hunt.

invited representatives from the county extension office to give a nutrition presentation to the 6- to 8-year-olds. “Lots of our kids needed some attention, and som ebody to play w ith ,” Jeff said. “W hen they came here they got to m eet new friends. W hen they w ent hom e every day they w ere w orn out from having a good time. You could see that from the expressions on their faces.”

O p era tio n Sh a rin g D on ates E q u ip m en t Carol Parrett, m anager of the O peration Sharing w arehouse in Tyner, has achieved the rank of K entucky Colonel. She w as honored by th e volunteer fire departm ent in Pond Creek in appreciation of th e safety equip m ent they received through the Christian A ppalachian Project inkind distribution program . “T hey’re a volunteer organization, and raise all th e m oney for their w ork, so I k new they could really use the eq u ip m en t,” Carol said. “To help som ebody like that makes you feel g o o d ,” Carol said. “T hat’s w h at O peration Sharing is

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

all about —helping people in A ppalachia.” As th e school year begins, Carol has been in touch w ith 35 Family Resource Centers in the ten A ppalachian counties she reaches. Through the centers, CAP is able to distribute new clothes, toys and books to families in need. The w arehouse in Tyner is one of three O peration Sharing locations. The o ther tw o are located in Lancaster and Hagerhill, w hich gives all of eastern Ken tucky easy access to one of the w arehouses

M ilesto n e A ch ieved Bea, a Sunshine C enter mom, reached an im portant m ilestone recently, said m anager Becky Kana. During a class Bea was attending w hile her son, Tyler, attended the child developm ent program , she drew a dinosaur, and w rote a story about it. “Bea had very limited reading skills w hen she started w ith u s,” Becky said. “It w as great that she even w rote the story, but then later, she read it to Tyler, and three of the o ther kids. She had probably never read to Tyler before —everybody was really excited about it!” Becky said that Bea is very excited about learning. Recently, Becky saw h er in the p aren ts’ lounge reading quietly to herself, som ething else sh e’d probably never done. Christian Appalachian Project is a participating agency in the Combined Federal Campaign. Federal and military employees can contribute to CAP by designating #0898 on the CFC pledge card.

around the project. . . continued Fam ily P ro g ra m Begins a t Maybe You Can Eagle Child D evelopm ent Double Your Gift! The success o f th e sum m er family literacy program in McCreary C ounty has led to its expansion during th e regular school year, according to Jean Barnes, m anager o f th e Eagle Child D evelopm ent Center. “W e’ve been w orking w ith th e School on W heels. Lisa Bosley and I have m ade a good team .” During th e com ing year, Eagle will continue to use th e m ornings for th e regular program , w hich serves at-risk four-year-olds. “In th e afternoons, though, w e ’ll have ‘Families G row ing T ogether,”’ Jean said. Jean said th at fifteen families will p articipate. “T hey’ll be younger m om s, w ith younger kids, so I’m being relicensed for children from birth to five years.” The relicensing requires a separate room for infants w ith a changing table and running w ater in th e room. Parents involved in th e new program are required to have education goals of th eir ow n,

w h ich m ight include w orking tow ard GED testing or prepara tion for job training, college or vocational school. Cristin Boersma, a second-year CAP volunteer, will serve as the adult teacher, concentrating on GED study, parent goals and the p aren ts’ support group. “All studies show that the m ore supp ort children have at hom e, th e m ore success they have in school,” Jean said. “So w e ’re involving the parents w ith the children every step of the way. ” Families will m eet on Tuesdays and W ednesdays until Christmas. If th e families decide that they w ant to continue the program after Christmas, it will continue. “W e’ll start w ith lunch, then have PACT tim e [Parents and Children T ogether],” Jean said. “T hat’s sort of a circle time, an activity that everyone is interested in. T hen each parent will take h er child into one of the activity centers, based on w hat she thinks her child needs to w ork o n .”

If you are a CAP donor, or are considering becoming one, you may be eligible to double your gift through your employer's matching gift program. Many companies today match monetary support to non-profit community service organizations that are sup ported by their employees. Many of these companies match the gifts that are made by their retirees, as well. Please write for your bro chure "Double Your Dollars," which lists participating companies and instructions. Send correspondence to Teresa McAnly, CAP, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446.

After the activity time, the parents will have tim e away from the children; on Tuesdays they will w ork on education and W ednesdays will be parent support days, w ith topics deter m ined by the class. “They may have discussions on nutrition, marriage or discipline,” Jean said, “But they will make the choices.” Field trips are planned and Jean hopes to host a conference in the spring. “I’ll contact the folks w ith Community Health Advocates in Magoffin County and the New O pportunity School for W om en in Berea,” Jean said.

Part o f the “Families Growing Together”day in McCreary County will include time fo r parents to read to their children.

“W e’re really excited about this. W e’re going to incorporate w orkers from the extension office and the com m unity college.” By getting parents m ore involved w ith their com m unity, Jean hopes to break dow n isolation, w hich often leads to poverty, or keeps people from breaking out.

The M ountain Spirit

around the project. . . continued CAP Early Intervention Successili! For Family A family involved w ith ParentsAre-Teachers, th e Christian Appalachian Project early inter vention program , has achieved a great success.

he is only three m onths behind in speech developm ent, “And th a t’s not even considered a delay,” she said.

D on and Lisa have hearing im pairm ents w h ich have affected th e speech and language develop m ent o f th eir children. W hen th eir little boy D onnie w as b o m their tw o older daughters w ere participating in a Head Start program . The teachers referred the baby w h en he w as five m onths old to Parents-AreTeachers so th at th e family could leam h o w best to help D onnie’s speech develop.

Leigh has involved the entire family in all kinds of com m unica tion. On h er visits, she noticed that w h en his sisters talked to D onnie, they spoke, but w hen they talked to their parents, they used signed language. “For a long tim e, th e teachers at Head Start d idn’t know if the girls couldn’t talk, or if they chose not to. Now w e ’ve taught them ho w im portant it is for Donnie to hear the w ords as he sees the signs, so they’re using signs and speech all the tim e n o w .”

PAT teach er Leigh W eaver brought m usical toys to stim ulate D onnie’s hearing, and taught Lisa fìnger plays. “I m ade a m ark on the TV dial and show ed h er a good level for th e sou n d .” Three years later, D onnie is getting ready to begin Head Start, the same program his sisters attended, and Leigh reports that

Parents-Are-Teachers has prepared Lisa to involve herself w ith D onnie’s teachers at Head Start, som ething she did not feel com fortable doing w hen her daughters w ere enrolled. “W hether he signs or speaks, Donnie will be able to tell every one about his first day in school,” Leigh said.

Gift Annuities

A gift annuity to the Christian Appalachian Project will help us continue to provide employ ment opportunities to Appala chian people. This activity is an essential part of our mission to help people help themselves. But, what is a gift annuity? It's a legal agreement by which you make a gift to CAP and receive a guaranteed life income in re turn. For a more complete expla nation, write today for your free copy of "Giving Through Gift Annuities" by filling out the cou pon below and enclosing it in the envelope provided. Clip and send

Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, Kentucky 40446 N am e __________________________ Address________________________ City ____________________________ State, Z IP ______________________ Date of Birth _________________ During a recent trip to Washington, D.C., CAPfounder Father Ralph Beding was able to visit brießy and renew an acquaintance with Louis Freeh, the director o f the FBI. Mr. Freeh spent a week as a CAP volunteer when he was a student.

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

T elep h o n e ---------------------

------- around the project. . . continued Garden Program Growing in Louisa Albert Bloomfield, m anager of th e outreach program in Louisa, received an interesting call recently. He thinks that Harv Robinson, a n ew participant, may have o pened up th e program to m any p eople w h o w ould oth er w ise n o t be able to garden. “W hen he called, Harv told m e he w as involved w ith a com pany that m ade ‘wall gardens.’ He explained th at th e cubes w ith holes in th e sides are designed to use synthetic fiber soil. W hen m ixed w ith fertilizer, seeds and lots o f w ater, p roduce em erges from th e to p and th e sides o f the wall gardens.” Harv set up cubes of green p ep p er, beans and tom atoes in his

Harv Robinson o f Marlin County has taken an interest in “wall gardens, ” which enable people to garden even i f they are unable to bend over to tend their produce.

back yard. “He said that the best thing about his wall gardens is that he doesn’t have to do any

Mountain Spirit Wins Awards from Catholic Press Association The M o u n ta in Spirit received recognition during th e Catholic Press Association 1995 Journalism Award cerem ony, w h ich con cluded its recen t national conven tion in Los Angeles. The cover of the July-August 1994 issue, w ith a p h otograph of CAP outreach p articipant Marg aret Bowen, received first place for best single-color cover. Second place w as aw arded for th e cover of th e Septem ber-O ctober 1994 issue, w hich featured a group of family literacy students in McCreary County. The July-August cover is th e w ork of form er volunteer Lorraine Corsale Biedryzcki, w hose photography receives frequent recognition from th e CPA. Margaret Gabriel, editor o f The M o u n ta in Spirit, is the p h o to g rap h er for the Septem ber-O ctober cover. In the category Best Article Originating w ith a Mission

Magazine, “Tabatha’s Tree H ouse,” by Barbara Brown Marks (January-February 1994) was the first place w inner. The judges com m ented, “A remarkably calm, intelligent and touching portrayal o f a child of an abusive parent, particularly the child’s attem pt to cope w ith pain she could not handle. The author avoids the occasion to condem n and instead concentrates on healing and love for herself and her child.” “The Invisible H om eless,” by Beth D otson (March-April 1994) received second place. Beth also received an award for a feature story in “Cross Roads,” the n ew spaper of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. Although The M o u n ta in Spirit is not a Catholic magazine, staff has shared valuable information w ith CPA m em bers w ho are involved w ith other mission magazines.

w eeding,” Albert said. “He said if they d o n ’t eat everything, his sister will help him do some canning.” Llarv is w orking w ith the com pany that makes the wall gardens to sell via the Internet, using the Hewlett-Packard com puter w hich he received from the vocational rehabilitation center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, as a m eans to find em ploym ent. He has spent the last few m onths learning about the com puter system using only manuals and the system scanner. “He has spent a lot of time learning the intricacies of the In tern et,” Albert said, “But poor telephone com m unications set-up and the long distance charges involved are m ore than Harv’s fixed incom e can allow .” Albert said that he hopes that his entrepreneurship and his experience w ith the Internet brings Harv incom e, but in the m eantim e, he can rest assured that his “wall gardens” have made gardening possible for people w ho have trouble getting to the soil because they use a w heelchair or have arthritis.

The M ountain Spirit

------------- around the project. . . continued---------------CAP R ecru iter P a rtic ip a te s in N ation al Training Betsy Olson, co ordinator of volunteer recruitm ent and alumni w ith th e Christian Appalachian Project w as selected by the K entucky Com m unity Service Com m ission to participate in N ew G eneration Training Program , a national leadership developm ent program . “W e had four intense days in July and four in A ugust,” Betsy said. “T here w ere 22 o f us, w orking to understand com m u nity building and talking about com m unity service.” The group included people from th ro u g h o u t K entucky, Betsy said, including Louisville, Frank fort, Murray State University [in

w estern K entucky], and several locations in eastern Kentucky. Betsy, w ho started the adult education program in Owsley County during h er days as a CAP volunteer, w as one of the few participants w h o had w hat she term ed “front-line” experience. “There w ere several times, in the course of discussion, w h en I w ould th row in my tw o-cents’ w o rth from my volunteer experi e n ce,” she said. Although there w ere several representatives from VISTA, m ost of the involvem ent w as from groups w hose program s are m ore traditional in nature. “There aren ’t too m any that make the commit-

m ent that CAP volunteers make. Most are groups that w ork w ith folks w h o volunteer five hours a w eek ,” Betsy said. “I knew it w ould be good for me, but it’ll help CAP through my outlook and th e w ay I deal w ith people. It’s helped m e know w here and h o w I fit into volunteer service.” Betsy said that h er involvem ent will help CAP becom e b etter know n throughout Kentucky. “One of th e m en is from Salyersville and w orks in Allen [in Floyd C ounty], so he know s a lot about our w ork. Most of the rest have heard of us and will get to know w hat CAP is ab o u t.”

Looking for an Adventure? Volunteer with 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. Volunteer Opportunities: 21 years of age or older; one year (renewable); room and board; health insurance; monthly stipend. College loan deferment information available. Short term 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. Septem ber - O ctober 1995

The CAP Closeup I t s a lo t like w h a t y o u d o w ith y o u r ow n k id s — y o u lea d by exam ple. ”

J e f f B urchett recalls seeing the CAP hom e repair truck at a lum ber yard he frequented w h en he w orked a construction job in Floyd County. “I’d never heard of CAP —I th o u g h t it w as just involved in fixing ho u ses,” Jeff said. Later, he learned th at CAP did far m ore th an just repair houses. Jeff w as a three-sport athlete in high school (football, basketball and baseball), and played basket ball at Alice Lloyd College, w here he earned a degree in business adm inistration, w ith em phasis also in physical education and social w ork. After graduating, Jeff w orked several jobs, som e of

them w ith young people. “I started coaching at my old high school w h en I was on sum m er breaks from college. Even though I enjoyed coaching, I knew I didn’t w ant to teach ,” Jeff said, so coaching on the high school level w as not a job possibility for him. After w orking w ith young people for several years, Jeff w orked in construction for a while, but soon realized that he missed contact w ith teenagers. As he was looking to fill the gap in his life, he answ ered a new spaper ad and was hired to run the Martin Teen Center, w here his focus w ith young people shifted from one that included m ore than just sports.

“In sports you deal w ith em otion and ups and dow ns, and I still see a lot of th a t,” Jeff said. In addition to coaching, Jeff w orked w ith young people at a Job Corps center in Prestonsburg, w hich gave him the experience he needs to w ork effectively today. “At the Job Coq)s w e had kids from all over, kids that w ere from inner cities in N ew York and Philadel phia. A lot of them w ere drop-outs or runaways, kids from lowincom e families. Of course, some of the kids at the teen cen ter have the same problem s,” Jeff said. After w orking a brief tim e at the Martin Teen Center, Je ffs wife, Nancy, w h o w orks for Social

♦ S to ry a n d P h o to s b y M argaret G a b riel ♦ 16

The M ountain Spirit

Jeff Burchett Security, w as transferred from Floyd C ounty to an office in Corbin, Kentucky. Fortunately for CAP, at th e tim e th at Jeff’s family w as m oving, th ere w as an o pen ing for a m anager at th e teen cen ter in nearby Rockcastle County so Jeff w as able to con tinue his w o rk w ith young people in a CAP program . Shortly after Jeff began w orking in Rockcastle County, th e cen ter began to provide services to kids ages 10 to 13 in addition to those 13 to 18. “After th e kids start to drive, and after th ey ’re old enough to get a job, w e d o n ’t see them as m uch as w e do w h en th e y ’re you n g er,” Jeff said. “If w e can start w orking w ith them a little earlier, w e can do a b e tte r job w ith them , encouraging them to stay in school and out of tro u b le.”

“W e’ve had over 60 kids earn service hours this y ear,” Jeff said. “It’s gone really well. Kids hear all th e tim e that young people today are on th e w rong track and all that, but this is som ething positive they can do. It boosts th eir self esteem and lets them show they care and builds their reputations and th e reputation of the center. In the past year w e ’ve done cleaning and repair jobs at churches around here and visited in nursing homes. At Easter and Halloween w e m ade baskets for th e residents and had a party for th em .” Jeff and his staff keep track of th e num ber of hours that each young person spends on com m u nity service, and makes awards and opportunities available to those w ho participate. “W e go to the movies and roller skating; for

som e of these kids, it’s the only chance they get to do those kinds of things. At the end of th e year w e have a banquet and invite all th e families, the little brothers and sisters, everyone. Everyone w h o ’s w orked over tw enty hours during th e year gets a trophy, and w e have a plaque here at the center w ith all the nam es engraved.” A clean-cut form er athlete, and father of tw o girls, Jeff smiled sheepishly w h en he considered the idea that he m ight be consid ered a role m odel for the young people w h o com e to th e teen center. “It’s a lot like w hat you do w ith your ow n kids —you lead by exam ple. You act th e w ay you w ant them to act. Sometimes you have to com e dow n on them a little bit, but once they know w hat you expect, they pretty m uch live up to th a t.” ft

In o rd er to take advantage o f the activities at th e teen center, young people are required to rem ain in school, Jeff said. “And w e get kids w h o have been in trouble, o r w h o w ould be getting in trouble if th ey w e re n ’t at th e c e n te r.” Although th e teen cen ter is not a program exclusively for troubled teens, counsel ing and o th e r services are available to teens and families w h o have difficulty w ith com m uni cation and o th er aspects o f life. Jeff takes great pride in th e com m unity service program that has been organized for th e teens.

J e ff insists that “going fish in g ”is an integral pa rt o f his work day. The day camp kids are happy he feels that way.

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

United We Stand, Divided w e Fall Economic Development for Kentucky The K entucky state m otto, “United w e stand, divided w e fall,” has lately becom e a recipe for success for attracting n ew jobs to Appalachia. Industry, state governm ent and local industrial developm ent groups have learned to unite and stand for their com m on interest —successful businesses locating in eastern Kentucky, em ploying a loyal w o rk force, including m any form er coal miners. The partnership is created through the willing local w o rk force, the jobs created by industry, and state governm ent w hich often brings the tw o to g eth er and provides financial incentives to industry.

The significance of the dollars w hich industries bring into an area through payroll and business taxes has accounted for a brisk com petition betw een states to attract new com panies or expansions of existing com panies. Bringing these com panies into K entucky can m ean replacing jobs that have been lost through the autom ation of the coal mines.

Cincinnati plant expands operation Dick W hiting is the ow ner of W hiting Manufacturing, a family operation that

♦ by Margaret Gabriel ♦ 18

The M ountain Spirit

produces bedroom accessories in Cincin nati, Ohio, w ith additional plants in Cherokee, N orth Carolina, and W est Liberty, Kentucky. W hiting said that he w as contacted by th e K entucky Cabinet for Econom ic D evelopm ent w h en he was considering expanding his operation in the late 1980s. “The staff from th e Cabinet for Eco nom ic D evelopm ent p icked us up in the governor’s helico p ter and took us all over th e state,” W hiting said. After touring six or seven locations in th e state, over the course o f a m onth th at W hiting term ed “grueling,” th e com pany settled on a tri county site in eastern Kentucky. The land, w h ich w as provided at no cost, is located w h ere Wolfe, M organ and Magoffin counties com e together. R ecruitm ent of W hiting M anufacturing to that location w as one o f th e first ventures in th e state to bring to g eth er th e strengths o f three counties to acquire industrial jobs. At th e tim e o f the tri-county effort, the unem ploym ent rate in Morgan County was 15.9 percen t, in W olfe County, 17.9 p ercen t and Magoffin County, at 20.3 percen t, had one o f th e state’s highest unem ploym ent rates. It is indeed difficult to m easure th e im pact o f a m anufacturing plant w h ich provides jobs in an area w ith such severe unem ploym ent. W hiting said that in th e discussion phase of th eir decision to locate th eir p lant in eastern K entucky they com m itted to com ing to th e area. “W e said w e ’re going to com e in here and hire 185 people [a num ber that has since increased to over 300 p e o p le ], and this is w h at w e need to do th a t.” The state Cabinet for Economic D evelopm ent responded to those needs. O ne o f m any financial incentive p ro grams established by K entucky is the K entucky Rural Econom ic D evelopm ent Act (KREDA) w h ich is available to busi nesses th at are establishing n ew plants or expanding existing ones in a K entucky county in w h ich th e average annual unem ploym ent rate has exceeded the state average for five years. Sixty-eight of K entucky’s 120 counties qualify for KREDA benefits; thirty-one o f these counties are in the Appalachian area. W hiting M anufactur

" . . . knowing that the future of the area

depends on identifying means by which families can sustain themselves. . . ” ing w as one of the first com panies to participate in KREDA. Gene Fuqua, executive adm inistrator w ith the Cabinet for Economic Develop m ent, said industries inquire about m oving to K entucky and the cabinet also recruits likely prospects. “We w ork w ith as many as four or five hundred at a tim e,” Fuqua said. “Probably a hundred of them could be term ed ‘h o t’ pro sp ects,” w hich are then referred to local groups.

>Local involvement most important All of the m ost im portant w ork to recruit new industry to the region or persuade expanding businesses to stay in the area, Fuqua said, is done at the local level. That w ould be the role of people like Appala chian business ow ner Tom Utter, the president of the Hazard-Perry County Industrial D evelopm ent Corporation. “I began recognizing an econom ic slum p in the m ountains in 1985 and ’86 and was concerned because w e had no ongoing effort to com bat it,” Tom said. “I person ally w en t to the econom ic developm ent cabinet and asked for a meeting. I rem em ber telling everyone at the m eeting that they w ere against the m ountains, trying to choke us out and hurt u s.” Believing in the quality of K entucky’s w ork force, and know ing that th e future of the area depends on identifying m eans by w hich families can sustain them selves, U tter and others have becom e involved in industrial recruitm ent and econom ic developm ent on the local level. U tter said that he began to learn, after his m eeting at the Cabinet for Economic Developm ent, w hat w as needed for a com m unity to be recognized and served by

“Butwhat we have to do is sell our selves like New York City and Louis ville and Colorado Springs. It will never be done if we don't try.”

people w ith experience in econom ic developm ent and industrial recruitm ent. “They gently began to m entor m e so that I changed m y po in t o f view from that of victim and th a t’s w h en my thinking began to change. The m ore that I got into a positive vein, th e m ore they could do for u s.” He began to realize th at if people from th e Appalachian area of K entucky w en t to th e Cabinet for Economic D evelopm ent w ith a “nobody loves us, everybody hates u s” attitude, th e attitude w ould becom e prophetic. “There are opportunities aw aiting,” U tter said, “But w hat w e have to do is sell ourselves just like N ew York City and Louisville and Colorado Springs. It will never be done if w e d o n ’t try, but w e have to realize that com pared to those other places, it’s a hard sell.”

The Appalachian region o f Kentucky. The shaded area is the location o f the three counties which engaged in the state’s fir st tri-county recruiting effort. ^

Fuqua and others in econom ic developm ent help w ith that sell. “We have re sources and know ledge that w e ’re willing to lend to help address problem s, and to tell people about funding sources that are available,” he said. The sources include tax incentives for non-m anufacturing jobs, rehabilitation of businesses in danger of failing, loans for small businesses, debt and risk financing, training program s and other business assistance program s.

1 1 1

"Somebody turned off the spigot" Eastern K entucky’s dependence on the coal industry is well docum ented. Tow ns all across the m ountains w ith nam es like David and Lynch and W heelw right are m onum ents to com m unities that em erged as coal cam ps w ith all of the am enities needed for families to live the good life — w hen there w ere jobs. There is m ore coal m ined today than ever before, but w ith few er miners. The situation leaves a willing but idle w ork force, w ith few dollars circulating in the econom y.

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M ONROE

T h e M o u n t a i n S p ir i t

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WAYNE

“The businesses here are in shock. The president o f th e C ham ber of Com m erce said th at it w as like som ebody reached out and tu rn ed th e spigot off on spending. O ver th e last th ree years w e ’ve lost som ething like 3,000 jobs,” U tter said of his com m unity in Hazard, Kentucky. “They w ere prim ary w age jobs; p eople w h o had high school diplom as th at w ere making over $35,000 a year, and th e re ’s nothing to replace it. T here aren ’t any o th er $35,000 jobs to replace those m ining jobs.” For som e people these efforts of indus trial recruitm ent bring m ixed feelings of fear o f repeating past failures and ap p re hension about introducing a “sm okestack” com m unity in th e m ountains. “T here is a certain am ount of despair that has been passed dow n, b u t are w e going to sacrifice econom ic developm ent and a brighter future to th e culture o f th e mountains? I’m willing to bet th at w e can take a huge dose of econom ic developm ent and retain our heritage. “Do I w an t to say to m y five-year-old, ‘y o u ’re a m ountain boy. Y ou’re going to have th e integrity o f th e m ountains and the heritage in your blood. D on’t go out there and lose it and feed your family and take care o f life and contribute to society and the w orld as a w hole. Stay here and hunker dow n and starve like a good m ountain boy ought to ’?

LEWIS

GREENUP

iBOYO '

FLEMING CARTER

LAWRENCE

JOHNSON

MARTIN

MADISON FLOYD PIKE BREATHITT

KNOTT

“Take the integrity that you learn from your God and your family and the best things of your heritage. The best things about the mountain culture are internal.”

“Or do I tell him the God of the m oun tain heritage is the same God of the rest of th e w orld, and he may have som ething for you in Los Angeles or Calgary or Mexico City. Take the integrity that you learn from your God and your family and the best things of your heritage. The best things about the m ountain culture are internal. Should w e so concentrate on preserving the externals that w e forego econom ic development? It’s one thing to say let’s not pave paradise and p u t up a parking lot, but im proving p eo p le’s living is going to require a degree of that, and I d o n ’t know w here to draw the line. All I know is that things are not good right now; there are a trem endous num ber of people that are living in substandard conditions.”

'We feel like people want us here." So that Tom U tter’s son and o ther children will not be forced to make the decision to “move-and-eat or stay-andstarve,” recruiting efforts will continue to be directed tow ard com panies like Ascent Pow er Technology, w hich is based in Toronto, Canada, and has a plant in Wolfe County. According to Dov Rohm, senior planner for Ascent, w hen the com pany was exploring expansion options they determ ined that one of their greatest needs ^as a dedicated w ork force. A low turn over rate was im portant because of the com pany’s investm ent in w orker training.

ROCKCASTLE CLAY LETCHER I laski

lau rel

LESLIE

KNOX HARLAN WHITLEY

Because one of their biggest custom ers is Lexmark in Lexington, Kentucky, Ascent began looking to locate in this area. “We not only sell a product, w e sell service,” Rohm said, “So it w ould be an advantage to be close to Lexm ark.” W hen

i/IcCREARY

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

supply units for com puter printers. Many say that the technological industry is a good m atch for w orkers in eastern Kentucky. W orkers in eastern K entucky are w ell-known for ingenuity and resourcefulness, and the w orkers at the plant in Wolfe County are putting those qualities to the test, according to plant general m anager, Bob Magadan.

ii closer look

Kentucky Strategic Plan For Economic Development

The Kentucky Cabinet fo r Economic Development is distributing a handsome synopsis o f its Strategic Plan fo r Economic Development.

they learned th at eastern Kentucky could also supply the needed loyalty, the deci sion w as made. But the main reason, Rohm said, was based on m ore that just service or dedica tion. “Even though w e ’re foreigners, w e always felt at hom e here, like the people w anted us h e re ,” he said. After discussing and negotiating for m ore than six m onths, w ith p eople in th e Cabinet for Economic D evelopm ent, and w ith Danny Brewer, Wolfe County Judge-Executive, Ascent m oved to Cam pion, Kentucky, in August of 1994 and em ployed 50 people. That num ber quickly grew to 90, and after only one year in Cam pton, they are employing over 200 people to m anufacture pow er

“We see a very good w ork ethic; people have taken great pains to make this plant a success,” Magadan said. “W hen w e ’re hiring, w e look for people w ith enthusiasm and a willingness to work. Most of the people w e ’ve hired have had no experi ence, but th ey ’re intelli gent, p u t their minds to getting things done, and help us w ith making the procedural changes w e need. I’ve handled plants all over the east coast, and the attitudes of the people here are as good or better than anyplace I’ve ever b een .”

Magadan is one of only three people that have been hired from outside the area to w ork at Ascent. Middle managers as well as production w orkers have been hired from Wolfe and the surrounding counties.

CAP involvement invaluable Dick W hiting, too, calls the w ork force “great” and speaks highly of the coopera tion betw een the representatives on the state level and those in local governm ent w hen W hiting Manufacturing w as making its decision about a new plant location. “The judges from those three counties w ere very im portant,” he said, as w ere the T he M o u n ta in S p ir it

people involved in th e local industrial developm ent association, including Tom, w h o gives th e Christian A ppalachian Project p a rt o f the recognition for the successful recruitm ent o f W hiting Manu facturing. W hen th e W olfe C ounty Industrial D evelopm ent Association w as in it infancy stages, CAP helped th e group to establish itself by providing a loaned staff m em ber and seed m oney for o perating and travel ex pense (see The M o u n ta in Sp irit, Septem ber-O ctober 1988).

“We’ve got the idea power. God gave it to us and nobody can take it away." or six tim es in the com m unity. There will be a m otel that will take overflow from Natural Bridge [a popular state p ark ], and the com m ercial use opens up the industrial pro p erty on the back side. T h ere’s already one industry th a t’s agreed to com e and th a t’s leveraged $700,000 in EDA m oney to im prove the infrastructure. That will help the entire community: individual hom es and com m ercial businesses as well as industry. ”

“W e simply could not have physically and fiscally d one w h at it took to develop th at in d ep en d en t association and to keep it going w ith o u t th e help o f th e Christian Appalachian P roject,” U tter said. “It took less than a year for us to begin getting referrals from th e cabinet, largely because of CAP’S involvem ent. CAP jum p-started us. If w e had had to go through all the hurdles, it w ould have taken m ore tim e just to get th e leg w o rk done. I never could get back to Christian Appalachian Project h o w valuable th at w as to that com m unity. H ow do you place a dollar figure on that or m easure its im portance?”

U tter speaks w ith great passion of the need to bring jobs to the area in order to im prove the standard of living of the people. “The answ er to our problem s lies w ithin us because there is enough intelli gence in the m ountains, and enough resources that God gives us —not necessar ily dollars and cents —to p u t together our brains and our hearts and solve this econom ic situation.

W hen CAP first becam e involved w ith the W olfe County Industrial D evelopm ent Association in 1988, th e group determ ined that one o f th e biggest assets to develop m ent w ould be im proved ram ps from the M ountain Parkway. “CAP helped us look at a site w h ich w e knew w ould be a prim e location for com m ercial and industrial developm ent. W e got creative and m ar keted th e front o f th e site for com m ercial developm ent, w h ich w ould hire people for com m ercial jobs. T hen by virtue of the clout o f th e com m ercial people, w e ’ve been able to get th e off-on ram ps and have the rest of th e area for recruitm ent of industrial jobs,” U tter said.

“The answ er will com e from w ithin, but it will involve us from w ithin w orking b etter w ith those from outside. W e’ve had the feeling ‘us against th em ’ for so long, that w e need to learn to do better. It’s going to take outside money, too. T here’s not enough m oney here, so w e need to m anufacture w ood products and m arket internationally and use those Japanese and European and Asian dollars to solve our problem s, but it will take us, w orking together, to com e up w ith the idea. W e’ve got the idea pow er; God gave it to us and nobody can take it away from u s.”

W ith years o f w ork since 1988, the ram ps are scheduled to begin construction in the fall o f 1995. “W hen those ram ps are built th ere are com m ercial letters o f intent to em ploy over 300. Now, adm ittedly, those are secondary w age jobs, but still, several benefits to th e com m unity will occur. W e’ll be pulling in dollars off the M ountain Parkway that will turn over five

Know-how and cooperation is the answ er to giving possibilities to people w ho are hurting, U tter said, especially the people w ho in the past w orked good jobs and w ere able to contribute their tim e and talent to the com m unity as well as their family. “If you know the people and you know the com m unity, it’s agonizing.” But, in Kentucky, united w e stand, and that unity will overcom e the agony.

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

Partnership, cooperation vital

(Stella Marshall

F o u r bold letters over the aw ning of the little green storefront on one c o m er of Booneville, K entucky’s, to w n square spell a simple w ord. “WORK,” the letters insist; they look m ore like a com m and than an advertism ent. U nder another awning, neatly stenciled on the w indow , is the nam e of a business called A&B T-Shirt Shop. WORK is an acronym for W orkers of Rural Kentucky, a grassroots econom ic developm ent and technical assistance organization aimed at creating jobs in Owsley County. A&B T-Shirt Shop is a silk screening operation that m arkets custom ized outerw ear and tote bags, one of four successful businesses that WORK has helped start. Stella Marshall, the executive director of WORK, received CAP’S 1994 Mountain Spirit Award for Excellence in Economic Development. In tw o years, Stella has been visited by and featured in such publica tions as The W all Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The [Louisville] C ourier Journal, and a host of lesserknow n regional journals. The N a tio n a l G eographic is currently w orking on a story. PBS and CNN have been here, to learn how and w hy h er efforts are paying off in the poorest county in the country w hen similar attem pts have failed in other rural locations.

Winner of the 1994 Mountain (Spirit Award for Excellence in Economic Development

It is difficult to talk about Stella or WORK in separate phrases because either one pretty m uch describes the other. And it is almost im possible to get Stella to talk about herself, but th en you learn that Stella cam e up the hard way. She quit school to marry w hen she was 14 years old and gave birth to h er first child w hen she w as 15. At a tim e w hen m ost teenagers are contem plating their first car date, Stella’s role w as housewife, m other and general farm laborer.

♦ by Ike Adams ♦ 24

The M ountain Spirit

O th er children cam e along but Stella com pleted h e r GED (high school equivelancy) and for several years w orked as a te a c h e r’s aide in th e sum m er Head Start program and as an aide in a class of students w ith m ental disabilities. On a typical day she w as u p at five, preparing breakfast and getting kids off to school and herself ready for w ork. After school she w orked th e tobacco fields and doing o th er farm chores before preparing supper. She did household chores until bed and spent week-ends on laundry and chores that d idn ’t get done thro u g h th e w eek. But d o n ’t ask Stella to tell you she was poor. “You d o n ’t have m uch incom e and the house may n o t be as fancy o r th e clothes as fine as they could have been w ith m ore m oney but that d o esn ’t necessarily m ean y o u ’re p o o r,” she insists. If y o u ’re willing and able to w ork hard and your spirit is strong and y o u ’re determ ined to m ake it in spite o f th e odds, you d o n ’t fit th e definition that the d ictio n a ry spells out for “p o o r,” Stella will tell you. She m ay tell you, though, that she was on th e verge o f being p o o r w h en she found out h e r h usband w as cheating on h er and she saw h er marriage start to go dow n th e tubes. She adm its th at she contem plated suicide and th en she discovered WORK, w h ich was being started in Booneville by a Catholic nun, Sister N oel LeClaire. “I w an t th e w orld to know that Sister Noel saved m y life and I have h e r to thank for being w h ere I am today,” Stella said. And just th ere is that? Since 1989 Stella has been “w hatever you call th e person in charge” o f WORK. She has acquired im pressive co m p u ter skills and provides analysis and bookkeeping assistance for the organization’s four businesses, w hich, besides th e T-Shirt Shop, includes a used clothing store, a bakery and doughnut shop, and a cleaning/janitorial service. She has been responsible for fund raising, organizing and running m eetings

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

“If I can pull this off, anybody can. Pm not very educated and I ’m certainly not smarter than most people. I’ve taken advantage of the opportunities that came along and “doing w hatever it takes to keep WORK alive and grow ing.” Currently she is training another w om an for h er leadership role as she prepares to em bark on a threeyear fellowship sponsored by th e William H. D onner Foundation called the New Leadership Fellows Program. She has served on a host of boards of directors including those of the Mountain Association For Community Economic Developm ent, Appalachian Fireside Crafts, the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, Owsley County Partnership Against Drugs, Eastern Kentucky Child Care Coalition, Human Economic Appalachian Develop m ent Corporation, Owsley County Family Resource C enter and the advisory council for the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund. She has graduated from the Berea College New O pportunity School for W omen, com pleted a one-year University of Kentucky C om m onw ealth Fellows Program, com pleted leadership training at the Brushy Fork Institute and becom e a trained consultant in small business com puter application. Each endeavor is a story in itself, but Stella sums it up best, saying, “If I can pull this off, anybody can. I’m not very edu cated and I’m certainly not sm arter than m ost people. I’ve taken advantage of the opportunities that came along and it’s sad that they d o n ’t com e along for very many people. All that Appalachian people need to help them selves out of the rut is the right kind of opportunity and maybe I’ll be able to help som e others a little farther dow n the road.” 11“

Twenty Years of Innovation in Appalachia Q

S o m e tim e in late w inter or early spring of 1995, the Mountain Association for Community Economic D evelopm ent, MACED, experienced w hat I like to call an “o rp h an ’s birthday.” Nobody rem em bers the exact date in 1975 w h en a group of folks from southw est Virginia and eastern Kentucky, interested in the general field of econom ic developm ent, convened its third or fourth informal m eeting and decided that it ought to becom e a legitimate “organization.”

Forward in the Fifth, a MACED initiative, provided much o f the modeling fo r the Kentucky Education Reform Act.. Here, the gymnasium at the Middleburg Elementary School was transformed into a rain forest, courtesy o f a Forward in the Fifth mini-grant.

♦ b y Ike Adam s ♦ 26

The M ountain Spirit

The W ar on Poverty w as about ten years old at th e tim e and m ost of us in atten dance w ere em ployed by initiatives largely funded by private foundations and the federal governm ent. Five o r six coopera tives th at w ere into such things as m aple sugar and honey p roduction, housing and food purchasing w ere represented. One co-op even ow ned a fried-chicken restau rant. A nother p ro d u ced films. Tw o large, multi-million dollar com m unity develop m ent corporations w ere th ere along w ith a sm attering of com m unity action program s and a couple o f college-based intellectual types. I w as w orking as D irector o f Com m unity D evelopm ent for Job Start Corporation, no w k now n as K entucky Highlands Investm ent Corporation. Tom Miller, th en president o f th at group and no w the Ford Foundation’s chief o p erato r in Nairobi, Kenya, w as th e prim ary instigator behind our m eetings; I had th e responsibility for getting on th e p h o n e and convincing the o th er “m em bers” that they ought to drive a couple h undred miles and spend their w eekends talking about developm ent and “learning from each o th e r.” I distinctly recall that at the tim e of the m eeting I’m rem em bering, I had a Volkswagen “B eetle” and th e m eeting took place at th e Martha W ashington Inn in Abdington, Virginia. I also rem em ber that I got frostbite on the little toe of my left foot on th e trip back to Berea because my little car’s heater failed to function, but th a t’s another story altogether. To this day, how ever, w h en som eone asks about MACED’s early days, I catch myself reaching dow n to scratch my little toe. W hen Peggy Gabriel asked m e to w rite this story several w eeks ago I thought it w ould be an easy task and that I was rem arkably qualified to do the piece. After all, MACED has been a p art of my profes sional career for nearly 21 years. I w as not only th ere th e day it w as born but I even participated in its conception. I’ve done a stint as chairm an of its Board of Directors, and I’ve been secretary of th e Board. I’m still on th e Board and I keep up w ith w h a t’s going on so it ought to be a piece of cake, right? W rong.

S e p te m b e r - O c to b e r 1995

W rong, because MACED has, since those hum ble beginnings in Abington some tw enty years ago, been in an almost constant state of turbo-charged evolution. That evolution has given rise to its reputa tion as one of th e very finest, m ost diverse, m ost successful and m ost innovative com m unity developm ent institutions in the country. Quantifying and qualifying the reasons for that reputation and th e evolu tion itself w ould fill a textbook. Suffice it to say, that MACED is a text book exam ple of how to do things right. And perhaps the best way to illustrate that is to give a few before and after exam ples. W ithin a year of the Abington m eeting, MACED w as incorporated and had raised a piddling am ount of operating m oney from a couple of foundations —enough at least to convince Bill Duncan, w ho was then running the fried chicken co-op in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, to take on full-time leadership of the infant organization. Bill found an upstairs office on a side street in Berea, arranged for som e part-tim e clerical help and MACED officially set up shop w ith the stated purpose of providing technical assistance to grass-roots eco nom ic developm ent groups. Today MACED is housed in, and ow ns outright, a m odern facility of m ore than 3,000 square feet and employs m ore than 20 people. In fiscal year 1976, MACED’s total operating budget was less than $25,000 and it had no net w orth. In FY 96, the operating budget will approach $ 1 million and its net w orth will exceed $3 million. MACED has had four presidents since its founding, three of w hom have m ade very distinct marks on the organization, and a fourth w ho has only been on the job one year but already has his m arker beside the drawing board. Bill Duncan, how ever, in his eleven-year tenure set the agenda early on for w hat MACED w ould becom e by convincing the board that it w as difficult to solve econom ic developm ent problem s w ithout understanding w hy they existed in the first place. He further insisted that the best, if not only, way to do that w as to get involved w ith com m unities, do a lot of listening and then try to articulate both the problem and potential solutions.

Forward in the Fifth still shares office space w ith MACED and is considered an integral part of the organization but it has its ow n Board of Directors, raises its ow n funding and is financially independent. It now has an operating budget exceeding a half million dollars p e r year and a staff of ten professionals.

“Perhaps the most influential study and subsequent intervention had to do with the quality o f public education in southeastern Kentucky.

The process becam e know n as “strategic intervention” and th e term is a buzzword in th e developm ent industry today. In a nutshell, th e process involves careful analysis o f a problem , identification of num erous potential solutions and hum an resources to address it and then pinpoint ing one specific strategy. W hen those th ree considerations are im plem ented, intervention has been created. Early MACED studies on w ater quality helped lead to statew ide actions to m onitor and im prove th e quality of drinking w ater throughout the state. Its studies on a declining coal industry encouraged th e creation of industry and public program s to assist w orkers dis placed by m echanization of mining. Perhaps its m ost influential study and subsequent intervention, how ever, had to do w ith th e quality o f public education in th e southeastern portion of Kentucky. Its reports on education led to the form ation o f Forward in th e Fifth, an organization w ith m ore than 2,000 com m unity volun teers in 39 counties of K entucky’s Fifth Congressional District w h o are actively involved in im proving th e quality of their local schools [see The M o u n ta in Spirit, January-February, 1993]. Much of K entucky’s statew ide Educational Reform Act w as m odeled from efforts begun by Forward in the Fifth.

Yet another study revealed that the tim ber resource in eastern Kentucky, second in value only to coal, w as grossly under-utilized. For the m ost part, tim ber w as being harvested and sold in the form of logs or very rough lum ber to m anufac turers outside the region. One MACED staffer devotes full tim e to th e forest industry, looking for business oppo rtuni ties that will enable entrepreneurs or even branch plants from outside com panies to start m anufacturing enteq^rises, dry kilns, and saw mills that will increase the value of tim ber before it leaves the region and create new jobs in the process. MACED has raised venture capital and invested in several tim ber-related business ventures. In fact, MACED’s m ost im pressive num bers have been generated through its business developm ent activities. Early in its history, staff m em bers w ere able to identify businesses that show ed strong grow th potential and seem ed to be led by capable entrepreneurs but w ere unable to grow because of undercapitalization and o th er financial considerations. In the mid-1980s it form ed an indepen dent, for-profit subsidiary to serve as an investm ent arm. (Because of various IRS regulations, non-profits such as MACED and, for that m atter, CAP, cannot directly participate in profit-making business enterprises. Non-profits can, how ever, develop for-profits that m ust operate at “arms length” from the founding organiza tion. That is really an oversim plification but it’s all w e have room for in this w riting.) Suffice it to say that over the years, MACED has m otivated m ore than $8 million in investm ents, including funds that have been invested, repaid and reinvested in businesses that w ere unable to find financing from m ore conventional sources.

The M ountain Spirit

The em ploym ent increase in those businesses as a result o f grow th financing has directly created at least 600 new jobs. MACED provides hands-on technical assistance and training in th e creation of hom e-based child care, food processing and crafts businesses. It closely w orks w ith o th er lending institutions to strengthen com m unity-based and w orker-ow ned businesses. It also helps small com panies n etw ork w ith one an o th er to low er their costs, im prove th eir m arketing and com pete m ore effectively so that they can grow and give b e tte r jobs to m ore people. In th e mid-1980s MACED pulled off its m ost am bitious intervention by managing to talk fifteen counties and 30 lending institutions into participating in a $46 million m ortgage revenue bond issue that revolutionized hom e financing in eastern Kentucky. The problem w as th at n ew housing start ups w ere dismally low and in m any cases w ell over half th e housing stock w as sub standard. Housing start-ups w ere low because low- and middle-incom e people simply could n o t afford to purchase them . Folks couldn’t afford to purchase them because th e banks typically w anted at least a 33 p ercen t dow n paym ent and a high m ortgage rate in th e 10 to 15 year range. The strategic intervention w as to m ake the bond available to local bankers w ith a requirem ent th at they charge 5 p ercen t dow n, going m arket rates, and increase th e m ortgage life u p to 30 years.

In the m id 1980s, MACED p u lle d o f f its m o st ambitiou s interven tion . . . it w as invested in a m atter o f m onths. As a result, hundreds of new jobs w ere created in the hom e construction business and bankers learned that they could make m ore m oney by liberalizing their m ortgage policies. It is now com m on for bankers to require a m odest dow n paym ent and w rite mortgages com petitive w ith big-city rates. There really is no practical way to m easure how m uch total im pact that intervention has had on econom ic developm ent overall. In the 1990s MACED has focused m uch of its staff talent tow ard an initiative it calls “The Local G overnance Project,” designed to encourage local citizens to participate m ore fully in the way they are governed. In many counties across the state stories of corrupt political activities dom inate the front pages of local papers on a w eekly basis. Far-reaching decisions are made behind closed doors w ithout any public input. Nepotism is ram pant and contrac tors are overpaid. Lots of public m oney

$46 million sounds like a lot o f m oney and it is, in fact, but

Florence Combs, left, o f Perry County, and Freda Campbell o f Letcher County participate in MACED's Local Governance Project. Here they demonstrate how to run an effective meeting and recruit new people to join the group.

Septem ber - O ctober 1995

simply disappears. In m any cases those issues are simply accepted as a w ay of life. MACED staff has produced a detailed handbook th at spells out, in practical term s, the responsibilities of all elected officials and public organizations such as fiscal courts, school boards, city councils, utility com m issions and so forth. The handbook also spells out precise ways that citizens can have input into m eetings and air th eir grievances. MACED is testing strategies th at will encourage citizens to do just th at w ith the ultim ate goal that the people will learn that they can elect honest, responsible, capable leadership. In th e spring of 1995, yet another initiative called WINGs (W om en’s Initiative N etw orking G roups) is getting off the ground w ith the goal of having successful w om en entrepreneurs assist o ther w om en evaluate th e soundness of their business ideas, pursue financing, get appropriate business training and even decide w h eth er o r not they w ant to be self-employed in the first place (see page four). The notion here

is that w om en in Appalachia d o n ’t have m uch of a chance in business, political and econom ic w orlds that are dom inated by m en but that they have at least as m uch entrepreneurial potential as m en. In fact, a few w om en on staff at MACED will quietly suggest they have more. I suppose the one constant that I have seen at MACED over the years, is that there is always one big dream hanging around. Most of w hat you have read here, m ost of w hat MACED is doing and has done, started out as som ebody’s big dream. As a m em ber of the board I have often thought som e of those dream s to be p retty wild at first glance and then found myself in awe as they began to com e true. The current dream is called The Sustain able Communities Initiative and the following paragraph com es straight from a multi-million-dollar proposal recently subm itted to a very large private founda tion. “We need an alternative m odel of developm ent that will capitalize on the po w er of people w orking together and address fundam ental problem s and opportunities in an integrated way. We need to dem onstrate that such a m odel w ould be a b etter use of the developm ent dollars that are now being spent on ineffective strategies. The m odel needs to take into account equity issues —financial and social equity am ong groups today and equity in the use of resources that should also be available to future generations. The m odel needs to be practical and actually im prove things in the short as well as the long term .” And I say, “am en to th a t” as I candidly point out that it sounds like another w ild haired dream to me. I also w ant to know w hen w e ’re going to take tim e out and have that birthday party. ft

The “Library Power Program”is another means by which Forward in the Fifth is helping to improve the schools in southeastern Kentucky. Here, the students improve the library at Pineville Independent.

The M ountain Spirit

Dear Reader of The Mountain Spirit, If you've been with us very long, you know that CAP, and especially I, count you among our closest friends. Maybe you had a chance to read the letter I mailed in May, which talked about the serious drop in donations we've had this year. If you did, you know that we are well below the amount of money we expected to have for our programs this year - but more important, for the families involved in those programs. As you know from reading this issue of The Mountain Spirit, the people of Appalachia, and many friends and organizations are working hard to improve the economy of our area. But we must have resources to make these dreams happen! While our friends at MACED and Kentucky River Highlands and MEDF work to make the economic dreams possible, we must help the Appalachian people take advantage of the opportunities they offer. We must help their families become and remain strong. We must make sure that they have an education that will take them into the twenty-first century. Working together, all the pieces will come together, but we need all the pieces to make the picture whole. As you know, our goal is to make people self-sufficient. When I first came to these mountains some forty-five years ago, I optimistically thought that some day I would see my dreams come true. Now I know that I will never see the job com pleted. Through my faith, though, I know that the job will be completed. It will be completed by friends like you. Well, I've gone on long enough. Would you consider helping us get through this extra-tough time? If you are in a position to increase your usual donation a little, it would enable us to continue helping people to help themselves. And while I'm asking, could you increase your prayers as well? Please pray that the people of Ap palachia are given the strength and the inspiration they need to solve their prob lems. Thank you and God bless you!

Father Ralph W. Beiting Founder Christian Appalachian Project

E co n o m y I n K entucky • According to the 1990 census, while the official unemployment rate in the Appalachian counties of Kentucky is 8.2%, the real unemployment rate is 31%. • Small firms are an important part of Kentucky's economy. Firms with fewer than 100 employees provide 60% of all private sector jobs. • Annual wages and salaries of Ken tucky workers are lower than the national average. • In the coming years, women will become a larger percentage of the labor force and the majority of new labor force entrants. • On average, every three manufac turing jobs provide as much income as five retail and service jobs. So u rce: K en tu cky's W o rk fo rce : Preparing for the 21 st C entury by the U rban Research Institute and Labor M anagem ent Center, U n iversity of Louisville, M ay 1 992 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 ORGANIZATIO U.S. POSTAGE PAID Christian Appalachian Project

Address Correction Requested

CAROLYN SUE MARKS 4 4 3 0 KY. HWY 64 3 WAYNESBURC KY 4 0 4 8 9