The Magazine o f the Christian Appalachian Project
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In this issue: N ew Family Traditions
July - August 1996 B ook Review: M ountain Religion
July - August 1996 Vol. XV, No. 4
The Magazine of the Christian Appalachian Project
Family Tradition by Beth Dotson
Things Differently by Jim Trammel
24 Book Review by Glen Taul Elderly Services, page eighteen.
26 The Gates Shut Behind by Garry Vickers
Departments 3 Random Thoughts 10 Around the Project 16 The CAP Closeup 23 Letters to the Editor Child Development, page four.
Men in Appalachia Over the years, several issues of The Mountain Spirit have addressed Appalachian women and their roles in society. A reader asked if we would address similar concerns for men, so we are doing just that in this issue. Beth Dotson found that men are an essential part of CAP’S child development program, that moms are not the only family members who partici pate in parenting programs. CAP’S child development centers are designing activities that encourage men to become more involved with the education of their pre schoolers. Beth’s story is on page four. Sandi Knight, who manages CAP elderly services, intro duced us to a couple of men who participate in her pro gram. They told of the joys and struggles of raising families in the mountains, from a man’s perspective. Finally, Garry Vickers with the Family Life Counseling Service tells of a class that he conducted at a prison in Floyd County, a class that opened his eyes, as well as those of his students. On the cover, David Lindsey, father of a Family Life Child Development student. Photo by Beth Dotson.
Published by the Christian Appalachian Project. Editor: Margaret Gabriel. Advisory Board: Father Ralph W. Beiting, Mike McLaughlin, Bill Begley, Carla Durand, Teresa McAnly. Circulation: Linda Grider East. The Mountain Spirit is published six times a year. The annual subscription price is $6.00. Subscriptions and other correspondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, KY 40446. Copyright, 1996, 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 Washington 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 NORTH CAROLINA, A COPY OF THE LICENSE TO SOLICIT CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AS A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION OR SPONSOR AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, SOLICITATION LICENSING BRANCH, BY CALLING (919) 733-4510; In Pennsylvania, residents may call the Pennsylvania Department of State at 1-800-732-0999; for West Virginia residents, the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305; In Virginia, the State Division of Consumer Affairs, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209; Washington State residents may obtain a copy of the last report filed with the Washington 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 Appalachia 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.
The Mountain Spirit
Random Thoughts Tom Conner
July - August 1996
GABRIEL
that this is “women’s The historical picture of Appalachian men providing for the work.” survival of the family has drasti The number of men cally changed. Many families live receiving disability on property their families have payments is dispropor owned for generations, but tionately high in the divisions of property over the mountains. Payments for generations have left few farms black lung from mining that will support a family. To jobs, payments for bacco, the major cash crop, is injuries from manual fading as a support for families. labor and payments for Most of the working farms now emotional disabilities are focus on cattle. Still, a few men far too common among even produce small gardens for our men. This helps their family needs. contribute to a de valuing by themselves Many hard-working men are Tom Conner. and others. Self-esteem typical in our society. They hold among mountain men has suffered. change, want to take a proper role jobs to provide for their families, in the family, and CAP will although most families require two continue to address men’s issues at Problems with education salaries in Appalachia, as in most every level possible. This is a complicate any solution. School of the nation. challenge for the future of the dropouts among young men are mountains. more than twice the rate for young The old value of men as head of women. Vocational training has the household is drastically Answers? Better education, helped many but too often give different from just a generation more jobs, less dependency on ago. While some men still demand false hope. In one county CAP public support are easy terms to that role, a new generation of men serves, the vocational school has repeat. The real answer is selftrained over 200 auto mechanics, finds it difficult to support their motivation, men who will pay the but without the necessary com families, creating a challenge to price and seriously take on the puter analysis so their skills are manhood. Frustration with those responsibility for their families. unusable except on older cars. kinds of changes has surfaced in CAP continues to challenge men Besides, who needs 200 auto many families. Men feel that their and give them the chance to be mechanics in a small rural county? very place in the family is chal more responsible. These men Regional college classes are lenged, leading us to a time when needed to be prodded. They need dominated by women. Men are men in the mountains are angry ways to “save face” and then simply not prepared educationally and in some cases create major maybe they can rise to the oppor and do not take advantage of what problems for their families. tunities available, take on a new is available. sense of responsibility and take We may be moving toward a their rightful place in the family CAP continues to address the matriarchal Appalachian family. and the community. The need for problem. Fathers and other males Women are more than ever the our men is great. Pray for us and significant to children in our child sole support of the family. While jobs are rare for men, women find development centers participate in for the men in the mountains. the lives of children at a greater it easier to find work. In most • rate than ever. The Family Life counties in eastern Kentucky, the Tom Conner is director o f CAP Counseling Service reports a largest employers are school human development, and has higher percentage of male partici districts, medical and other service served as manager o f Family Life pants than in other areas of the industries. Men in the mountains Counseling Service. have been taught for the most part country. Many men want to
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CAP In tro d u ces a N ew F a m ily T rad itio n Fathers get involved in the education of their pre-school children David Lindsey participates in the morning routine at Family Life Child Development. Above, volunteer Jonathan Schinhofen sings “Itsy Bitsy Spider” during circle time.
♦ Story and photos by Beth Dotson ♦ The Mountain Spirit
and only have your children on the weekends. David experienced that after his first marriage, but is doing it differently the second time around.
S a r a h Lindsey talked about her first date for a week before it happened. When the night arrived, she donned tights and a dress and took her father’s hand for their dinner date at an evening social sponsored by Family Life Child Develop ment in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. This CAP child development center had planned the event specifically for fathers and their children.
The evening was only one of the efforts CAP’s child develop ment centers have been making to get fathers more involved in the lives of their young children. Studies from across the country have shown that even when fathers are part of the family, they aren’t always emotionally and physically present. Their involvement in the lives of their children might be primarily relegated to providing income that can provide for the material necessi ties. CAP is trying to help build happier and stronger families by involving
The event was special not just for Sarah, but also for her father, David. He and approximately 10 other fathers gathered for the dinner, then separated from their children for a discussion in another room. Family counselor Ellen Burke was there to facilitate a conversa tion about fathers and families. “It got a lot of pressure off a lot of guys’ chests to be able to talk to a woman who didn’t know their family and situation,” David said. They had an opportunity to talk about things they don’t often share with other men__like how it feels to be divorced July - August 1996
Jonathan supervises an art activity. Above, a father at the Children’s Discovery Center participates in gardening activities.
fathers, and by providing male role models in the child development centers for children who don’t have men at home. The effort signals a growing recognition that educators need to make more of an effort in helping fathers step out of their traditional roles to become more person ally involved in the lives of their children. Jonathan Schinhofen is a CAP volun teer from Pittsburgh who works at Family Life Child Development. He remembers his first visit to the center when he knelt down and started talking with some of the kids. “This one kid just blindsided me, just ran up and hugged me. I don’t know if it was because I’m a man or if it was something else,” Jonathan said. “There was something there that he needed.” Sarah Dixon, manager of CAP’S Children’s Discovery Center in Somerset,
has observed similar situations with male volunteers and fathers in her center. “It’s that part of children, I suppose, that craves that attention,” Sarah said. She has seen children react enthusiastically to male volunteers even when they have a father at home. The reason? They expect to see mothers and other women at school rather than fathers. One way CAP gives fathers an oppor tunity to spend time with their children is by volunteering to help in the child development center. Most CAP child development centers ask parents to work in the school two days a month. This gives the staff additional help and offers parents an opportunity to learn different ways of interacting with their children. As staff members model behavior for parents through the regular daily preschool routine, parents can learn new ways of
Parents Are Teachers . . .
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not been given an opportunity. She also began to realize that the fathers felt as much sorrow about their child’s disability as the mothers, but had not been given a chance to express it.
In her early days in Parents Are Teachers, CAP’s early intervention program, in the mid1980s, Kathleen Leavell remembers that most fathers of children in the program didn’t get involved. When she went to the homes to work with families of children with disabilities, the fathers would wander in and out of the room where she taught. Kathleen would sit on the floor with mother and baby and play games with the child, designed to help him or her reach development goals. Kathleen would talk with the mother about her concerns, and sometimes about the grief she felt over having a child with a disability.
“I truly believe that most fathers have a desper ate need to share their feelings about their children with disabilities,” Kathleen said. “And I think some have received a message for so many years that it’s not allowable that they are even out of touch with their awareness of it.” Some of these fathers are emotionally or mentally absent from the family, but they don’t even know why.
“I thought all the burden of caring for the child, worrying about the child, trying to implement the extra interventions for the child, and even grieving for the loss of the typical child that they had prayed for, I have always thought from my early years in the program that the burden was solely on the mother, because the fathers simply didn’t deal with it,” Kathleen said.
Kathleen, who manages Parents Are Teachers, explained that when an infant is diagnosed with disabilities, the family often experiences feelings similar to mourning for a lost child; they have lost the hopes and expectations they would have for a typical child. Most people equate disabilities with barriers, Kathleen said, rather than with an alternate path that will be valuable in itself.
As Kathleen became acquainted with some of the fathers, she slowly began to see that they did want to be more involved, that perhaps they had
During a Parents Are Teachers family retreat in 1994, Kathleen saw even more clearly how the grief had affected fathers. The retreat included a The M ountain Spirit
Curricula at each o f CAP’s six child development centers mix creative, cognitive and large motor activities. Some activities involve all the children; fo r others, they break into small groups.
a n d fa th e rs h a v e m u ch to offer! panel discussion with fathers of children with disabilities. “That’s when we realized that the fathers did hurt a great deal. One feeling that seemed to be prevalent among many fathers was a strong sense of failure,” Kathleen said. Especially when the child was a son, fathers hurt because they knew their son could never fill the same “head of the family” role as the father himself. The men also shared the joys they had found in their children. “The gift these kids brought to the fathers, particularly the men who spoke on the panel, is how unnecessary the typical male role is to being successful in life,” Kathleen said. The fathers expressed that their children have demon strated their value in non-traditional ways that reward the parents. Because the panel discussion was so inspiring, Kathleen and her teachers decided to devote an article in their newsletter to fathers. “This article is one of the ways we hope to reach other fathers, by having these fathers break the mold and talk about their feelings,” she said. If nothing else, Kathleen hoped that fathers would connect with others silently and learn that they aren’t alone. July - August 1996
This increased awareness of the fathers’ needs has led the teachers to make more of an eifort to include them in the at-home lessons. Teacher Leigh Weaver has rearranged time for her visits to accommodate the working father who might not be home during the day, when she typically visits. She addresses the father with questions about his child, rather than speaking primarily to the mother. These attempts have created an atmosphere in which fathers feel more welcome and comfortable asking questions about their child’s development. Leigh has seen that fathers are reluctant to participate in group events because they fear they will be the only male present. But that is changing, too. More fathers have recently participated in two events — an infant CPR class and a picnic. Leigh has considered beginning an evening support group that would be easier for fathers to attend than the group she holds in the morning. Leigh believes that, “Fathers have just as much to offer their children as the mothers do.” The fathers themselves have helped the entire ParentsAre-Teachers staff believe that.
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important to be involved with your children when they’re young so that you can build a strong foundation for your relationship. “The younger years are the most special years that mold their lives,” David said. “It forms a trust and bond that stays with you.” David also heard some advice from grandfathers who participated in the men’s night out. Jonathan recalled, “It was heartening to see that the grandfathers had learned some lessons that the younger fathers were dealing with.” ‘‘The younger years are the most special years that mold their lives, ” David said. “It forms a trust and bond that stays with you. ”
communicating with, disciplining and teaching their children. Occasionally, it’s a father who does the service. David Lindsey is one of these fathers. He recalls that when his first daughter, Melinda, was in the program he helped with outdoor chores, like hauling sand for the sand box. Now that his younger daughter, Sarah, is a student, he entertains the kids during their bus ride and reads to them in the center. “It seems like the fathers are special here,” David observed, adding that perhaps it’s because most child care workers and teachers are women. Al though he sometimes feels at a loss about what to do during school time, David said the teachers try to make him feel comfort able and answer his questions — about what’s happening in the classroom and about any problems he might be having with his daughter at home. “I’ve learned a lot from the teachers,” David said. He has learned that it’s
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Although they didn’t always learn the lessons soon enough to put them into practice as fathers, they are trying to use them as grandfathers and sharing them with the younger men. “The grandfathers said that regardless of what happens with your wife, you need to maintain your relation ship with your children,” Jonathan said.
At the Children’s Discover Center, Sarah has found that the first step in attracting father involvement is changing the attitude of the staff. “Our habit is to pay attention to the mothers because they are the ones we usually deal with,” Sarah said. “I think it’s a mindset that we all have to change . . . we need to start including that Dad in every conversation about school life.” Including fathers in the conversations means making a conscious effort to talk with them not only about what is happen ing in school, but also about broader issues related to parenting. Sarah said it is important that they understand that the values and ideas their children will grow up with come from both of their parents. The Mountain Spirit
Several fathers from the Children’s Discover Center have expressed their appreciation for what they have learned through the center’s monthly parent education programs. Rather than requir ing the parents to work in the center, Sarah began a program called Families Together. Parents are required to attend the events twice monthly with their children. At the center, they play with their children, listen to a speaker and have lunch. When the program began last fall, Sarah noticed the parents would come into the center with their children and they wouldn’t know what to do. “In the beginning, it was hard to get them to play with their children,” Sarah recalled. As the school year progressed, that changed. Parents made themselves at home as soon as they came in, hanging up their coats then sitting on the floor with their children to play in one of the activity centers. During the adult education time, the parents have become acquainted and made friends with one another. At these events, Sarah usually has participation from at least a few fathers. “The look in the faces of the children as they show their dads around, or if they do the little craft project out there that they do when they first come, is just different than when Mom is there, because they’re used to Mom doing those things with them but for Daddy to be there helping me do this project and Daddy is playing in the kitchen with me, there’s just a different look on that child’s face. It’s wonderful to see that. But we have to educate our dads to that — that it’s important for them to be in the school,” Sarah said.
Anyone who has been in a preschool has probably seen how young children play by imitating the adults in their lives — another reason for fathers to be in school. “In those early stages of their entire life, it’s that role model that they see and that they imitate so much. So if they’re already seeing their dad come to school with them and that’s not anything unusual for their dad to come to school instead of their mother, then when that child gets in the father stage himself, he’s going to remember back to what his dad did.” What Dad does at school doesn’t have to be limited to fixing playground equipment. Sarah suggests, “Give them every opportunity you can to see the different faces of preschool time, not just when you need them rake the yard, or to do the manly type chores, but give them opportunities to be more personally involved in the lives of their children.” The fathers who have begun this discovery are embracing a new family tradition that CAP believes will have long-term benefits. ft Beth Dotson is a former CAP volunteer who works as a free lance writer.
Dads, moms and students at the Children s Discovery Center enjoy a hayride at a greenhouse in Somerset.
July - August 1996
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Around the Project Leadership Conference Includes Survival Skills Workshop GABRIEL
As part of the Christian Appalachian Project Women’s Leadership Conference, 58 woman participated in a Survival Skills Workshop, sponsored by the Homemaker and Single Parent Career Development Program of Prestonsburg Community College in Floyd County. The one-day workshop covered information in many fields, including home improvement, career development, health and safety and money management, and was a featured event in the conference, which was held for the sixth year at Camp Shawnee. Brenda Wireman, manager of adult education, planned and supervised the leadership confer ence, which was cut two days short because of rain. “After the water came over the road, we figured there wasn’t anything we could do except bring them out in a school bus,” Brenda said. All but one participant were involved in other CAP programs, Brenda said. “That one lady has
The lecture and demonstration about plumbing maintenance and repair was one o f the most popular units o f the survival skills workshop.
just moved to the area and came with her sister. She said she’s going to join one of our women’s groups. It’s been a dream to get our women involved with the program at the college. We want to make them comfortable with women who are enrolled in school and to get them interested in careers they might not have even thought about.” Brenda told of a GED graduate who is now tutoring other
Operation Sharing Distributes Trees As a “thank you” for the use of office space at the Emmaus Christian Life Center in Berea, “Arbor Day,” an environmental group, gave the Christian Appalachian Project 8,000 trees. The trees were distributed through CAP’S garden program and through Operation Sharing. Because the trees had to be distributed quickly they were given to participants visiting the warehouse in Lancaster to pick up other goods, according to Thelma Moore, an Operation Sharing worker.
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“People with school and Family Resources took them to give to their kids to plant. They were really excited to get them,” Thelma said. During the late spring Opera tion Sharing is distributing National Geographic books, powdered lemonade for churches to use during vacation Bible schools (“they’re loving it!”) and goat milk and honey bubble bath. “Women in migrant programs and schools really like that,” Thelma said. “It helps them with their self-esteem.”
students in Magoffin County. “We’ve introduced the idea of college to her, and I think she’ll go on, once she realizes that going to college is reading and studying — the same things she’s done to get her GED. It’s not any different than what she’s used to doing.” Because the last two days of the conference had to be cancelled, Brenda said they are planning an outing later in the summer, which will include several events that were rained out. Brenda said the women had really been looking forward to a style show featuring clothing from a CAP used clothing store. As in the past, the leadership conference included women of all ages, from young moms in their late teens and early twenties to grandmas in their sixties and seventies. Although some of the participants used the overnight facilities at Camp Shawnee, others were transported every day by Brenda and her staff. Women traveled from Magoffin, Floyd, Knott, Lawrence and Johnson counties. The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued
CAP Participates in National Day of Prayer With thousands of other people across the United States, Christian Appalachian Project workers participated in the annual National Day of Prayer on May 2. At a secluded pavilion on the grounds of the Family Life Center in Renfro Valley, the group prayed for state, national and local leaders, asking that God would grant them compassion, and that they would follow the dictates of the word of God. Brother Dan Gutenson, pastor of Watts Chapel Baptist Church in Crab Orchard, delivered a spirited message based on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which calls for intensity in prayer, and instructed followers to pray specifically, with boldness and confidence. CAP human development director Tom Conner prayed for
Double Your Dollars!
July - August 1996
Magazine Recognized The Mountain Spirit received recognition during the Catholic Press Association 1996 Journal ism Award ceremony, which concluded its national convention in Philadelphia in late May. The covers of the July-August and March-April issues received second and third place awards for best single color cover. The photographs on the covers were taken by Margaret Gabriel, editor of The Mountain Spirit. “Infant-Toddler, Parent Connections: A Volunteer’s Story” by Shannon Bristow received second place in the category “Best Article Originat ing with a Mission Magazine.” The judges said, “We judges have come to expect excellence from this publication, and Shannon
CPA
Bristow’s article did not disap point. A synergy between photograph and text brought to life the biography of one woman who made the leap from theoreti cal study to practical action in her chosen field. Her work became a ministry and we readers are deeply inspired. In the category, “Best Treat ment of Women’s Issues,” frequent contributor Beth Dotson was recognized for “Mountain Women Take WINGs,” which appeared in the SeptemberOctober issue. The judges called the story “very encouraging.” The magazine received an honorable mention for General Excellence, with the judges commending both photography and stories. GABRIEL
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 supported by their employees. Many of these companies match the gifts that are made by their retirees as well. Please write for your brochure “Double Your Dollars,” which lists participat ing companies and instruc tions. Send correspondence to Teresa McAnly, CAP, 322 Crab Orchard Rd., Lancaster, Ky„ 40446.
all those present, and “for an organization that lifts up your very name. Root us in your love,” he said, “And bless our ministry to families, giving us a special wisdom to reach the men in those families.”
The service was planned by Family Life Counseling Services administrative assistant Robyn Renner, who read Psalm 86, saying “Teach me, O Lord, your way, that I may walk in your truth.” The first Thursday of May is set aside each year as the Na tional Day of Prayer.
On a sunny day in late spring, children at the Sunshine Center in Lancaster held a “beach party. ” Their swimming pools were full, the sunscreen was flowing and the music was cranked!
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around the project. . . continued CAP Workers Obtain Pharmaceuticals Folks with medical needs in Lawrence and Floyd counties have been receiving some assistance through the partnership of medical providers and drug companies with legwork provided by CAP outreach workers, according to elderly services manager Sandi Knight. Albert Bloomfield, manager of outreach services, learned that most drug companies have programs through which they provide drugs to needy people. “But it takes a lot of time to access those drugs, so most of the programs were ignored,” Sandi said. CAP outreach and elderly services workers have recently undertaken the responsibility of learning how each company’s program works, obtaining the needed applications, filling them out and acquiring the needed
doctors’ signatures for prescrip tions for people in their pro grams. “It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve got some doctors referring patients to us now, especially when they need a really expen sive prescription,” Sandi said. She explained that many doctors are too busy to devote the time needed to the obtain medications from the drug companies, but CAP workers are able to make the necessary contacts with both the doctors and the patients. Sandi also told of a program, still in the planning stage, which would see doctors pool samples from drug companies, and with the help of a volunteer pharmacist would distribute them to those in need. “People will be able to get medicines as long as we have them to give,” she said.
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Wanna bring a smile to an Appalachian family? How about a CAP Christmas Basket? During this time of year workers in CAP’S outreach program begin the work necessary to provide Christmas baskets of toys, gifts and food to the folks we serve. If you would like to take part: • Let us know the size family you would like to sponsor (Gifts for each I NAME___________________________________ person in the family should cost between $15 and $25.) We’ll send you I ADDRESS_______________________________ information about your family, includ ing ages and sizes and a few gift ! CITY_____________ STATE______ ZIP________ suggestions; • Wrap and label your gifts with the PHONE (please include area code)____________________ name of each person; I would like to sponsor a :______ small family (1 -2 children), • Mail your boxes to CAP by or before ______ medium family (3-4 children),_________large family (5-6 November 19, 1996, to ensure that we children), extra large family (8 or more children) and parents. receive them the first week in Decem TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES SPONSORED________________ ber. _______ I am not able to shop for a needy Appalachian family, but I That’s all there is to it! Your Appala have included a contribution that will enable you to provide gifts for chian family will have a Christmas a family. $__________ $75.00 will provide gifts for a family of five. $20.00 will provide a they’ll never forget and you’ll know Christmas food box for one family. Any amount you choose will help that you’ve contributed to the real us share the joy of Christ’s birth in Appalachia. Please return to meaning of the birth of Christ. We Brenda Watts, CAP, 322 Crab Orchard Rd,, Lancaster, KY 40446. look forward to hearing from you!
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around the project. . . continued
Families Growing Together Finishes First Year
July - August 1996
or the art or blocks areas, the children enjoy being the center of Mom’s attention. Sometimes a child just wants to be held and have Mom read one of the many children’s books in the book area. Closing PACT time, we finish with circle time; we sing or tell a story and become involved in enjoying the togetherness we share. Brenda, another mom, says, “Mothers help their children with circle time in learning many new and exciting things together. Byron loves to sing because of circle time.” Faye adds, “The children learn many social skills like sharing and interacting with children closer to their own age.” After circle time, moms go to their own classroom. Although playing with the children was fun, the mothers begin their part of the
challenge. They are being helped with their GED or preparing for college, which they could not have done as easily without the help and support they receive from the CAP staff. Sebrina said, “The Families Growing Together program has not only improved my child, Keshia, a lot and taught her to play with other children, it gives me time to learn also.” Six months into the program and we can already see a differ ence in ourselves and our children. The children are learning more than you could imagine a toddler or infant to do. Encouragement and praise helps us believe in ourselves. We mothers have the chance to give ourselves and our children a brighter future by opening our minds to further our education. GABRIEL
The following is excerpted from a story by Tammy Taylor, a student in Families Growing Together, which appeared in the McCreary County Record: The Christian Appalachian Project introduced an outstanding program at Eagle Child Develop ment Center called Families Growing Together (FGT) this past year. FGT includes mother and child doing projects together and individually, which allows growth for both. Nancy Phelan, a volunteer teacher at the center, emphasizes that “FGT is a unique program because it takes a whole family approach rather than just address ing the needs of children or parents. We try to make sure both grow and accomplish their goals.” Many mothers have the chance to get to know their children better than before. We have an extra special time just for the mother and child to play together, Parents and Child Together (PACT). PACT time allows us to see what our children have an interest in and how it is helping them develop. “The children have an opportu nity to learn things they may not be able to at home. Also, this program teaches them how to socialize with other children,” says Amy, one of the moms in the program. “Jellissa loves going to school. She goes home talking about what she did that day. Jellissa has learned to get along with the children and to share.” During PACT time the children are in control, taking moms where they want to play. Whether it is in the “house” area, (consisting of a miniature kitchen and bedroom),
Tammy Taylor and her daughters, Kristen and Courtney, participate in an activity at Eagle Child Development Center.
Appalachian Mountain Religion Receives Award Appalachian Mountain Religion: A History, a book reviewed on page 24 of this issue of The Mountain Spirit, received the W.D. Weatherford Award as the best book about Appalachia published in 1995.
The award is given by Berea College’s Appalachian Center and Hutchins Library. If you would like to obtain a copy of the book, published by the University of Illinois press, please make a request of your local bookseller.
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around the project. . . continued
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Directors Network with Other Appalachian Workers Christian Appalachian Project human development director Rose Price and assistant directors Brenda Riddle and Pat Hagan joined representatives from 14 other service organizations at Natural Bridge State Park to network and discuss their work in the Appalachian region. The meeting, dubbed the “Natural Bridge Summit,” was sponsored by Brushy Fork Institute, a leadership and develop ment program of Berea College, and was facilitated by institute director Peter Hille. Organizations were introduced in groups of three and representatives gave a five minute overview and description of their work. The descriptions were followed by a thirty minute period, when the presenting organizations were available for questions and more in-depth discussion. Rose, Brenda and Pat told the group about the great variety of services CAP provides, and about Operation Sharing, the in-kind donation distribution program which makes donated materials available to churches and non profit organizations in all thirteen
Appalachian states. “Everyone was interested in Operation Sharing,” Brenda said. “Several of the people were surprised at the large scope of CAP’s services.” The CAP workers were particu larly interested in meeting and talking with people who might be able to provide additional services to participants in CAP programs, specifically the New Opportunity School for Women, which pro vides career direction, and WINGs (Women’s Initiative Networking
Groups, see The Mountain Spirit, September-October 1995), which assists women who are involved in entrepreneurial activity. Participants in the “Natural Bridge Summit” hope to meet again in September to continue their relationships, Brenda said. “It was an excellent opportunity to network with others working with the people in the Appalachian region. It certainly filled a gap for me, in that I got to meet people in organizations I knew of but had not met.”
CAP Seniors Sleep Over at Camp Andrew Jackson Forty participants in the Christian Appalachian Project’s elderly services program went back a few years recently when program manager Zayda Hurd and the program staff led an overnight excursion to Camp Andrew Jackson. “We’ve gone to A.J. for the day lots of times,” Zayda said. “We decided this year to see how it might go if we went overnight.” They had a great time, Zayda
said, despite the fact that it had been many years since most of the folks had slept in bunk beds. “Most didn’t sleep much, any way,” implying there was some girlish giggling going on. The seniors enjoyed the regular camp activities — crafts, hiking, fishing and singing. Zayda and the volunteers staffed the kitchen, and made sure that “no one went home hungry.” The group also had an opportu nity to meet with Bill Kennedy, an | attorney who is currently serving § as a CAP volunteer. Bill was able to address questions concerning legal issues. The evening was reserved for a movie, “On Golden Pond,” and popcorn, Zayda said. Respecting the wishes o f deceased loved ones, or in honor o f them, families often request that memorials be sent to us. Memorial gifts live on to benefit others. Many also specify memorial gifts in their wills. Any size gift is welcome. Contact us fo r more information.
hook during an overnight trip to Camp Andrew Jackson.
The Mountain Spirit
around the project. . . continued CAP Collaborates with Berea Agencies The Christian Appalachian Project outreach program in Berea has joined Bereans United for Utility and Rent Relief (BURR) and Kentucky River Foothills to provide better services to needy people in southern Madison County. CAP provided space adjacent to the “Attic” in Berea, which has enabled BURR and Kentucky River Foothills to staff an office every day, according to KRF worker June Widman. “We’ve also been able to triple the size of our food pantry,” June said. “We have refrigeration and freezer space, and we can store materials from Operation Sharing (CAP’s in-kind donation distribu tion program).”
The agencies have named the collaboration Southern Madison Outreach. Each provides emer gency assistance and their coop eration enables workers to keep track of which families use which services and to ensure that resources are used wisely and well. “We all have goals to use money raised locally for loans rather than federal money, that, while it doesn’t have to be repaid, does have a lot of strings attached,” June said. Southern Madison Outreach has been operating since early May, and, “So far, so good,” June said. “We’re going to let it evolve for a while, but I think it’s a really good thing.”
W hat Can I Do To Help CAP? Christian Appalachian Project supporters often ask what more they can do to help eliminate suffering in Appalachia. First, we tell them, you can tell others of the problems in Appalachia which you learn about in The Mountain Spirit and other CAP publications. You might want to share this magazine with a friend, for example. If you’d like, drop us a line and we’ll send you a replacement copy. Ask us about any of the prob lems in Appalachia and we’ll be happy to share any knowledge we have or to refer you to another organization that can help you. 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.
July - August 1996
Secondly, you can give us a most valuable commodity— time. Since 1950, thousands of people have worked millions of hours, donating time to helping the people of Appalachia help themselves and their families out of poverty. If you would like to volunteer a year or a summer to working in Appalachia, please contact The Mountain Spirit, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Ky., 40446. We will see that you receive information about CAP’s volunteer program. Finally, our most powerful form of assistance is prayer. We believe that if our supporters spend at least one minute a day praying for poor people everywhere, mountains can be moved, the course of rivers can be changed. The CAP family forms a powerful prayer network reaching into Appalachia and across the nation.
Gift Annuities
A gift annuity to the Chris tian Appalachian Project will help us continue to provide em ployment opportunities to Ap palachian people. This activity is an essential part of our mis sion to help people help them selves. 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 Name___________________ Address_________________ C ity____________________ State, ZIP ________________ Date of Birth______________ Telephone_______________
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The CAP Closeup
“/ can change the world, but I can change my outlook. 99 Outreach Services is one of the most energetic programs within the Christian Appalachian Project. In CAP’Snewest administrative office in Louisa, much of the energy in the outreach office can be traced directly to program manager Albert Bloomfield. In 1992, program manager Judy Crum initiated the Lawrence and Martin County outreach program when she sent a volunteer to work in the crowded back room of the Louisa Youth Center. By June of 1993, jovial and ingenious Albert Bloomfield was hired as an outreach caseworker, and in November of 1994, Albert was hired to manage the program’s expansion and its progress in the future.
Albert Bloomfield
Albert grew up in Vanceburg, a small town in Appalachian Kentucky, and attended Lewis County High School. “After graduation, I volunteered for the Lewis County High School as an athletic trainer. During a Friday night game against Lawrence County High, I struck up a conversation with the son of the man who owned the Louisa Wellman’s Ambulance Service. On Wednesday the following week, I had moved to Louisa and began my career as an EMT.” Not long after Albert’s move, a friend and co-worker introduced him to Mary Edwards. Eight months later they married and moved to her hometown of Blaine, Kentucky, where Albert became
involved with the volunteer fire department. His volunteer involve ment has led him to attend Fire Science classes at Ashland Community College. In May of 1993, he obtained certification from the National Association Of Fire Investigators and is studying for a degree in Fire Investigation from Eastern Kentucky University. Helping the residents of Lawrence County is something Albert did for many years before joining CAP. Albert’s services in Lawrence County just within the last year include an exhilarating trip getting a mother-to-be across slippery, treacherous roads to the hospital just in time on a cold January night, several cheerless hours on the phone one spring
♦ by Ruth Crabtree ♦ 16
The Mountain Spirit
Albert Bloomfield afternoon locating funeral funding for a family’s elderly mother and dressing up as “Chipper the Clown” for a July birthday party. Chipper has become quite a celebrity. When a car accident sent six-year-old Tarren Banks to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital for an extended stay, Albert drove to Cincinnati, donned his “Chipper” costume, and delivered stuffed animals to Tarren and all the patients on the pediatrics ward. “I enjoy helping people. My job as the outreach manager lets me assist the families of Lawrence and Martin counties. Working for CAP gives me the opportunity to develop as a person as well as an employee. I want to see the Lawrence and Martin County outreach program become the best and most productive program it can be.”
Hospital. In the spring of 1995, Albert secured a donation of 720 cases of canning jars from the Anchor Hocking Glass Container Corporation and in the summer received a donation of wooden crosses to give “to every family that we visit as an expression of what we at CAP represent.” Albert’s persistence seldom waivers, even if after considerable time and several phone calls, his quest remains futile. He doesn’t let the adversity get him down, saying “I can’t change the world but I can change my outlook.” Albert’s life doesn’t consist of all work and no play — he likes to take a break every once in a while. “It’s not unusual for me to call
Mary from work at 2:30 on a Friday afternoon, and convince her to pack for the weekend — not that she needs much persuasion. Half the time we don’t even know our destination until we get there.” Albert hopes to stay at CAP for a while, and his co-workers would like for him to be around even longer. His determined attitude and abilities are always going to be an asset no matter where he is. Every employee and volunteer in Lawrence or Martin County has more than once voiced that most common refrain at the Louisa office: “Ask Albert.” ft Ruth Crabtree is a secretary in CAP ’s administrative office in Louisa.
His co-workers enjoy Albert’s cheerful and optimistic attitude and his resourcefulness. If you need information, he can either find it for you, tell you where to go, or tell you who to contact. If he can’t help you find what you need, then it probably doesn’t exist, at least not in the Lawrence County area. In the two years that he has been with CAP, Albert’s co-workers have discovered just how helpful he can be. In 1993, he instituted the Pharmacy Indigent Program, which connects low income people to pharmacies that can supply them with medicine at no cost. He has arranged for no cost pre-employment drug screening tests for outreach participants at Three Rivers
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Chipper the Clown, aka Albert, frequently entertains children in the Lawrence and Martin county area. Performing as Chipper is one o f several ways Albert helps people in his hometown.
A Man Just Sees Things Differently, Know What I Mean? My wife and I were weekending with my parents in rural Tennessee, taking our five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son over 200 miles away from their Kentucky home to see their grandparents.
I made a 25-mile drive for parts, and a mechanic neighbor generously gave up some of his Sunday afternoon (his only day off). The problem was fixed and we made it back home safely. I felt great relief.
Saturday night our old car gave us trouble: The battery began losing power. Dimming headlights warned that the battery would fail completely long before we could get back to Kentucky. We couldn’t try to get home without repairs; my family could be left stranded, in danger, on the interstate. The alternative, though, was somehow to find someone who could repair the car on a Sunday, in the country.
I took my role in this very seriously, and not just because I am, as my wife would say, the family’s designated worrier. I felt I had violated a code. It’s never been written down or voted on, but all men recognize it. (Even those who don’t let it bother them know it’s there.)
My wife kept her perspective. To her this wasn’t a crisis, it was “a wrinkle in the fabric of life,” as she breezily put it. She retired with Grandmother to play with the children, putting the problem out of her mind. The men of my family and their friends gathered around to take care of our delay.
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The code says a Real Man does not passively expose his family to danger. A Real Man prevents danger by proper advance action. Specifically, I should have made sure the car was completely roadworthy before packing helpless children and a trusting wife on a perilous journey. (Notice I worried about them and not myself. I would have been in as much peril as anybody, but deservedly so.)
♦ Story by Jim Trammel ♦ Photos by Margaet Gabriel
The Mountain Spirit
This mindset defies logic. It’s silly and sexist. But despite my ’90s knowledge and attitude, because I allowed even the mild danger of an automotive inconvenience far from home, (on a trip that was my idea), the Code sounded its warning sternly in my head: I was responsible for everybody, because I let this happen. No one who calls himself a man endangers his family through inaction. I felt, for one day, some impossibly slight version of the despair and stress some Appalachian men must feel constantly. Raised to think of themselves as providers, they must look at their poverty-threatened families and unjustly blame themselves for a character flaw that impoverishes their families.
The Pain of Responsibility Older Appalachian men can find them selves caught in social and psychological cross-currents, especially if their external need for outside help in providing for their families or themselves crashes against their need to feel independently self-sufficient. Sandi Knight, who manages CAP’s services to elderly folks from her office in Martin, Kentucky, finds herself coordinating services for senior men more frequently these days. She has learned there are special ways to approach senior men sometimes too caught up in the psychological need for selfsufficiency to admit they need her help. Sandi cites the case of Albert, who lives independently with support from two brothers. Albert only remembers that Sandi “showed up one day,” but as Sandi built a friendship with Albert she saw that Albert could use some help with home repair and housekeeping chores. “Albert’s not somebody to tell you that something is going wrong,” Sandi said. When she first visited Albert’s home, she knew she had to take the initiative and build a relationship in which Albert could feel free to talk about his life and needs while
July - August 1996
Older Appalachian men can find themselves caught in social and psychologial cross-currents. . . Sandi determined which specific services to offer. Albert had always been self-reliant; he had taken over most of his family responsi bilities, raising two children and caring for his wife, Gladys, after she suffered a stroke at age 50. Such rugged independence was called for by Albert’s personal code which he enforced on himself with the military toughness he learned as a Military Police man during World War II. His tale took a more classically Appala chian turn after WWII, when he went north to work and to marry, but returned to the mountains to care for his ailing mother. Albert and Gladys were in the mountains to stay by the time she gave birth to their second child. He was working in the mines that would employ him the rest of his career. Demands of family were added to the demands of work after Gladys’s stroke, but Albert remained the uncomplaining pro vider. Sandi and her staff often help family members who have become caregivers by standing in temporarily for them, giving them some precious time away from their constant care, to recharge personally or take some small pleasure such as a beauty shop appointment, a movie, dinner out, or some small recreation that helps them keep going with the otherwise 24-hour task of caring for a needful loved one. But how to get started when the man in need is psychologically conditioned against asking for help? How to put across the point that to admit needing assistance is not to admit failure?
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G.C., on how a provider must anticipate family financial needs: You have to make plans when school time comes to save money ahead to have all their clothes bought. When they came in from school it would be so much for this book, that book, and something else, and you had to save it up to put them through school. Bring ing [three children] up wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I put them through school and glad they got good jobs.
Stress Sources Affecting Men A scholar named Janet M. Fitchen * did a ten-year study of 20 low-income Appalachian families to discover how they reacted to stress situations, and the origin of those pressures. One problem she found occurring more commonly with men than women she termed “unsuccessful role fulfillment.” Men are culturally conditioned to judge their selfworth by how well they can provide for their families. This is troublesome when Appala chian family life provides frequent reminders of supposed failures. Tensions set in, Fitchen said, when the men surveyed failed to live up to the usually unattainable male ideal of super-competent provider, father, husband and community leader. Males are reminded of their feared shortcomings with every mechanical or structural problem in the house, every “hungry Thursday,” and every shortage that cuts into his self-image. Women are less prone to this problem, Fitchen theorized, because family failures don’t reflect as directly on females, who can be seen as doing the best they can. * The 10-year study by Janet M. Fitchen o f 20 low-income Appalachian families and the sources o f their stress is entitled “Poverty in Rural America: A Case Study, ’’ and was published in 1981 by Weslview Press, Boulder, Colo.
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Against this backdrop of wounded selfimage, and perhaps with the compounding of alcohol or drug abuse and an over crowded household, these tensions can play out as substance abuse problems, spouse abuse, abandonment or divorce. Some help in coping with the day-to-day problems might pay large dividends in keeping such major blow-ups from happen ing. Or, even if the person lives alone, there is still a need to reclaim threatened stability.
Social Outlets Defuse Tension Often all it takes to keep a senior man on an even keel is the social outlets provided by a senior citizens’ center . “We typically think of the senior citizens’ center as almost a women’s club, but we have one gentleman who wouldn’t miss a day even though he has to go there in his walker,” Sandi said. “And another is jealous because he thinks the first man is there only to meet the women.” Perhaps these men didn’t seek this attention when they were younger, but now The Mountain Spirit
Albert’s thoughts on raising a family and caring for an ill wife: You worried about something all the time. You didn’t know what was going to happen. I’d try to take care of whatever came along, though; there wasn’t anything else I could do. and is cozy inside. Photos of his children and their children share the wall and shelf space with mementos of a working man’s life.
that they have lived alone and become more appreciative of social contact, they learn its importance. “These men love attention,” Sandi said. “When they live on their own and don’t have many visitors coming in, they don’t get too much attention, so they really take advantage of situations where they get it.” Personal attention may even weigh in more strongly than the social gatherings, to judge by the story of one man who was forced to choose between them. Government regulations disqualified this particular man from personal care services in his home if he wasn’t defined as homebound. He would lose the homebound distinction by going to the senior citizens’ center, so he couldn’t receive personal care services. He chose the one-to-one attention in his home, so he isn’t seen at the center much these days. “He loves the attention those women give him when they do his personal care. It’s a shame he had to make the choice,” Sandi said. G.C. lives in the tiny community of Tram, outside Martin. His house is in good repair July - August 1996
Although G.C. answered the call to provide for a family, he finds himself in a situation a lot like Albert’s. His children are too distant to play an active role in his life, and he needs help with the to-and-fro of daily life — getting checks, paying bills, filling prescriptions. G.C., like Albert, went north to work, and married a co-worker at his Michigan glass plant, but returned to Appalachia when an ailing mother needed him. He went to the railroad rather than the coal mines, and provided for his family there. It was a tough life in which to schedule family time. G.C.’s work with derailments, track maintenance and numerous railroad odd jobs meant that he was steadily em ployed, but faced demanding hours. Some times his wife would meet him at the door as he came home from work with the news that the railroad had called him to report for another shift, This took G.C. out of the family discipli narian role. It fell to his wife because G.C. just never had the time. He worries now that he could be needed in Alaska or Florida if something happened to one of his children who have pursued careers there. He can’t travel that far. It’s a struggle just to get his local errands com pleted.
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. . . the hard, character building lessons that may be the only remotely positive thing about hardship. G.C. would never have asked for help in the days when his family looked to him for support. No help was available anyway. There were no social safety net programs then; his self-reliance and planning got his three children into college, though he never went past fourth grade himself. In G.C.’s day, a family provider had to plan for income in advance or it wouldn’t be there when the family needed it. Social Security was just beginning (G.C.’s father’s first Social Security check for $30 was his only one — he didn’t live to see the second). Work took all a provider’s time, and pay never went far enough. A week’s work in the glass plant paid $62 take-home. Unions couldn’t yet help workers receive equitable wages in either the northern glass plant or the southern rail yards. A childhood spent gardening for food, in which every family member did odd jobs to help the family survive, taught G.C. the hard character-building lessons that may be the only remotely positive thing about hardship. Today G.C. benefits from social safety net programs for which he is grateful; but he notices the absence of hardship leaves those character-building lessons unlearned. G.C. praises Sandi, CAP and other agencies which assist old people and others in need. “The senior citizens’ people, the medical cards, Social Security for families and the needy are the best things that ever happened,” G.C. said. “If it weren’t for them there’d be many a little child and family hungry.”
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Family of Primary Importance The Fitchen study also noted that the strength of the Appalachian family unit was a primary source of strength for social and family problem-solving. Fitchen theorized that Appalachians rely first on sources inside the extended family to combat stress on its individual members, eventually distancing outside sources of affection, activity, support and social interaction. Should the family structure fail and families — and senior men — need those channels, initial contact may then be hard to make. Add the nation-wide influences of economic uncertainty and what many see as a weakening of family ties, and you have stress converging on Appalachian males from several directions at once.
Finding Help Through Connection Sandi agrees that the strength of the Appalachian family unit leaves senior men isolated and vulnerable when those strong resources fail. “Elderly people end up in situations that years ago would have been unheard of because if they couldn’t take care of themselves they were welcome in somebody else’s home,” Sandi said. By contrast, often today a senior man can’t take care of himself and nobody else can come forward. Perhaps a son or daughter in the picture is fearful because they don’t know the alternatives. Having someone in Sandi’s office to talk with can sometimes lead to a connection with assistance from another agency. Sandi and the other staff in CAP’S elderly services program are well connected with other sources of assistance. Knowing you’re not alone in this case can be as important for the caregiver as for the parent. U1
Jim Trammel is afree lance writer who lives in Lexington and travels extensively in east ern Kentucky. The Mountain Spirit
Letters to the Editor Your first donor tour, April 1994, which we attended, was so inspiring and marvelous that we are still reliving the good times. Wish we could make it an annual reunion. You are in our prayers and we are certainly spreading the word about your work. Our monthly donation is just a small token of our love for you all.
I have received The Mountain Spirit for many years now, and have enjoyed every one. I thank God for allowing me to have a part in the great CAP family. I pray for God’s blessings on all of you. Reola Wood Bergen, N. Y.
Tom and Helen Chapman Occidental, Calif.
May God continue to bless your work. Visiting your headquarters in Lancaster was the highlight of our vacation. How wonderful to witness Jesus working through all of you! Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Randall Cedar Falls, Iowa
I enjoy reading of all the work of the people who make up The Mountain Spirit. It is truly a joy to think the little bit I send can help in some way. I pray for all those who volunteer to do whatever they can, also for paid workers and the elderly. God bless Father Beiting.
Bless you people, you are in my prayers every night. I know the Lord has a special heaven for you all. I enjoy your magazine and read it from cover to cover. Mary Meier Thornton, Colo.
The Mountain Spirit is a wonderful magazine. I don’t want to miss a copy. I read it through as soon as I get it. It is very interesting to read and see how you work together and the progress you make. Lillian Casio Augusta, W.Va.
I like giving to help people in our country! They need help as much as anyone.
Just a word to say that every now and then I read “snatches” out of Father Beiting’s books to give me a “lift,” and to ask God to raise up more heroes and saints like Father Beiting to spread His word and His love to the poor and needy. May God sustain all at CAP.
Judy King Kansas City, Kan.
Mr Gilbert Martin Gainesville, Ga.
Mrs. Patricia Cloys Los Angeles, Calif.
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I do enjoy your magazine and find it very interesting. It is wonderful what can be done if people want to help people. You are doing a good job. Herbert Larson Black River Falls, Wis.
The Mountain Spirit is a wonderful little magazine. Makes me feel like I know the people. Each article is written with a loving concern and interest in the people. I wish the whole world would follow your example. Bernice M. Buck Penn Valley, Calif.
We enjoy the intimate stories of need (of individuals and families) and how CAP’s help has enabled them to realize not only a better physical life, but also more spiritual growth. Don & Mary Ann Rapp Houston, Texas
I enjoy The Mountain Spirit and Father Beiting’s books. They keep me in touch with the work you are doing in Appalachia. It is an inspiration to all of us! MaryLou Lamb Rocky River, Ohio Letters to the editor are welcome. They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them fo r space. Address letters to: The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Ky 40446.
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Appalachian Mountain Religion: A History by Deborah Vansau McCauley. Urbana/Chicago: University of Illionois Press, 1995
A first-time visitor to Appala chia will notice that religion is a significant part of people’s lives. A traveler frequently passes houses of worship along Appalachia’s main roads and back roads. They are Christian, but without the familiar names of mainline American churches: First Baptist Church, Hindman United Methodist Church, or First Presbyterian Church. These congregations go by such names as Cranks Holiness Church, New Church at Mill Creek, and Laurel Branch Regular Baptist Church. They are independent participants in a legacy, which Deborah Vansau McCauley calls, “the authentic religious tradition of Appalachia.” Appalachian Mountain Religion is a subjective history. Dr. McCauley writes a passionate apologetic of the Appalachian people’s religious heritage. Since 1890 American Protestantism has portrayed Appalachian mountain religion in stereotypical terms which devalued and trivialized the vital importance and validity of the independent, non-denominational church in the lives of Appalachian Christians. In a comprehensive study of Appala chian religious culture, Dr. McCauley provides an under standing of the social, theologi cal, and ideological historical forces which shaped it. With degrees from Harvard University Divinity School and Columbia University, Dr. McCauley has accomplished a
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remarkable feat in telling the religious history of the Appala chian people. Mountain religion is essentially an oral tradition and material culture, which makes it difficult to document the tradi tions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and explains its virtual invisibility from American religious history. To most Americans, mountain religion has been characterized as deviant, traditional, emotional, non-rational, and fundamental and otherworldly. It has been blamed as a significant factor in preventing Appalachians from participating fully in America’s mainstream culture. Appalachian mountain religion is more than this stereotypical image that American Protestantism has promoted. Dr. McCauley tells us
that basically the history of mountain religion is about the clash of values between it and American Protestantism. In fact Appalachian religious tradition represented a challenge to the values of America’s dominant Christian denominations. Autonomy and free church polity are two values common to every independent, non-denominational congregation in Appala chia. These values are vital to understanding mountain religion and its history, Dr. McCauley says. Free church polity reflects a value that emerged from the New Lights during the Great Awaken ing of the early 1700s. Its egalitarian nature emphasizes a more collegial, participatory religious life and extreme decentralization in church
Appalachian Mountain Religion: A History by D eborah Vansau M cC auley
A Review by Glen Taul
government. Churches are numerous, small, and widely scattered, and decisions with a communal concern are made by consensus. Free church polity is reflected in the preaching tradition. Preaching in mountain churches relies exclusively on an unedu cated clergy conveying a direct experience of inspiration from the Holy Ghost to his (or her) congregation. American Protes tantism, on the other hand, emphasizes a learned clergy and their self-control, their selfconsciousness, and their delibera tive approach to preaching the Word. In one preaching tradition, “God speaks through the preacher. . . , ” while in the other, “the preacher speaks for God, like an official spokesman” (p.75). Autonomy, the other common value of mountain religion, is interconnected with free church polity. It means that a congrega tion is not subject to another or to any hierarchical institution. It is both anti-organizational and antiinstitutional. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Dr. McCauley argues, this antipathy was directed toward Anglicanism and Presbyterianism, but Baptists and Methodists, the heavy favorites in early mountain religious history, were eventually included as they began developing national institutions in 1825-27. In the late 1800s, American Protestantism began its home mission efforts in Appalachia. The movement coincided with the industrialization of the region. In the initial stages, Dr. McCauley contends, the goal was “the ‘normalization’ or absorp July - August 1996
I f you want to understand Appalachians as a people o f faith, this is the book to read. tion of mountain people into the national culture and the national religion of American Protestant ism . . . ” This was complemen tary to the extraction and absorp tion of the region’s natural wealth into the national economy.
greed, on the other hand, it “dismisses Appalachia’s moun tain churches as ‘do-nothing’ because they take no active part in . . . achieving social justice in Appalachia as American Protes tantism has construed it.”
Home missionaries thought mountain religion needed to be overcome by either winning over its members or by ignoring it altogether and trivializing it when made to give it any attention. Underlying this conflict between mainstream and mountain religion were two primary issues, Dr. McCauley says. First, Protestant denominations refused to recognize and honor the integrity of mountain religious culture and its historical continu ity. Second, it was essentially “a matter of who had the right to define mountain people as a people of faith.”
Appalachian Mountain Religion has many strengths: comprehensiveness, sympathetic appreciation, and use of oral interviews and old and contempo rary documentary sources from inside and outside the region. The scope of her study is so broad and the themes are so complex that it is difficult to describe the book’s contents adequately. Dr. McCauley’s thematic telling of the story, however, makes it difficult to follow the develop ment of mountain religion during the past two centuries. Although she does an excellent job of giving historical background, a reader not well versed in Ameri can religious history or unfamiliar with some jargon will have difficulty in understanding the significance of developments in mountain religion’s divergence from American Protestantism. But if you want to understand Appalachians as a faith people, this is the book to read.
In recent decades, the War on Poverty of the 1960s and “libera tion theology” reshifted American Protestantism’s home missionary work to church-based interest organizations dedicated to helping Appalachia remedy social injustices and environmental tragedies caused by the greed of outside interest. It is, Dr. McCauley contends, the same historical contempt for mountain religious culture as has been shown in the past. While Ameri can Protestantism proclaims that it has come to save Appalachians from the consequences of this
Glen Taul, a former employee o f the Christian Appalachian Project, is on the staff o f the Appalachian Center at the University o f Kentucky.
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The Gates Shut Behind — And Open Up ♦ by Garry Vickers ♦
A CAP Family Life counselor learns while teaching parenting skills in a correctional center I he first day I walked on to the yard of the Otter Creek Correctional Center I was apprehensive. Over two hundred inmates were out on the grounds. Some were playing softball, others were playing cards, some lifting weights, and some just watching. I felt certain that most were watching me and I experi enced a very uncomfortable vulnerability. Quickly, my eyes found the administra tion building and I hurried toward the entrance. There I assumed I would be safe.
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Several months before I had met with the warden to discuss the possibility of the Christian Appalachian Project becoming involved at the prison. The Otter Creek facility is in Floyd County, at the old coal mining town of Wheelwright. The prison sits on a small hill overlook ing the town, and many of the residents of Wheelwright have mixed emotions concerning the facility. Otter Creek is one of the only employment opportunities in the area, but some citizens feel threatened by its presence. Even though the facility
The Mountain Spirit
has an excellent record, its few escapes have been highly publicized, and they make many residents uneasy. Before actually committing myself to this task of teaching a dozen or so inmates the parenting skills that would help them to be better fathers, I discussed the idea with my family. During our dinner conversation one night I casually brought up the notion and asked my wife and two children for their feedback. It was unanimous; everyone was steadfastly against it. Their reasoning was under standable. Their reasons had crossed my mind, too. Otter Creek was a dangerous place and I would be dealing with some potentially dangerous individuals. My family was concerned about my safety and thought that teaching the classes was an unnecessary risk. I assured them that I would take every caution I could and if I thought the risk was too great I would quit. After much discussion, my family gave its blessing. Later that night, as we watched the local news on TV, a report came in that three inmates at the Otter Creek Correc tional Center had escaped. The residents of Wheelwright, the report continued, were frightened for their lives. My wife and children turned and gave me that “we told you so” look. July - August 1996
I recalled that look when I walked through the yard at Otter Creek, and related to just how intimidated some of these local residents must feel — espe cially as the gates shut behind me. As I entered the administration building to meet with Mr. Cooper, the assistant warden, though, I was excited about this challenge I had undertaken. I had commit ted myself for twelve weeks to teach a group of inmates how to parent from behind prison walls. Our course was entitled “Parenting from a Distance,” and took a workbook/discussion format that taught basic parenting skills geared toward separated parents. I had asked the inmates’ caseworkers to screen out those prisoners that might make teaching the course difficult. I only wanted willing and cooperative participants, in part to make this first experience a positive one for me and the inmates. Even so, that first night I stood before a classroom full of the roughest-looking bunch of characters I’ve ever faced. My prayer to God Almighty was simple: “Help!” During the first class period I instinc tively knew the inmates would be evaluating me, looking for any weakness they might exploit. One of the participants (I’ll call him Hank Smith for confidential ity purposes), a large, muscular man, sat in the first row of seats and was more or
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I wanted him and the other class members to know that while in this class they would be treated like my equals, not as prisoners. less the spokesman for the group. His vocal tone and behavior was very animated, and when he volunteered to participate in the first role-playing exercise before a class discussion I was intimidated. Hank’s role was that of his own father and I played the part of a son who needed to “talk over a problem with dad.” He played the part with a realism that grabbed the attention of the entire group, especially when he moved within two inches of my face and berated me (his child) for failing to fight a school yard bully. I stood my ground, trying not to let my fear show, as “Dad” demon strated how to fight this bully. I knew I would get hit (accidentally?) if I moved. I remained calm, and at the end of the demonstration I shook his hand, thanked him for his participation, and called him Mr. Smith. I used his last name not out of intimidation, but as a gesture of respect and genuinely positive regard. I wanted him and the other class members to know that while in this class they would be treated like my equals, not as prisoners. In doing so I hoped we could tear down the barriers that separated us. When Mr. Smith returned to his seat there was a silence, more like a peace that settled on the class. I surveyed the room and I realized I had passed the “test” and gained the respect of the group; I had not flinched. From then on, my approach would be one of genuine, positive regard for these men. Over the next several weeks I noticed a change in the attitudes of the class participants. Immediately upon entering
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the classroom they dropped their facades and the “tough-guy” images were replaced with more cooperative ones. I addressed these men as “Mr. So-and-So” and they addressed me as Mr. Vickers. Elsewhere in the prison system, they were called disrespectfully by their last name only. Beginning with our form of address, we established mutual respect, the foundation on which I built the class. We grew closer over the next several weeks. Many times I stayed after class to talk with individuals. I realized the men were human, just as I. They missed their families, their loved ones, and their freedom. Most of them understood how their experience in prison would change their lives forever. They talked about their dreams for the future, and of their nightmares of the past. Many had been raised in broken home with no positive male role models to follow. The issue of role models became a focus for the remaining class sessions. They consid ered how to turn their time in prison into a positive experience. They learned ways that they might heal some wounds within the family and give themselves an opportunity to re-establish contact with their families, especially their children. By the time the last class session rolled around, the group had solidified into a very close “family.” I sensed that these men had come to see me as a father figure, a positive male role model they had never had. I was aware of this because during our private “after class” talks, I listened, as I wished their fathers had done. I listened for what they had The Mountain Spirit
done right in their lives, and I reinforced their dignity and self worth by showing them unconditional positive regard. I wanted them to know they were not “bad” people, but were capable of good, even great things. I wanted to model for them unconditional love, the same love God has for us all. Even the warden told me he could tell which inmates were in the class because of the difference in their attitudes and behaviors outside the classroom. When he told me that, I was proud of my adopted “sons.” For graduation the group decided to have a cook-out, complete with all the typical food one might find at a family get together. Eight students had completed the course work, earning a certificate of completion signed by the warden and me. Six of the men had earned perfect attendance certificates, which were also presented. After clearing the cook-out idea with the warden, I went to the facility on a Sunday afternoon, my truck loaded with the fixings for a feast. There was only one problem! No one had told the guards about this graduation celebration, and the planned cook-out flew in the face of all their rules and policies governing such activities. To complicate matters another step, the warden had left town and could not be reach to verify his order. As I sat there on one side of the fence, and my students stood on the other, I decided to take a more direct approach with the officer in charge. I explained to him that the warden was dedicated to providing a parenting class for the inmates at Otter Creek, the class had been July - August 1996
successful and that he had agreed to this cook-out for the graduates. The warden would be very disappointed if his orders were not followed, I explained. Besides, I said, I have 60 hamburger patties that will spoil if they’re not used immediately. Whether it was his reluctance to disappoint the warden or the threat of bad hamburger I’ll never know, but finally the guard waved me through the gate. I could see the faces of my students glowing with excitement. They had all dressed in their best clothes for this feast; I had never seen a happier bunch. In no time we had the barbecue going as one of the men, a self-confessed master barbecuer, took charge of the grill. The other guys were busy doing what needed to be done; setting up the tables and chairs, pouring drinks, and all the rest. The guards let us set up away from the other inmates, out by ourselves. When the burgers were ready, I asked Hank to say the grace. Hank is a big man, and holds the title of “strongest man on the yard.” I supposed that if he said “shall we pray” there would be no argument. His prayer was one of the most sincere I have ever heard. He thanked God for the food and for the beauty of the day. He prayed for each man at the table and for their families. He asked God to help them all change and become part of their families again. When he thanked God for sending me their way, I thanked God for bringing them into my life. I learned a great deal about life from those men over the twelve weeks we were
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together. They taught me that life was extremely difficulty for people in areas of high crime and low employment opportu nities. The men of color taught me the pain of being rejected by individual and institutional racism. The poor men taught me the hurt of going without the very basics of life. My idea of America as a “land of equal opportunity” was shattered as I heard their stories. I struggled with feelings of inadequacy. How could I help these men? The only answer I could come up with was to treat them as fellow human beings, equal in every way to myself. To be sure, these men had committed crimes that had caused them to be imprisoned, but can hope come out of this hopeless ness? I believe it can. The most memorable times I can recall with these men are the individual ses sions, when we had an opportunity to talk personally and I had an opportunity to know each one on an intimate level. They opened up in total honesty, sharing their fears and their dreams. As I look back on this now I can clearly understand what part I had in their “rehabilitation.” I gave them what they have needed for so long in their lives. I gave them unconditional positive regard, or better put, uncondi tional love. In doing so, I modeled for them an example of how to uncondition ally love others. This was the basis for the transformation from inmate to freeman, from prisoner to husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. Many of these men made that transformation during the course. Contact with their families was re-established. What began as a trickle of cautious exchanges with their estranged families grew into an ocean of encourage ment and support. Hopelessness had
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turned into hope through the power of love. Of the eighteen men that have gradu ated from the parenting class at the Otter Creek Correctional Center at Wheel wright, Kentucky, nine received early parole or are in the midst of that process. I have written the parole board on behalf of the graduates to express my optimism for their early release. Recently one of the graduates who was denied early parole spoke with me at the prison. I expected to hear a bitter and disappointed inmate tell me how unfair the system was, but instead I was grateful to hear an individual express his gratitude for the parenting class. I was encouraged when he told me that he would use the time he had left of his sentence to strengthen the ties with his family. Hank, “Mr. Smith,” is home with his family now. I spoke with his mother not too long ago and she told me Hank and his seven-year-old son are inseparable. Hank had told me he wanted to get his Commercial Drivers License and drive a long-haul truck. When I asked his mother about this, she told me he had begun studying for the CDL exam and the family was giving him the encouragement and support he needed for this endeavor. As we ended our conversation she thanked me as only a mother could. “I did not raise him to be a convict,” she said. “I raised him to be a good person. With your help, he’s back on the right road. God bless you, Mr. Vickers.” ft Garry Vickers is a counselor for CAP s Family Life Counseling Service, and works in the Big Sandy region. The Mountain Spirit
Thanks Church of Our Savior! It was an exciting day for the Baril family. The bus dropped the schoolaged children at their new trailer and not long after, some folks from the Christian Appalachian Project brought balloons, cake, soda pop and noisemakers to celebrate a housewarming, and to thank the Church of Our Savior in Cocoa Beach, Florida, for making the Human development director Rose Price joins in the festivities. new home possible. blowing up and stringing balloons as Through CAP workers Ben Prewitt everyone admired the cake that said, and Rose Price, the Church of Our “Congratulations, Baril Family” Savior learned that Edna Baril was written in blue icing. After the raising her four grandchildren in a children ate the blue icing roses, the delapidated, crowded trailer. During girls went back to decorating their the cold winter months, the trailer new bedroom, little Scotty continued was heated by a coal stove that was exploring their new location and slowly buring a hole through the Jason placidly observed the weakened floor, an invitation to excitement from the living room. disaster. A new home would enable Already the trailer was feeling like Edna to better care for the children, home. Edna had placed the family ages 5 through 12. The congregation pictures on the shelves and the at the Church of Our Savior provided feeling of love was enveloping, a the means to move Edna and the feeling that was made possible by four children to clean, comfortable the generosity of the people of the and safe housing. A housewarming Church of Our Savior. party and special thanks to the folks If your church, Sunday School at the Church of Our Savior was the class, civic group or organizaiton order of the day. would be interested in taking on a When Ben and Rose arrived, the similar project, please contact Ben CAP home repair workers were Prewitt, CAP, 322 Crab Orchard putting the finishing touches on the Road, Lancaster, Ky, 40446, or porch and ramp that would telephone (606) 792-3051 Ext. 284 accommodate six-year-old Jason’s (8:00 am-4:30 pm, eastern time). wheelchair. The children began
Appalachian men often migrate from the mountains to find work in urban areas •
Today millions of Appalachians are living in cities across the
United States. •
Appalachian migration began before World War II, and
peaked in the decade following. It has not stopped since that time and often parallels national economic conditions. •
The term “urban Appalachian” was coined in the early
1970s to describe those people and their descendants who had come from the Appalachian region to live and work in cities outside Appalachia. •
Urban Appalachians make heavy use of family networks to
find employment or obtain a temporary place to live while seeking a job. Source: From Mountain to Metropolis: Appalachian Migrants in American Cities; edited by Kathryn M. Borman and Phillip J. Obermiller