The Mountain Spirit - Jan./Feb. 2001

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M o u n t a in S p ir it The Magazine o f the C H R IS T IA N A P P A L A C H IA N P R O JE C T J A N U ARY

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Feeling Called To Help ' by Beth Dotson

Martin County Profile

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by The CAP News Service

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Serving People, Serving Christ

Feeling Called To Help, page 4

by Margaret Gabriel

Martin County O O Programs ■ *

by Margaret Gabriel

Martin County Profile, page 16 BO

24 Getting The Job Done by Ike Adams

On the cover: CAP housing participant Opal Long and volunteer Lisa Hood. Opal s quilting served as sweat equity fo r the work CAP performed on her house (photo by Karen Spivey).

D e p a r t m e n t s 3 R a n d o m T h o u g h ts 10 A round the P roject 21 Letters 29 CAP Close-Up

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Getting The Job Done, page 24 Published by the Christian Appalachian Project E d it o r M a rg a r e t G a b r ie l G r a p h ic D e s ig n K a r e n F r a n c e s S p iv e y C ir c u la t io n L in d a G r i d e r E a s t A d v is o r y B o a r d : F a th e r R a lp h W . B e itin g , M ike San d ers, B en P re w itt, B e c k y K a n a

The Mountain Spirit is published six times a year. The annual subscription price is $8.00. Subscriptions and other correspondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Street, Lancaster, KY 40446. Copyright, 2001, The Christian Appalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Member, Catholic Press Association. The Christian Appalachian Project is a non-profit Christian service organization operating throughout Appalachia. The project operates on the philosophy that helping people help themselves is the best approach to Appalachian poverty. The Christian Appalachian Project is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is qualified to receive tax deductible contributions.

One of the greatest joys of my association with the Christian Appalachian Project has been the friendship that I’ve Sanders, developed with Mike CAP President its founder, Father Ralph Beiting. It goes without saying that without Father Beiting there would be no CAP. I think that Father Beiting’s greatest wisdom in establishing the organization is its inter-denominational makeup. We like the word “inter-denomina­ tional” rather than “non-denominational” because it better describes our workforce. When I hear the word “non-denominational” it puts me in mind of a group of people who have smoothed over faith, coming up with a bland concoction that neither offends nor challenges. We describe CAP as “inter-denominational” because as individuals we hold fast to the teachings of our distinct faith tradi­ tions. Those traditions blend as we provide service in Jesus’ name. Working together, we’ve learned that as Christians, we share many things in common and very little sets us apart. CAP sees those traditions blend in both the giving and receiving of support from churches. Through Operation Sharing, CAP gave over $55 million worth of support to nearly 1.5 million people in the Appalachian region; much of that support was directed to churches in Kentucky and throughout the Appalachian region. The support that we receive from dozens of churches throughout the country enables our programs to grow and prosper. This issue of The M oun­ tain Spirit allows readers to see how CAP forms partnerships in order to serve people and to serve the Lord. E"JOy! Mike Sanders, CAP President

A summary of the registration and financial documents filed by this organization can be obtained by contacting: in Maryland, for the cost o f copies and postage, the Secretary o f State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401; in Virginia, State Division o f Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209; in Washington, residents can call the Secretary o f State toll-free within the state at 800-332-4483; in Mississippi, by calling the Secretary o f State’s office at 888-236-6167; IN NEW YORK, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, CHARITIES BUREAU, 120 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 1 0271; IN NEW JERSEY, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BY CALLING 973-504-6215; IN PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF STATE BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 800-732-0999; IN WEST VIRGINIA, SECRETARY OF STATE, STATE CAPITOL, CHARLESTON, WV 25305; IN FLORIDA, THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALL TOLL-FREE W ITHIN THE STATE AT 800435-7352; IN NORTH CAROLINA, FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND A COPY OF THE LICENSE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE SOLICITATION LICENSING BRANCH WITHIN THE STATE AT 1-888-830-4989 OR OUTSIDE THE STATE AT 919-807-2214; or by writing to Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Street, Lancaster, KY 40446. Our license number in Michigan is MICS 9933. Registration with any o f the above government agencies does not imply endorsement by the state.

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hen I began working in Appalachia 50 years ago, my greatest problem was working as a Catholic priest in an almost totally non-Catholic world. One religion felt it had to oppose another to be worthy of its own traditions. We Christian groups were competitors, never partners and — at times — even enemies. In my heart I knew Christ wanted us to love each other no matter who we were, so I took to the highways and byways of Eastern Kentucky and tried to clear away erroneous ideas people had about my Church. I couldn’t believe what they believed was true, so I spoke about the doctrines that separated us. For nearly 15 years I followed this course, but I made no progress. Often, ministers tried to shout me down. At times I was shot at and hit by tomatoes. At last God’s wisdom fdled my mind and heart. Speak on things you agree on, God said. Talk about the goodness of God, the beauty of Scripture, love of neighbor, the beauty of heaven. One day about five miles north of Hyden in Leslie County, I found a good place to preach and went up to a house to ask the man on the porch if I could plug in my electricity to put on a religious program. “Well, I guess the porch is the best place,” he said. I ran out to the car and brought back the cord. “Just a minute buddy,” he said. “I didn’t ask you what kind of religion you had.” “I’m a Catholic priest,” I said. “Well, you ain’t going to get any electricity here.” I thought quickly and asked him, “If I asked you for a cup of water in

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Jesus’ name, would you give it to me?” “You know I’d have to give it to you,” he said. “Well, I am asking for a plug full of electricity in Jesus’ name and that’s the same thing.” He thought about that and said, “I don’t think it is the same thing, but I’m afraid to take a chance. Father Ralph Beiting preaches aboard the Daniel Boone on his 1999 preaching tour. But, you pull off one Catholic thing out there told him they were not for sale. “If and out comes your plug.” they were for sale, how much would We preached and sang, securely they cost?” he asked. plugged, for about 45 minutes. “Why?” I asked. When I went back to the porch to “I am a minister and need 25 of thank him, the man had tears in his them for my choir.” eyes. “I’m a Baptist minister,” he “Well then,” I said, “you can told me. “I almost kept God’s have them for nothing.” praises ringing from these hills. You He replied, “I heard you were a spoke of my Lord with such love Catholic priest and I am a Protestant and eloquence. Can you forgive minister. Don’t you know we don’t me?” he asked. get along?” I held his hand in mine. “We are “If you love Christ, I love you,” I brothers,” I said. said. He gave me a hug. I used his “Amen,” he replied. “Come back church that December to conduct here every chance you get; you’ll the religious part of our Christmas have all the electricity you need.” basket program. Over the years, I invited ministers Charity is a force that cannot be of various religions to join me. It withstood. If you start with love, was a new sight for most to see a love will surely follow. Catholic priest and a Protestant There is a long way to go before minister standing side by side, we all become one. Although we preaching about their common God, may be different, we still want to be traveling the road of love. one in Christ. As I remember these I wanted to help the poor and events and many others, I could when I discovered a task beyond the never have dreamed 50 years ago power of any single religion, I that we could come this far in our invited people of all faiths to join ecumenical love for each other. me in the venture. I called the Today I pray that equal progress dream the Christian Appalachian will be made in the next 50 years. I Project and my bishop, Richard am excited, for I truly believe that Ackerman, gave his approval to this love will overcome. “By this shall new approach to ecumenism. There all men know you are my disciples. were still problems. That you love one another.” One day I was in one of CAP’s • warehouses overseeing the unload­ Father Beiting is the founder o f the ing of furniture. A man came up Christian Appalachian Project and chair emeritus o f its Board o f Directors. asked how much the chairs cost. I

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by Beth Dotson A teen that made the journey north from the Church O f All Saints in Atlanta, Ga., holds a child with whom she shared Christmas surprises at CAP’s Family Life Services.

To some, the people who work in the Christian Appalachian Project’s development office are fund-raisers. They send out letters asking for donations, answer questions from donors, speak to civic and church groups to tell people about the needs in Appalachia and meet with individuals who want to work with CAP to provide long-term support.

To others, these same CAP employees are like basket weavers. They find a bit of assistance from a church in Florida and weave it together with some other help from a congregation in Massachusetts and a group in Con­ necticut. As the basket takes shape, these artisans have gathered enough money to support a CAP program. While the employees are the weavers, the donors put

their creative talents to work and give the true support. Like delicate reeds that are softened to weave a basket strong enough to carry a bushel of apples, these churches create a vital means of giving a hand up to thousands of people in Appalachia. At they same time, they strengthen themselves through the experience of reaching out beyond their church walls to make contact

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with God’s children in another part of the world. In the mid-1990’s CAP began to realize how important support from church groups could really be to the people of Appalachia. A pastor in Cocoa Beach, Florida, received a mailing from CAP and decided his church should raise money for the organization. He spread the word about needs in the Appalachian region and how CAP addressed them. Ben Prewitt, CAP’S vice-president of development, went to the church to tell them more about the problems of the area and how they could help. He suggested they might be able to help a family that was living Members o f the Church o f All Saints in Atlanta pray with residents o f Family Life in a substandard house. Services as they celebrate Christmas, 1999. The parishioners responded generously, donating enough money was Clarence House of the Rock trailer. The financial donations also in one weekend to provide a new arrived and the project was rolling. Church in Gosport, Indiana. After home for the family — a woman The effort wasn’t only good for seeing something on television and her four grandchildren who CAP. “I feel like a church needs to about Appalachia, Pastor House were living in a dangerous and get out of its four walls and do what said, “I had a heart to help some­ over-crowded trailer. The group Jesus told us to do,” Pastor House how.” He and one of his church raised enough money to purchase said. Members of the church agreed members, Nancy Dearborn, the family a new trailer to which with their pastor. They wanted to do searched on the Internet for CAP home repair workers could more than send their donations to information about groups working add a porch and a ramp to accom­ in the region. They discovered CAP, the region. Thirteen people agreed modate six-year-old Jason’s to accompany the truck to Kentucky called the toll-free number and wheelchair. and volunteer for a day. reached Teresa McAnly. Teresa That one project has opened the “We knew we wanted to reach talked with them about CAP’s needs doors to numerous churches across out in some way and help others,” and opportunities for them to the country that see a need and want assist. said Nancy Dearborn. She went on to respond to it. Ben and members the eight-hour round trip with her Although Pastor House has done of his staff travel around the husband, Steve, and their two missionary work overseas, not country, speaking to groups, daughters who were 10 and 12. “It’s many of his parishioners have had showing a video about CAP’S work, that experience themselves. He exciting to us to have this opportu­ then inviting them to be a part of the introduced them to the idea of doing nity to be the hands of Jesus.” undertaking. In Kentucky, the group met mission work in their own country In churches, CAP has found Teresa and other CAP staff for a by showing CAP’s video. With the partners who can gather material, meal. The next day, they helped help of the video, he said, it wasn’t financial and human resources to with Readi-Fest, an event that helps hard to convince people to organize share. The sharing seems to go in families prepare their children for support for CAP. two directions as group members school by offering free clothing and “This was probably one of the who have never been to Appalachia school supplies. Dearborn said it easiest things I’ve done,” Pastor expand their own knowledge and was a well-organized operation that House said. He sent the word out to understanding through the experi­ she and her daughters could easily the community that the church was ence. plug into to offer some help. gathering donations to deliver to After lunch, the group went to Appalachia. And they came in “I had a heart to help” Opal Long’s house where a crew quantities large enough to fill a Another pastor who felt a calling was doing some home repair. church member’s 21-foot tractorto assist in the Appalachian region

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Again, they went to work, this time to help put up siding. Later, they visited Camp Andrew Jackson. These opportunities to meet people and help moved the group. “It changed lives here. I think everyone who went was blessed,” Pastor House said. “They have not stopped talking about it.” Many more people have expressed an interest in participating next time. One of Pastor House’s satisfactions comes from being able to put the gospel into action. He said, “You can’t preach unless you show it.” Dearborn saw reward in another way. “We had the satisfaction of knowing we could do something tan­ gible,” she said. That’s the key for many groups that offer assistance, whether material or finan­ cial. Ben said he has found that groups like to work on a specific project.

Creativity helps That was the case for the First Congregational Church in Vernon, Connecticut. They held a drive to gather donations that could be used The CAP Sunshine Center playground equipment, provided by the First Congregational at CAP’s Sunshine Child and Church o f Vernon, Connecticut. Family Development Center causes to support, they decided on in Lancaster, which offers pro­ hung the swings in the fellowship grams for infants through preschool CAP. hall “which was a great visual to see age youngsters and their families. Hamid was appointed to lead the how much had been sold,” she said. project. The church set a goal of Louise Hamid explained that the The swings weren’t her only raising $2,000 that would be First Congregational Church of creative idea. Hamid also put specifically used to buy new Vernon challenges itself each year together a three-foot by four-foot playground equipment for the to some sort of mission outreach. puzzle and sold the pieces, some for Sunshine Center. The center had The church decided that one year as little at 50 cents (so children recently moved to a new location they would raise money for a local could buy them) and others for as and lacked good playground cause, the next year for something much at $25. Every time someone equipment. that affects the wider community, bought a piece, he or she picked it Hamid put her creativity to work the third year for a project some­ up to reveal part of the picture in organizing the campaign. She where in the state and the fourth underneath, which was of a play­ decided to sell paper swings — $5 year, for something outside of the ground. for a seat or $ 10 for a chain, making state. When they reached their “The kids liked it,” Hamid said, it $25 for the entire swing. She fourth year and considered various because it was something to which

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Barrett unload a truck o f materials collected by his congregation. The support they lend CAP at Christmas is an annual event.

they could relate. Besides making financial contributions, members donated items they thought could be used at the child development centers, such as crayons, scissors and paper. And in the end, they exceeded their fundraising goal. Through Hamid’s creative ideas and an occasional “Mission Moment” during church to remind the congregation about the project, they raised $4,000 to donate to CAP. “We had a lot of fun doing it,” Hamid said. “There’s a lot of need there. It’s a good project.” Hamid may understand the need more than some of her fellow church members because she made the trip to Kentucky to deliver the goods and the money. While Hamid was visiting with CAP, Teresa McAnly took her to the Sunshine Center and to see other CAP programs. “It was an education for me,” Hamid said. She recalled that although she studied the Appala­

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chian region in college, visiting truly added to that education. The differences between the urban poverty that exists where she lives contrasted with the rural poverty where something as basic as lack of personal or public transportation can be a big barrier. Barriers are something Hamid also learned about during this undertaking. She said that even though the church had voted to do this project, there was criticism from people who thought they should first address their needs at home. It was also a difficult time for the church because their pastor had recently committed suicide. But in that time of distress, the effort provided a way for people to look beyond their own problems. “When it comes to God’s children, that is a real rallying point for us. We’re all united in that,” Hamid said. Thus, the mission project rejuvenated people, remind­ ing them that there is need, as well

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as love, everywhere. Ben Prewitt has seen churches spread that message of need and love in many ways. He recalled going to Valley Presbyterian Church in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, where the church held a CAP Day. He has spoken at churches that held a “Mission Fair” to which they invited several speakers, then divided the proceeds. Some churches set up mission booths for people to visit, then allowed them to vote for which group the congrega­ tion would back. According to Ben, most church support originates with a congrega­ tion member who is already a CAP donor. CAP encourages those donors to consider if they belong to a civic or church group that could also lend assistance.

A volunteer recruits Former CAP volunteers often return home and share their Appala­ chian experience with family and

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friends. Diana Duff is one of those people. She came to Kentucky in 1998 to volunteer for a few weeks at summer camp. Before making the trip from Massachu­ setts, she asked if she could bring anything to Kentucky. CAP initially told her no, but when she insisted she would be happy to, they asked for supplies for the school readiness program. When Duff decided to volunteer for a second summer she again offered to bring supplies and took the request to the Commission on Community Life at her church, Holy Name of Jesus in Springfield, Members o f St. Joseph Church, Winchester, Ind., with CAP Christmas basket volunteers Pierce Mass. With the help of Gay (second row, right) and Ed Barrett (first row, left). the parish, she collected 40 boxes of books, school supplies, church. Kathleen came to CAP as a all church members who want to infant’s and children’s clothing and volunteer from Massachusetts in support CAP can find a way to do more to send to Appalachia. The 1975. it. Duff suggests that when starting church repeated their help in the “I think that many people want to a project like this, it’s good to ask summer of 2000 when Duff help but don’t know how,” Duff for specific items that you know volunteered again. In addition, said. With CAP “there’s a connec­ will be useful in the region. Her people who were not able to go out tion there. People are willing to help experience in Appalachia has and buy goods to be delivered and they just need to be asked.” demonstrated to her what to ask for. offered cash donations to help pay Through her experience with She further organized the donations for the shipping since it was more CAP, Duff has discovered that the by dividing the alphabet into groups than Duff could deliver herself. large basket she has been woven and asking specific portions of the Duff gives some credit to the into includes people and experi­ congregation to donate certain beginning of this partnership with ences that encourage her to return items, which she listed in the parish CAP to a conversation with former every year. “The people I met from bulletin. She also got help from the CAP volunteer Debbie Goonan, all over the country with the same community life commission in also a native of Massachusetts. common goals and living in packing the boxes for shipping. Former volunteers often welcome community and praying together With so many people to serve and questions from people who are so many churches that want to help, makes me want to go back,” Duff considering volunteering. Duff said said. the development staff is always there was a sort of New England working to weave the reeds of It has also made her part of that Kentucky connection that she prayer, volunteerism, cash and New England - Kentucky connec­ discovered through Goonan. tion. Duff said that recently some­ material donations together to create Although Duff has never made a the strongest basket possible as a one who had been given her name formal presentation at her church called to talk about volunteering home for CAP’S people and asking for donations, she has made programs. with CAP. “If you’re at the right a memory book with photographs to time in your life to go, go to love share her experience. This past year, and serve God.” Beth Dotson, a former CAP volunteer, is development office employee While not everyone is in the a freelance writer. She lives in Kathleen Leavell also visited the position to volunteer in Kentucky, Lancaster, Ky.

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L etters to the E d itor IS][21IS]ISIElE3E]ElE]E]ElEl

I know that you love the Lord, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to help these people that are so unfortunate, but with God’s love and help we can do all things. I love your magazine. Thank you. Mrs. Mary Ellen Walters Maywood, N.J.

I look forward to every issue of The Mountain Spirit. To someone who wishes she could work there with you, it’s the next best thing to being there. I hold you all up in prayer.. .you’re absolutely wonder­ ful. Love, in His name, Connee A. O ’Neill Stony Creek, Conn.

I am enjoying my copies of The Mountain Spirit and the work you are doing. Enclosed is my annual contribution to help with CAP’s work in Appalachia. I make this annual contribution in memory of my brother who was a big supporter of your work. I wish it could be larger but I feel he would be happy that I am giving in his name. Albert & Jessie Herman Mohnton, Pa.

I think you have a fine magazine, informative and written in an interesting manner. Keep up the good work. William Payden Santa Monica, Calif.

I enjoy your magazine very much and I hope to volunteer there one day. Thank you, Ms. Celine Quigley Davenport, Iowa

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I compliment Father Beiting and everyone on the staff as well as the volunteers at CAP for all the good work you have done and continue to do. It is really heartwarming to see you moving forward and not sitting on your hands waiting for govern­ ment handouts. As you well know, government promises sometimes never materialize. L.B.J.’s promises are a good example. I thank God for people like you. Keep up the good work. Thomas W. Holmes, Jr. Walnut Creek, Calif.

I love this magazine. You tell the real true stories of life and what has been done to improve those conditions. I’m happy to be able to help in some small way. God’s blessings, Donna Reed Aldena, Mich.

Thank you for what you are doing and how you are doing it. I was bom in the mountains of N.C. (at the foot of Mount Mitchell). I grew up in Maryland. But my heart will always be in those beautiful mountains. You are providing a service that is sorely needed and I will continue to pray for you and your work. In my Savior’s name, Janette Forbes Hubert, N.C.

Little did Fr. Beiting realize what would happen 50 years after his arrival in Appalachia. If we could all have the vision of Fr. Beiting, allowing ourselves to be used by God, imagine what the world would be like! God bless you all in every effort. Linda Gleason Deer Park, N. Y.

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Hello Father Beiting! I received your book The Promise o f Hope and enjoyed every chapter. It made me think of the hymn we sing on Sunday sometimes, “Though the Mountains May Fall.” We might be troubled at times, but if we just take the time to look at God’s wonderful creation and reflect on what we see, one soon will feel a wonderful sense of peace come over him. I live here in the hills of Missouri, and the river and mountains are just beautiful. I can see why you love Kentucky so much. Mrs. Helen Phillips Ellington, Mo.

Your magazine brings back memories of where we came from, what they called the “sticks” in Pennsylvania. The biggest town nearby was Johnstown or Altoona. We knew what it was like to be poor and were always so grateful to get relief - we call it welfare here. We’re going back many, many years, at least 55 years ago or more. Thank God for people like you who care so much, especially Father Beiting who God used to start the initial project. God bless you all for what you do and for such a fantastic magazine and for all the beautiful people of Appalachia! Mr. & Mrs. John Erzak Belvidere, N.J.

May God bless you as you continue to reach out to hurting and needy people there in Kentucky. Mr. Ray E. Kaufman Glendale, Az. Letters to the editor are welcome. They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them for space. Address letters to: The Mountain Spirit Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Street Lancaster, KY 40446 or e-mail capinfo@chrisapp. org

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Father Beiting Visits Programs In CAP’s First Service Area Even after stepping down as chairman of the board, Christian Appalachian Project founder Father Ralph Beiting maintains a busy schedule with public appearances, brain-storming sessions concerning new services and fund-raising activities, as well as his responsi­ bilities as pastor of Catholic parishes in Louisa and Hode, Ky. In order to stay in touch with the work of the organization he founded, Father Beiting makes an annual tour of CAP programs. In October, 2000, his tour included programs in Rockcastle and Jackson counties with Suzann Fenton, developmental interven­ tionist for Parents Are Teachers, an early education intervention program for children with disabili­ ties from birth to age three. Suzann and Father Beiting navigated a gravel lane to the home of a family with a toddler who suffers from low response to pain, therefore has a risk of serious injury. Father Beiting solemnly shook hands with the little tyke, and they settled on the floor of the

Father Ralph Beiting, right, meets participants during his annual tour o f CAP programs.

sparsely furnished mobile home with Suzann and played patty-cake and constructed block houses. Suzann taught both mother and child ways of manipulating move­ ment through gross and fíne motor skills by using common household objects. Mother, toddler and siblings all participate in the activities. After

Sue Slusher and daughter Courtney visit with Father Beiting. Mother and daughter participate in Parents Are Teachers, an early intervention program.

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Suzann leaves, the parent, indeed, becomes the teacher. Another stop on Father Beiting’s tour was a visit to a family that had been involved with CAP’s housing program. Their sixty-five-year-old home was dilapidated and upon evaluation required extensive repair. The family of six — father, mother, three sons and a daughter — all contributed to the repair on the home. After completing the thirty-day tracking of budget expenses, the family qualified for materials to be delivered. The father, with some experience in construction, was able to work with the housing crew, despite a back injury, thus fulfilling the require­ ment of sweat equity. Currently, he is completing the interior repair work as his health permits. CAP workers enjoy visiting with Father Beiting, introducing him to both their work and the families in the programs.

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CAP Television Program To Air In Selected Cities Orlando, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Detroit and New York have been targeted as markets for a television program that the Christian Appalachian Project is airing in order to give current donors a look at both programs and participants, and to interest new people in the mission. Development field staff worker Rodney Miracle is working on purchasing television time and has focused thus far on early morning time slots, which are frequently less expensive in the larger markets. Later on, Rodney said, “We may try some smaller markets and go for a better time slot.” He has booked four times on TNN, a national cable network, including 6:00 a.m. airings on December 22 and 29. Rodney hopes that people will watch local listings for other times, or set a VCR for later viewing. The 28-minute program, is narrated by Louisville newscaster

§ house now,” Rodney said. Jackie Hayes Founder Father Ralph and gives a Beiting introduces the good overview program, which uses still of CAP photographs of the priest’s programs, as early days in Appalachia. told by those The photos also illustrate who participate the progress that has been in the pro­ made in the region during grams. “We the last forty years. have an older “It’s very well done,” lady who was Rodney said. “While the an adult old pictures show some education pretty intense poverty, the student. When live shots are very positive. she was young, We’re trying to show that she lost her while some conditions are glasses and her still bad, others have really dad wouldn’t risen above where they let her go back Infomercial producer Bruce Skinner and Jackie Hayes. were in the past.” to school. She Rodney asks readers of The really appreciates the opportunity to Mountain Spirit to check their local get her GED through CAP. listings for times that the CAP “A women in CAP’s home repair program will be airing in their part program talks about the work CAP did on her house, and how much she of the country. appreciates having water in her

Rockcastle Teen Center Provides Service At Christmas The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays offer several opportunities for young people at Christian Appalachian Project youth and teen centers to offer service to people in the community. The teens at the Rockcastle Teen Center helped a group of CAP volunteers prepare and decorate for a community Thanksgiving dinner in Mount Vernon, according to center education coordinator Debbie Jasper. The following week, the center hosted its annual craft bazaar. Crafters in the area brought their wares to the center during the first two weekends of December for a sale that is becoming a tradition in the Mount Vernon area. Some of the

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teens who participate in the pro­ gram at the center marketed pottery, line drawings and paintings, and manager Glenna Martin sold painted gourds. Other teens served cookies and hot apple cider for the festive gathering. Service projects closer to Christmas include a play which has been in production for several weeks and trips to sing Christmas carols at the local hospital and nursing homes. The Rockcastle Teen Center hosts 20 to 25 young people each day — youth and elementary school students on Mondays and Tuesdays, teens on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, Debbie said. With a full complement of four

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volunteers, Debbie is planning, in the coming year, to make school presentations that focus on such topics as respect, diversity, conflict resolution and character develop­ ment. All of the curricula are approved by the school administra­ tors and are designed as compan­ ions to the materials teachers use. “The volunteers are all really excited about it,” Debbie said. One of the most common criticisms one hears about small towns in the Appalachian region is that there are few activities for youth and teens. The Rockcastle Teen Center has taken this criticism to heart and is working to provide activities that are both entertaining and challenging for young people.

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Groundbreaking On October 18, 2000, collaborat­ ing groups in Jackson County broke ground for a child and family development center tentatively scheduled to open in the summer of 2001, according to Christian Appalachian Project human services assistant director Jean Barnes. CAP is one of a number of partners who are collaborating on the project, which will serve children under the age of 12. “Father Beiting gave the invoca­ tion; Rep. Marie Rader [R-McKee] was there with Tom Fern from the USDA, who gave us the grant,” Jean said. Funding for the project in the amount of $499,000 was awarded to the McKee/Jackson County Industrial Development Authority. In addition to providing staff for the center, CAP has contributed $50,000 to its operation. Other contributions are pledged from Mid-South Electronics and Jackson County Rehabilitation Industries. Jackson County Head Start is providing a teacher and an

foAnnville CDC

aide, will enroll 20 children and is The fee scale for the new center making a donation for playground will also be different from CAP’s equipment, Jean centers. Fees charged for said. students will be in accord Jean hopes to with federal subsidies hire the that are part of welfare manager for the reform. According to center by regulations, all students January, 2001. must be charged the same Like other CAP amount, although some family and child will qualify for subsidy. development Because the center managers, he or provides day care as well she will need to as child development, be primarily an Jean sees the possibility educator, but of working second and also must have third shifts, according to an interest in the needs of the nearby and aptitude for plants. raising money Assistant director Jean Barnes A collaborative project and community and Father Ralph Beiting. is more difficult to start, support. “With our other centers,” but in the long run it is more advantageous for the community. Jean said, “if the budget is a little short at the end of the year, we can “It’s going to be fun,” Jean said. make it up. This won’t be CAP’s “Five years down the road we want center though, so we have to think a to be able to turn this center over to little differently. It will truly be a the community and go somewhere else that we’re needed.” collaborative effort.”

The Christian Appalachian Project is seeking "movers and shakers" to serve in our oneyear volunteer program. Volunteers "help people help themselves" through a variety of human service programs. “Serving at Rainbow Respite has been a wonderful experience. I've learned more about myself and

Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Street • Lancaster, Kentucky 40446

( 800) 755-5322

others than I would’ve dreamed possible. CAP offers a great gift to anyone considering being a volunteer. To give so little and receive so much is the greatest gift o f all.”

www. chrisapp. org

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David Mineah, CAP Volunteer-Rainbow Respite

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CAP Volunteers Play Dual Role As Local Fire Fighters “CAP’s volunteer program is more because of her job with CAP’s than just working a nine-to-five job; outreach program. “I know about the fires when they happen, how bad the it’s being involved in the town and community you’re sent into and this damage and I can think ahead to what the family is a very tangible way may be in need to serve,” commented of, what I need to Greg Pimlott, CAP be on the lookout volunteer in housing for in the line of referring to his work household items, as a volunteer fire furniture, cloth­ fighter for the Garrard ing,” said Julie. County Fire District The two train #1 Fire Station in once a week for Lancaster, Ky. emergency Julie Aenis, a CAP situations which outreach caseworker include vehicle and a housemate of accident rescue, Greg’s, made the escape from a initial committment to Greg Pimlott and Julie Aenis prepare window with the fire department to save life and limb. only a rope, over a year ago, and Greg followed suit two months later. decontamination, truck and equip­ Julie finds it very advantageous to ment training, fire behavior and basic fire fighting, just to name a few. be affliated with the fire station.

“Our primary function is to save life and property, but some of those lives are ours and a lot of [our training] will keep us from getting into a situation we can’t get out of,” said Greg. Greg works in housing and is aware of the connection and benefit of volunteering in a dual capacity. “It gives a person a lot of credibility in the community, sort of an entry point because fire fighters are well known in the community and conversations lead to other topics about CAP and a chance to share your faith,” said Greg. “It is very important to the commu­ nity to have CAP and these two indi­ viduals show the quality of people that come (to volunteer),” said Fire Chief Russ Clark, a member of the Garrard County fire department since 1982. Both volunteers are on call 24 hours a day whenever they are in town and not working at their CAP assignments.

CAP Hosts Elderly For Thanksgiving Feast In Louisa first time you try and cook for 100 the elderly really look forward to The Elderly Services program in people it’s hard, but now we can seeing them. They seat and serve, the Christian Appalachian Project handle it, we’re pros!” then mingle with the folks while Hagerhill region hosted its sixth In addition to the meal, the event everyone sits and eats. They love annual Thanksgiving dinner on included a service which gave it.” Elderly services caseworkers in November 21. Program manager participants the opportunity to join each county invite program partici­ Melissa Vance and five elderly together in a community pants and their families, although services caseworkers spent the day Thanksgiving service. the word is spread throughout the before the event cooking a turkey “It’s a really popular happening,” county that CAP issues a blanket dinner in the kitchen of CAP’s Melissa said. “Starting in early Hagerhill office and on the morning invitation. November we were getting calls CAP Elderly Services hosts two on of the event completed the feast from people who wanted to know such lunches each year; therefore, by preparing green beans, mashed when and where it was going to Melissa said, planning and execu­ potatoes, rolls and pies. “It was a tion becomes easier each year. “The be.” hard day, but it’s a wonderful day every year,” Melissa said. “We have it in different places stories about Father Beiting’s youth The December 4, 2000, issue of each year,” Melissa said. In 2000, the and growing up years in northen People features a story about event was held at the First Baptist Kentucky, as well as his years in Church in Louisa. Nearly 70 elderly Christian Appalachian Project Appalachia and pictures of him founder Father Ralph Beiting. folks from Floyd, Magoffin, Knott, visiting people in Owsley County. Under the sub-heading “Local Martin and Lawrence counties “[At CAP] We look at ourselves Heroes” Father Beiting is described attended the dinner with about 20 not as saviors, but as enables. as an “Appalachian Trailblazer” one students who were invited from the Possession is what really motivaes who “rallies crucial aid for a Lawrence County Youth Service people,” Father Beiting told People. region.” Center. The article includes several “We invite the kids every year, and

Father Beiting Appears in People

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Operation Sharing On Call During Disasters Statewide On the evening of October 11, 2000, Johnny Thompson returned to his home in Richmond, Ky., from one of his frequent trips acquiring goods the Christian Appalachian CAP distributed thirteen tractor-trailer loads o f bottled water Project during the recent water emergency in Martin County, Ky. distributes through its in-kind donation with calls to Feed the Children and program, Operation Sharing. Americares. “They sent thirteen Johnny, assistant director of the truckloads of a Perrier product, program, heard a news report ‘Oasis,’ Johnny said. concerning a spill of coal waste By the time the media reported into the Big Sandy River, affecting the story in more depth, Johnny said, areas which CAP serves in Eastern Operation Sharing in Corbin had Kentucky. “I called the office, and dispatched water to the Hagerhill left myself a reminder to find some warehouse, only miles from the bottled water the next day,” he disaster, the site of a 250 million said. gallon spill of coal slurry, a mix of Johnny and Operation Sharing water and coal waste. The Environ­ workers Carol Parrett and Jeff mental Protection Agency calls the Burchett hit pay dirt the next day spill one of the worst ecological

Annabelle Selvidge, a CAP participant who suffers from breathing disorders that require use o f an oxygen tank, speaks with CAP volunteer Ann Dickinson about alternative living arrangements during the forest fires that surrounded her home.

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WORKPLACE

PAYROLL DEDUCTION

If your employer offers donor designation as a write-in for payroll deduction campaign, please remember the Christian Appalachian Project. CAP is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt agency, and payroll deduction is the easiest way to help the families of Appalachia. To ensure that we receive your payroll deduction gifts, please give your payroll officer CAP’s full address and send to the attention of: Teresa McAnly-Campaign Coordinator

Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Street Lancaster, KY 40446

disaster in the southeastern United States and will take over six months to clean up. Both Feed the Children and Americares, Johnny said, have a history of helping areas in times of disaster, as does CAP. Later during the month of October, 2000, forest fires raged in McCreary County, which forced CAP to temporarily close its programs in the southeastern part of Kentucky. CAP outreach workers and child development manager Mike Loiacono contacted Operation Sharing which provided drinking water and juice for the firefighters. Johnny reports that Operation Sharing distributed goods in all thirteen Appalachian states in 2000 through 1,348 organizations, included churches, schools and family resources centers. The donations totaled nearly $55 million and reached over 1.5 million people, according to Operation Sharing estimates.

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Participant Offers Quilting Talent As Sweat Equity “It’s sure going to be a wanner winter,” said Opal Long, after the Christian Appalachian Project’s housing program performed renovation on her home that included new siding, windows, front porch, doors, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom floors. The repairs on Opal’s home began after the 62-year-old widow met CAP volunteer Beth Chauncey. When Beth saw that Opal kept her living room dry during heavy rain by placing buckets under the dripping ceiling, she and her housemates at the Rockcastle volunteer house spent a Saturday repairing Opal’s roof.

But an exploded water heater had soaked the floors in Opal’s home, causing them to rot. The volunteers could see that more extensive repair was needed, and referred Opal to CAP’s housing program. CAP housing uses an agreement between the organization and people who participate in the program. First, the participant agrees to track spending for thirty days in order to determine whether the family is able to make a payment for materials. Secondly, the participant agrees to contribute sweat equity to his or her own home and those of other participants. Finally, a partial payment plan for

Opal Long displays her expertise to CAP volunteer Lisa Hood. Two o f her handmade quilts furnished the needed sweat equity fo r Opal s participation in CAP s housing program.

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materials purchased is scheduled, and work is scheduled. Because of her frail health, Opal was not able to meet the require­ ment for sweat equity in the usual way. Opal’s talent with needlework, however, led outreach worker Lisa Hood to suggest that she contribute in a most creative way. Opal took up quilting and crocheting after a work-related accident years earlier. Opal offered not one, but two of her quilted creations. It has not yet been determined the final use of the quilts. Options include an inspirational display for visitors to the CAP Human Service offices; a donation to provide warmth to a needed family, or perhaps as an auction item through CAP’s website. Wherever the quilts are finally placed, their value will continue to help others, in keeping with the mission of the Christian Appalachian Project.

Is there a CAP program that you don’t see in this issue of The Mountain Spirit? CAP’s web site includes information about all of CAP’s human service programs, planned giving and major gifts and the volunteer program. Please visit the site at www.chrisapp.org and be sure to sign our guest book!

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- by M argaret Gabriel -

Profile Of M artin County M

Volunteer Ada Rairigh, left, works in CAP’s outreach program in Martin County.

When President Lyndon Johnson declared “uncondi­ tional war on poverty” in the United States in 1964, he did so in Martin County, Ky., a small county in the heart of the Appalachian coal fields, on the banks of Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River. At the time of Johnson’s visit, Martin County was home to about 9,000 people. Since that declaration, Martin County has been fighting the good fight to provide a better standard of living for its citizens. In 1826 pioneer Moses Stepp settled in the area which became Martin County, formed from parts of Pike, Floyd, Johnson and Lawrence counties in 1879. The county was named for Colonel John P. Martin, a popular and highly esteemed citizen of the region. Although Martin’s first county seat was Warfield, in 1874 it was moved to Inez, a town that was named after the daughter of the postmaster in Peach Orchard, in nearby Lawrence County. By the early years of the 19th century, settlers began to inhabit the land beside the creeks of the county, farming in the valleys to wrestle a living from the beautiful, although often inhospitable, bottom land.

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The Martin County of 2000 is different from the Martin County President Johnson visited in 1964. Its population has grown to nearly 12,000 and in the mid1970s, Martin was Kentucky’s second largest coal producing county. By 1986, about one hundred mines were in operation in the county, producing over 12 million tons of coal through both underground and surface mining. Martin County is a land rich in natural resources and also exports oil, natural gas and hardwood timber. Today, there are 176 business establishments in Martin County. More than two-thirds are in the sectors of retail and services. Over seven percent of the popula­ tion is listed among the unemployed. According to the 1997 Kentucky Economic Status, the number of mines in the county had decreased to four, owing to both a decrease in product demand and mechanization of the mining process. Today, Martin County reports that over 32 percent of its population lives below the federal poverty level (the state level is 17.9 percent; national level is 12.6). The median income is $22,165; per capita income is

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$13,697. The state median income is $28,929 and the federal level is $34,076 (1995 figures). Construction is currently under operation in Martin County for a maximum security federal prison, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2002, according to Carol Lee Dials, director of Martin County’s Economic Development office. Prison officials expect to hire over 400 people for the structure, 60 percent of which will be qualified new hires, Dials said. While anyone in the U.S. can apply for positions at the new prison, Dials’ office has been working with the Big Sandy Area Development District (ADD) on a program called Workforce 2001 which is designed to prepare people in the region to apply for prison jobs when hiring begins. Classes that focus on such proficiencies as interviewing skills, oral communication and Spanish have been offered on a small fee basis, which Dials said may be a barrier to potential participants. “There’s a charge of about $60, which some people think is too high, and may not be willing to pay.” For that reason, Dials said, the economic development office and the ADD are working on a program that would enable the classes to be offered at no charge. The prison will effect the economic picture of Martin County in two ways, Dials said. In addition to the people that may have an opportunity to gain employment, there will probably be at least 200 new people moving into the region. For that reason, Martin County has been working to improve aspects of the county which could be seen to add to its quality of life. Although the prison will not open until 2002, the county has already benefited from the construction activity. “Local hardware stores, hotels, and rental property have been affected,” Dials said. “We’ve also had some success in getting local people involved in the construction.” Martin is a non-union county,

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Dials said, but the bricklayers’ union agreed to begin an apprentice class. “The union paid for the class, the beginning tools for the students and all but guaranteed jobs at the prison when the class was over. There were 20 people in the class and ten of them are from Martin County.” In areas of both education and poverty level, Martin County is listed among the distressed counties of the region by the Appalachian Regional Commission. When Christian Appalachian Project founder Father Ralph Beiting was transferred to the Big Sandy region, as pastor of the Catholic parishes in Louisa and Hode, Ky., the needs in Martin County prompted CAP to develop programs to assist the county. Today, ten CAP volunteers live in Martin County and work in elderly services, housing, outreach, educa­ tion and youth programs. Children from the county attend education and camping programs at Boone’s Landing in nearby Lawrence County, and victims of domestic violence can find shelter at the Big Sandy Abuse Center. Volunteer Ada Rairigh, from Alexandria, Va., has lived in Martin County for 14 months. Through her work in CAP’s outreach program, Ada has learned much about the county, particularly from and about low-income people. A retired employee of the federal government, Ada believes that through political action, its citizens can improve life in Martin County. “People here have to start to get noisy. They have to vote, and if things don’t go right, they have to send letters to Con­ gress. Somebody has to be a loud voice,” Ada said. During her time in Kentucky, Ada has developed a love for the dulcimer, a stringed mountain instrument. After returning to her home in Virginia, Ada is coming back to enroll at Morehead State University in Rowan County to pursue study in mountain music.

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Her love for Martin County, and for the mountains, has grown from the feeling that “people need someone to fight for them and support them,” Ada said. CAP outreach and elderly pro­ grams cooperate with other service providers in the county, including the Big Sandy Community Action Program, Appalachian Reach Out and Mountain Comprehensive Care (a mental health service). . Martin County was recently the focus of national news after 250 million gallons of coal slurry, a mix of water and coal waste, spilled into the waterways of Eastern Kentucky from a 72-acre coal waste impound­ ment pond owned by the Martin County Coal Company. The Envi­ ronmental Protection Agency is calling the spill one of the worst ecological disasters in the southeast­ ern United States, saying it will take more than six months to clean up. Through Operation Sharing, its inkind donation distribution program, CAP was able to distribute bottled water in both Martin and Lawrence counties, which took the worst of the initial impact of the spill. The coal industry has provided much of the economic activity in the county for many years, but the mechanization of the industry has translated into fewer jobs. “The jobs are risky, but they’re high paying,” said Melissa Vance, manager of CAP’s elderly services program and a longtime resident of the region. The soon-to-open federal prison and the jobs from the support industries that will follow will have an impact on the employment picture for young people in the county, Melissa said. “It’s a community that has a lot of potential,” she said. “And now that there will be more jobs, the economy will be better. With an improvement in education, we can teach children that there are other opportunities besides those in coal.” •

During 2001, The Mountain Spirit will profile counties in which CAP has a presence. This is the first o f those profiles.

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by Margaret Gabriel The title “Christian Appalachian Project” was carefully chosen by its founder, Father Ralph Beiting, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Lexington, Ky. When he was assigned to a four-county region in the Appalachian region of Ken­ tucky in 1950, Father Beiting’s task was to serve the few Catholics in the region, establishing churches and faith communities. When he is in a light mood, Father Beiting says that it took him a half a day every week to serve the sparse number of Catholics in the area, so he founded CAP to fill his time. When he’s speaking more seriously, though, Father Beiting says that his seminary training taught him that he was to serve all people, not just Catholic people. The needs of the people in that broader parish were physical as well as spiritual and he was called to help people meet those needs —

or more accurately, to help people help themselves to meet those needs. Although Father Beiting had lived and worked in the region since 1950, by the early 1960s he realized that the work was far more than one man could do alone and set out to establish an organization which would enable people to work toward the common goal of helping people in Appalachia to become self-sufficient. In naming the organization, Father Beiting wanted to identify the Appalachian region he had come to love, and he chose the word “project” because he intended it to be a working group of mudon-your-shoes people who would help find real solutions to problems of poverty. In naming his fledgling service organization, Father Beiting chose the broader term “Christian” rather than “Catholic,” because, he says,

he hoped to include all people of faith working together for the greater glory of God. More than 35 years later, CAP’s work force combines hundreds of people representing dozens of denominations. Indeed the organization’s work is so broad, so inclusive, that controller Jack Hamm, a member of the Jewish faith, feels comfortable working for CAP. The organization’s work, he explains, is perfectly in line with the Jewish tradition of tzedakah, the tradition of giving. Ministers of various denomina­ tions have a history of working for CAP human service programs, creating a rich tapestry of faith traditions, blending to serve all people in the name of Jesus. In 1990, a minister of the Chris­ tian Church joined CAP’s counsel­ ing service in Floyd County. While obtaining a master’s degree in

counseling from Eastern Kentucky brother in Lexington who was a University, Richard Ginn did his carpenter and he got me a job.” practicum with the Family Life Richard claims that he was a poor Counseling Service in Rockcastle carpenter, but because his boss liked County. “I was impressed with the him, he performed finishing work work they were doing; I wanted to for large retail stores in Lexington work for CAR I inquired about job while saving money to return to openings, but none were available,” graduate school in counseling. Richard recalls. Slowly, Richard said, he began to When a position opened in Floyd County, about 150 miles east of Richard’s home at that time, he was disap­ pointed it wasn’t closer, but the desire to work for CAP was strong. He decided to make the move, temporarily. “I wanted so much to be a part of the CAP family, but I emphasized that when a counseling position opened in the Mount Vernon area, I wanted to be considered.” Richard grew up in Lewis County, Ky., a rural county in the northeastern part of the state, but after moving to Floyd County and becoming involved with CAP’S work there, he found yet another home. When a job came available in Mount Vernon, he discovered that in Floyd County he had formed an attachment to both the people and the place and decided against applying for the position in Rockcastle County. Richard’s move to Floyd County had come after what Richard Ginn. he describes as the most difficult period of his life — a work through the pain of a marriage divorce after a marriage of 27 that unraveled. The divorce, he said, years. was a sin, one for which he has For over 20 years, Richard had repented and been forgiven. served as a full-time pastor of “I’ve learned that God forgives Christian churches in Kentucky, you of all or not at all. If we find Tennessee and Ohio. After his repentance, we will be forgiven. I divorce, though, he found himself like to think of it like the story of at loose ends. “Most Christian some boys who buried a dog. They churches believe that a minister put him in a hole and buried him all shouldn’t be divorced, so the first the way up, except the tail. Well, thing I tried to do was to find then every time they went by, they another job. I’d been in church pulled the tail, and after a while, the work for 20 years, so there wasn’t a more they pulled it, the more it lot I was suited for, but I had a stunk. If we keep pulling on our

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sins, like they did that dog’s tail, they’re just going to stink more and more. I consider that my sins have been buried by the blood of Christ and I’m not going to pull on it anymore,” Richard said. Richard believes that had it not been for his divorce, he would be working in full time ministry to this day, but his position as g assistant to CAP’s presi| dent, Mike Sanders, is the second best work he could be doing. When CAP began its work in Lawrence and Martin counties, Richard left the counseling service to work day-to-day with Father Beiting, who was assessing the needs of the counties and establishing programs to serve those needs. Today, Richard serves as Mike’s liaison to the programs in the Big Sandy region, and contin­ ues to assist Father Beiting, especially when his activities relate to CAP’s work. During his days of church service, Richard worked with ministerial associa­ tions that combined people of many different denomi­ nations. His work with CAP, though, has given him an even deeper look at the work that can be accom­ plished when people of faith put their differences aside for the common good. “We have a saying in the Chris­ tian Church. We say we’re not the only Christians, just Christians only.” In that tradition, Richard says, the Christian Church teaches that matters of opinion should not block fellowship between denomi­ nations. Among Christian traditions, Richard said, there are small differences, many of which are based more in tradition than the teaching of the Bible. “Jesus said,

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‘By this will all men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love for one another.’ That’s the acid test.” Richard literally practices what he preaches concern­ ing ecumenism: He, a minister ordained for the Christian Church, preaches part time at the Drift Presby­ terian Church in Floyd County. CAP co-worker Rose Price, a Presbyte­ rian, asked him to take the position in an interim capacity eight years ago. After the congrega­ tion hired a minister, they asked Richard to continue to preach twice a month. Although the church is 65 miles from Richard’s home (he now lives in Lawrence County), he remains close to the congregation. “They call me every week to tell me what’s going on, to let me know if anybody’s sick.” The Christian Church grew out of the Cane Ridge Revival in central Kentucky in the mid-1800s as an off shoot of the Presbyterians, Richard said. A major difference in the two denominations is the teaching about the method of baptism. While Presbyterians can choose sprinkling or immersion in their rite of baptism, the Christian Church believes that a person must be immersed. For that reason, Richard said, he does not participate in baptisms at Drift Presbyterian unless the individual or individuals have chosen immersion. The Christian Church teaches the importance of the Lord’s Supper, which is part of services every week, Richard said. “Scripture says

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that the disciples came together the first day of every week to break bread. He said, ‘Do this in remem­ brance of me.’ I don’t think that by remembering every week it be­ comes commonplace. I’ve ex­ plained that to friends by telling them that if I had a son who was killed, I’d want to remember him more than three or four times a year.” Richard treasures his relationship with CAP founder Father Ralph Beiting. Through Father Beiting, he has learned that much of what he heard about the Catholic faith when he was a boy was untrue. “I had heard that Catholics are only interested in money, not in people’s souls.” Richard chuckled and shook his head. “We heard they had good organization, but no salvation.” His work with Father Beiting, he said, has reinforced for him the importance of the teachings of Matthew 25:40 — “Inasmuch as

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you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” The tradition of social service in the Catholic Church, and Father Beiting’s personal philosophy, Richard said, is a tradition that he has adopted himself. “Jesus said feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and those will be the things that I’m judged on, not how many worship services I’ve attended or how well I’ve preached. I’ve learned a lot by working with Father Beiting. When I look at him, I see somebody who really cares about people and loves to help people. I’ve heard him say, ‘I’m serving Christ when I’m serving people.’” Richard points to the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion, saying that had other churches fallen in line with that position, “we wouldn’t have that monster in society today.”

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As grateful as Richard is for the place that CAP has in his work and in his life, he emphatically states that the organization should not and cannot substitute for membership in or participation with a church. “CAP programs can and should have a spiritual basis and CAP gives an opportunity to share with other denominations, but if you’re not involved with a church — which Christ purchased with his blood, according to Acts 20:28 — you can’t grow spiritually.” Spiritual growth through worship and other church activities enables people to strengthen their relation­

ship with God and will then lead them to another foundation of Christianity — relationships with other people. Voluntary daily prayer services are offered at most of the CAP offices throughout Kentucky and those who participate say they look forward to prayers as an important part of the day. “We go to be uplifted and to be encouraged, and there are several places that give that opportunity. People are encouraged by meeting for prayer at CAP, but if that’s what you depend on, you’ll be hurting. We’re lucky to have the opportunity at CAP that we have, but it can’t

replace going to church.” Richard believes that service to people in need is one of the most important outreaches for all churches, and an activity that should bring churches together. While the service that is performed by secular organizations is good, he regrets that it has given churches the opportunity to abdicate the responsibility to which they are called. “If churches did what they were supposed to do, what Jesus taught that we were supposed to do, there wouldn’t be any welfare,” Richard said. Working together for the common good is the glue that binds Christians together, Richard said. “I belong to the Christian Church, because I believe it is closer to the truth than any church I know, and it meets my needs and speaks the truth as I believe it. In John 6:53 Jesus said, ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in ye.’ What if someone dies and has never partaken in the Lord’s Supper? Will they have life? Did Jesus mean what he said? I hope that on the day of judgment, every person who has made a commitment to the Lord will be ushered into heaven. Our churches can tell us how they believe we can best make that commitment, but I have to live by the way I believe. The Christian Church teaches the truth the way I see it, but I don’t doubt that Father Beiting believes any less in his convictions than I believe in mine.” Regardless of one’s interpreta­ tion of truth, Richard feels certain that “God expects the best out of me.” Giving that best is his priority. “More than anything, else, I want my life to be pleasing to God. I pray that more than anything else, I will accomplish what God wants me to do with my life.” •

Margaret Gabriel, a form er CAP volunteer, is the editor o/The Mountain

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Beginning in Garrard, Rockcastle, Jackson and southern Madison counties, Father Beiting has started or encouraged programs in commu­ nities he served as pastor. Keeping with that custom, CAP expanded its activi­ ties into the Big Sandy Region upon Father Beiting’s move to Floyd County in 1981. When he became pastor of St. Jude Church in Louisa in 1991, CAP added the counties of Lawrence and Martin to its service area. When CAP begins serving a county, human service workers believe that several programs naturally interlock, reaching out to people in need. Outreach programs, those which serve people in crisis, are naturally those which people in high poverty areas need initially, so a CAP outreach program was one of the first started in Martin County. Like the outreach that CAP provides in over a dozen counties, the program in Martin County is a place where people can come for assistance in a crisis situation. CAP outreach programs, however, reach far beyond immediate crisis, and offer families the assistance they need to make long term changes in their lives that will lead to more security. In 1997, outreach workers in the Hagerhill region began a program called “Partners.” Workers de­ signed the program to provide intensive assistance to families, working with them to set goals and then helping them to take the steps necessary to reach those goals. Plans are individualized for each family and demand a great commit­ ment from both CAP and the family. CAP has several families who have been “Partners” for a

CAP Programs in

Martin County

Gary Williams, left, road foreman o f the Martin County highway department, helps unload a truck o f bottled water, a donation from Operation Sharing, fo r use during the county s recent water emergency. The disaster affected nearly 6500 homes in Martin County.

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number of years, and are beginning to achieve the goals that are enabling self-sufficiency. Despite the success of its Partners, CAP workers know that a family facing hunger or cold is in no way ready to begin making long-range plans for self-suffi­ ciency. For that reason, CAP also provides outreach through a progam it calls “Families in Crisis.” Lack of employment and education often leads families to find themselves unable to pay utility bills or feed and clothe their children. In such a situation, a family might not be prepared to address such topics as the need for increased education or effective budgeting, but through the contact with a CAP outreach worker, families can look at the possibility of beginning a partnership with CAP in the future. For many families throughout the region, a safe, affordable home has never been seen as a realistic goal. With the advent of the CAP housing program, though, that goal is within reach for families in Martin County. Families who apply to CAP for help with housing do so through the county’s outreach worker. If it is determined more than $500 worth of work is needed, the family is asked if they are willing and able to agree to the terms of repayment and helping with repairs. People who are willing, but question whether they are able to repay the cost of onethird of the materials, receive help in budgeting and planning from CAP’S outreach and housing workers. Although CAP helps very low income families to access sources of paying for decent housing, most families are required to make at least a small payment. Housing specialist Delinda Huff oversees work in Martin County, as well as Floyd, Knott, Johnson and Magoffin counties. Despite the need in the county, Delinda said,

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people have been slow to access support with housing. Several families have received minor re­ pairs, but fewer have made the com­ mitment to new home construction. Delinda has contacted other agencies in the county to make people aware that help with housing is available. “Appalachian Reachout [a Martin County service provider] does minor repairs, but there’s no Habitat for Humanity or any other group that helps with construction. But there’s such a big need for housing,” Delinda said. Like many of the counties that CAP serves, the population of Martin County is aging more quickly than the general population, creating a need for an elderly services program. The organization provides elderly services in eleven counties, and in each of them, services are tailored to meet the needs in that particular area. Fortyfive people in Martin County are served by volunteer John Gaither and his wife, Jean, who is the caseworker for the same number in Lawrence County. Although John and Jean each take primary respon­ sibility for their own county, they do their home visits together, according to Elderly Services manager Melissa Vance. John and Jean came to CAP from California, after John retired from his job as a self-employed machine operator. Jean had learned about CAP and its work after receiving letters and reading Father Beiting’s books. She felt called to volunteer work after John’s retirement and told him “CAP might be just what we’re looking for.” Much of John and Jean’s work between October and the end of 2000 focused on Thanksgiving and Christmas preparation and celebra­ tion, but after the first of the year they intend to focus on helping elderly people to achieve an increase in independence, John said. “We’d like to promote trust and cooperation for them.”

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Currently, John and Jean provide companionship and transportation for their elderly participants. For those who have family nearby, they like to encourage that family to become more involved, but that isn’t always possible, John said. If someone is marginally employed, he or she can’t always take time to attend to personal needs. “When that’s the case, we don’t ask questions, we just do what needs to be done.” In just a few months, John and Jean have met all of the participants in both counties, although, they admit that directions to homes were not always easy to follow in rugged Martin County. “We’d have something that said ‘turn at the big tree onto the gravel road. ’ Some­ times it was really hard,” John admitted. Martin County youth participate in camping, environmental and education programs at Camp Shawnee and Boone’s Landing. Although neither camp is located in their home county, boys and girls travel to Floyd and Lawrence counties to take advantage of the programs that are offered. CAP’s earliest tradition includes camping programs for boys. Cliffview Lodge in Garrard County was Father Beiting’s first outreach. By providing programs for the children in the area he hoped to be able to reach entire families, a strategy that proved to be sound. Boone’s Landing is the newest CAP camping facility. During the last two summers the camp has hosted children for both day and overnight camps. Upon completion it will provide camping experiences for entire families as well as children. As CAP becomes more familiar with Martin County, and Martin County becomes more familiar with CAP, it is hoped that services will expand and the number of programs offered with increase.

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Getting The lob Done

Operation Sharing manager Johnny Thompson and Rev. Everett Priddy, pastor o f Hyattsville Baptist Church in Lancaster. “Brother E, ” as he is known around CAP, and Hyattsville Baptist used $147,000 worth o f Operation Sharing materials fo r

Operation Sharing’s Church Partners

by Ike Adams — In 2000, Operation Sharing, the Christian Appalachian Project’s in-kind-donation distribution program, received more than $55 million worth of donated food, clothing, furniture, educational materials, household items, non­ prescription medical supplies, building materials, toys, office supplies and other goods. These gifts came mostly by tractor-trailer loads, from major corporations, other large non-profits and individual donors across the country to CAP’S warehouses in Corbin and Hagerhill, Kentucky.

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Students from Mountain Mission School Children s Home, Grundy Va., who receive donations through Gethsemane Baptist Church.

At the warehouses, these gifts are rapidly inventoried and just as rapidly re-distributed where they will do the most good by CAP programs and upwards of 1,300 other community-based non-profit groups, churches and schools scattered throughout the Appala­ chian region. CAP only keeps track of the groups it serves directly. Even by that limited standard, it is still a massive operation that enables the organization to serve all 13 Appalachian states, although the lion’s share is concentrated in the central part of the region where economic deprivation is most rampant. If you walk into the offices of most grass-roots service organiza­ tions in Eastern Kentucky and the West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee counties that border Kentucky, chances are very good that you will be invited to have a seat in a chair or on a sofa that the group received from Operation Sharing. Frequently the secretary or office manager who invites you in is sitting behind a desk and in a chair donated by Operation Sharing. CAP’S program and administrative offices, volunteer houses and summer camps are largely furnished in the same manner.

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School systems on extremely tight budgets receive a wide range of paper goods, writing implements and office supplies, as do service agencies of state and local govern­ ment, volunteer fire departments, health clinics, emergency shelters, food banks and a host of civic organizations. Groups that make affordable housing available to lowincome people receive paint, insulation, floor tile, wallpaper, siding and even windows and doors. The exact list of organizations that benefited from Operation Sharing last year alone is 43 pages long when the computer prints it out. A similar list of goods they received would fill several thousand pages. But when the lists are analyzed it becomes abundantly clear that one single group of recipient organizations makes far more utility of Operation Sharing than any other. “Churches,” said Johnny Thomp­ son, Operation Sharing’s assistant director, when asked if indeed there was a particular category of service groups that stuck out above the rest. “More than a third of the organiza­ tions on that list are churches and that’s not counting a large number of faith-based missions such as food banks, emergency shelters, Chris­ tian schools and so forth. Our donations made directly to churches

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were well over $20 million last year. And if you did include the other church-affiliated groups you’d probably be looking at more than $30 million; well over half our total impact,” Johnny said. There are any number of reasons why Operation Sharing has so much appeal to churches and vice versa. Churches in rural Appalachia tend to be small. Everybody in the congregation is apt to know everybody else on a first-name basis and, for that matter, many commu­ nities are so sparsely populated that everybody living there is apt to be acquainted with everybody else. In times of crisis such as house fires, severe illness or even death in a family, local churches are nearly always the first to respond. In short, the surest way to find out what is going on in an Appalachian community is to visit its local churches. CAP relies heavily on churches to reach hundreds of thousands of people that its staff and programs cannot serve directly. In turn, churches rely heavily on Operation Sharing for a wide range of food, clothing and material donations used to carry out their missions of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, alleviating human suffering and making their communities better places to live. The ways they go about accomplishing those missions are as varied and original as the churches themselves. Of the 440 churches that received assis­ tance from Operation Sharing last year, 23 made use of donations totaling more than $ 100,000 each. For a closer look at exactly what these donations mean to the recipients, the balance of this story will focus on three of them.

CAP Helps Solve Problems Liberty Pentecostal Church is located near the Harlan-Bell county line in the far southeastern comer of Kentucky in a little community called Molus. From the ridgeline it is easy to see across a scant few

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miles into the stark gray mountains of both Virginia and Tennessee even when the weather isn’t clear. This is about as rugged as the hill country gets. Almost all the mining jobs that once caused the area to bustle with economic activity are long gone. The residents fortunate enough to have employment drive many miles to work. Some are disabled by black lung or live on sparse retirement benefits. Some receive meager subsidies from the state. Not only are the economic times hard, but there are few opportunities for recreation and socialization for local youth. The congregation of Liberty Pentecostal Church decided that was a problem it could do something to solve. There was enough carpentry, welding, plumb­ ing and electrical wiring talent in the community to do the work if they could come up with the materials to build a building. In short order, plans were laid to construct the Dale Johnston Memorial Youth Center. Carol Parrett, Operation Sharing’s warehouse manager, pulls out a three-ring binder with 32 pages of photographs that show the center in various stages of construction that was sent to her by one of the church leaders. The captions on these photo­ graphs waste no words. A handdrawn arrow points to the side of the building. “Wonder Board from CAP,” it says under the arrow. “We gave them the siding,” says Carol as she displays the book. On the next page are pictures of walls filled with many bats of insulation. “Insulation from CAP,” the caption indicates. There is a loaded-down truck parked by the building with “Chairs and file cabinets from CAP.” Turn the pages and there are photographs of kitchen cabinets from CAP, more chairs from CAP, wallpaper from CAP, Weaver cloth on tables from CAP, commodes

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from CAP, restroom vanity from CAP, metal rails for walls from CAP, tables from CAP, Flex-Con Housewrap from CAP. Toward the end of the album there are pictures that need no caption. Half a dozen long tables are covered with home-cooked dishes and desserts to celebrate the grand opening of the youth center. “They supplied the food and did the cooking them­ selves,” says Carol, Members o f the Holston United Methodist Home fo r “but all those Children in Greenville, Tenn., examine a donation o f books plastic photo covers from Operation Sharing. and the binder itself came from Operation Sharing.” Carol Parrett pulls out another Operation Sharing’s total three-ring binder that looks con­ donations to Liberty Pentecostal spicuously like the one from Liberty Church last year amounted to Baptist Church except that it is $108,000. much, much thicker. In fact it is “Helping others help them­ about 300 pages thick and while selves,” goes the CAP motto and to perhaps two dozen of the pages are see a classic example of that photo album stock, this album is philosophy at work you need look divided by little tabs that lead the no further than the Dale reader to “Letters,” “Church List,” Johnston Memorial Youth Center. “Mountain Mission School,” “Holston Home,” “Baptist “Just last year!” Children’s Home.” Most of its Fifty or so miles from Molus, as contents are printed material and it the crow flies across Big Black looks as though some tedious effort Mountain, the highest peak in might have been necessary to cram Kentucky, sits the Virginia hamlet in the last few pages. of Richlands, home to Gethsemane The outside cover of the binder is Baptist Church which Operation entitled “Operation Sharing, Sharing supported to the tune of Christian Appalachian Project, nearly three quarters of a million Ministry Report, Gethsemane dollars in the most recent fiscal Baptist Church, Richlands, Virginia, year. Richlands is in the center of a September, 2000.” The text is large portion of east Tennessee and surrounded by an artistic rendering southwest Virginia that was once of some forty people of various dependent on a now-dead coal ages and ethnic origins holding industry. Still, at first glance that hands and smiling. The binder and sounds like just what it is; a lot of its contents weigh seven pounds. support for one church. “We ask [organizations] to send

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Feeding the Hungry

i The little town of Barbourville is -< s just twenty miles down Interstate 75 fi from Corbin, Ky., the location of — ^ 8 Operation Sharing’s largest warez! house. Barbourville is the county seat of Knox County and as long as a visitor sticks close to town there’s not much visible sign that anything is amiss. There are half a dozen well-kept baseball fields in a large athletic complex and a city park that is the envy of several surrounding counties. One of Kentucky’s most Christian Life Fellowship Church distributes food to needy people in Barbourville, Ky. prestigious private colleges, Union College, is located right in town. us a report on how they made use of ministries on this end. There are numerous local retailers We are looking forward to our donations,” said Carol. “We that seem to be faring well. another wonderful year o f working usually get a page or two from each “It is deceiving,” said David together doing the Lord ’s work. organization, but as you can see, Shelton, pastor of Christian Life Gethsemane takes us seriously. And Sincerely, Fellowship Church which last year Alice Brown this is just what they did last year!” received nearly $150,000 in Remember that list of materials The very first page in the book — donated goods from Operation and other things that would fill a letter — explains it all. several thousand Dear Carol, pages described at It has truly been a wonderful the beginning of this year o f sharing the materials the article? Gethsemane Christian Appalachian Project has Baptist Church has sent to us. I have enclosed cards made use of some of and copies o f letters that came in everything. during the past year. There have Gethsemane has also also been countless expressions of shared its bounty gratitude that are not in print. with more than 200 The second section in the other churches of notebook is a listing o f the minis­ practically every tries we support, other than churches. The churches are listed in denomination imaginable through­ the third section. Both o f these out southwest listings are incomplete. There have Virginia and east been many opportunities o f out­ reach that are not recorded. Tennessee. More than 50 other “non­ The last three sections represent church” ministries in three children’s homes we are also that service area also supporting. I hope the information received donated on each helps you feel the same blessing we received in sharing with goods from CAP through Gethsemane them the materials you sent. None Baptist Church. o f these ministries would have been Suffice to say that reached without you and the CAP ministry. CAP appreciates the people at Please let the others at CAP Although the town o f Barbourville looks prosper­ Gethsemane at least know how much we appreciate all ous, there are people well served by the outreach o f as much as they the work that has taken place on Christian Life Fellowship Church. appreciate CAP. your end in order to provide for

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Sharing. “When you get three miles out of town and into some of the hollows and smaller communities, it doesn’t take you long to realize that hundreds of people in this county stay on the verge of starva­ tion.” Indeed, the statistics bear him out. Median family income in Knox County is less than $18,000, well under half the national median. More than 11,000 Knox The cabinets in the kitchen o f Liberty Pentecostal Church in Molus, Ky., were supplied by Opera­ Countians, 36 tion Sharing. percent of the population, live below the poverty level and nearly half of those are elderly or children feel like they need it, they should still use all the help we can get.” • under 12. come to the church. There are never “We are a relatively small any leftovers and sometimes the Stories similar to those of Liberty congregation, fewer than a hundred line reaches for several blocks. Pentecostal, Gethsemane Baptist members,” said Pastor Shelton, “but We’ve had people stand in line for and Christian Life Fellowship we have a calling to be of service to over an hour in the rain to get a churches that illustrate the way our neighbors and the best thing we gallon of orange juice and nobody hundreds of other congregations can do is help to keep them from is going to do that unless they need help CAP carry out its mission going hungry. Most of what we get it,” he said. would fill several books. In fact, it’s from CAP is food and it goes out as In addition to food boxes, the probably safe to say that a book fast as we can bring it in.” church also prepares about 350 hot could be written about any single The church owns a delivery truck meals on Saturdays. “Someone in one of them. with a large cargo box that picks up the church put up a Web site to “The best thing that can be said donated foodstuffs within a 200show what we were doing and all of about our church partnerships is that mile radius of Barbourville. Rooms a sudden someone called and we couldn’t do our work without in the basement are fdled with offered us a stove to cook on and it them and they couldn’t do nearly as cereal, canned goods, bread, frozen turned out to be a very nice stove,” much without us,” said Johnny food and staples and then emptied he said, pointing to a professional Thompson. “It’s just the way God out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On gas range with 14 burners and three uses us to get the job done.” • average, church members provide ovens that would be the envy of the 620 food boxes a month, each Ike Adams, a native o f Letcher County, master chef in any five-star restau­ Ky., works fo r the Federation o f containing about $40 worth of food. rant. Appalachian Housing. He has also “CAP frequently has perishable Pastor Shelton could not remem­ served on the board o f the Mountain food such as bakery items, fresh ber the URL for the church’s Web Association fo r Community and fruit and vegetables, bottled juice site because he doesn’t have much Economic Development fo r over 20 and other stuff that will not keep time for computers, but he said that years. more than a day or two and they if readers typed Christian Life know we can distribute it in a Fellowship Church into a search hurry,” said Pastor Shelton. “We get engine they would be led right to it. on the radio and tell people what we “I don’t know where we would be have and that if they are hungry or without CAP,” he said, “but we can

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Jim and Sylvia Schaefer

Jim and Sylvia Schaefer

Nearly twenty years ago Sylvia Schaefer attended a dinner at the Carousel Inn in her hometown of Cincinnati. Hosted by the Christian Appalachian Project, the featured after-dinner speaker was Father Ralph Beiting. CAP’s development department had arranged the event as an effort to give supporters in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky an opportunity to meet Father Beiting and hear first-hand of his work and that of the organization he founded in 1964. Although Sylvia had never met Father Beiting, she was aware of the

organization as well as its founder. “The son of a friend of my mother’s was a preacher and years ago he took my mother to hear Father Beiting speak [after he first began working in Appalachia].” For as long as she can remember, Sylvia said, her mother collected clothing and household goods and delivered them to the CAP used clothing store in Berea. Father Beiting frequently speaks of the support he received in the early days of the organization, from his parents, Ralph and Martha Beiting, his ten brothers and sisters,

and the people of Northern Ken­ tucky who rallied to lend help. That support enabled Father Beiting to begin his ministry of reaching out to people in need in the Appalachian region. Surely, his love for his native region energized Father Beiting’s efforts at the Carousel Inn. “I still remember the talk he gave that night,” Sylvia recalled. The power of Father Beiting’s stories of the families in the area, their efforts to provide for their children and CAP’s work to help with those efforts, motivated Sylvia not only to continue her mother’s custom of

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collecting clothing and household goods for twice-yearly delivery, but to seek other ways to help the organization. “It all goes back to Father Beiting,” Sylvia said, “and the way the people were and how they made us feel when we came down. They let us know that CAP was really helping people.” Sylvia’s husband, Jim, has been a crucial part of the activity benefit­ ing CAP. A talented woodworker and a member of the Cincinnati Woodworkers’ Club, Jim turned his hand at fashioning toys for distribu­ tion through CAP’s Christmas basket program. “That first year, we sent eight toys,” Jim recalled. The next year, other woodworkers became involved. “I was tickled that we sent 14 the next year and then 20 the year after that. After that, it just snowballed.” For Christmas, 2000, the 110 members of the Cincinnati Wood­ workers’ Club contributed 230 hand-crafted toys to CAP for Christmas presents to the children of Appalachia. But that’s not all, Jim and Sylvia point out. People who are motivated to help but do not have the talent for handcrafts have contributed hundreds of storebought toys. The total is well over 700. CAP Christmas baskets are donated primarily by people who sponsor individual families. Extra toys, however, are always needed for baskets that miss the delivery deadline or for families who experience crisis after CAP’s deadline to apply to receive a basket has passed. Toys that Jim and Sylvia collect enable CAP to add gifts to baskets, according to program coordinator Brenda Watts. A stuffed animal in addition to a toy or a game can make Christmas bright for a child who knows only poverty throughout the year, Brenda said. The handmade toys are divided between Christmas baskets and CAP programs, said planned giving

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assistant director Teresa McAnly. “The larger toys, like the Alpine slides and the big puzzles, go to the child and family development centers, the spouse abuse shelters and Family Life Services. Those are really community toys, so if we put them in the pro­ grams, more children can enjoy them, which is really neat,” Teresa said. Dolls and toys that can be cuddled, Teresa said, have a therapeutic value for children in CAP spouse abuse shelters, many of whom have been through traumatic experiences of domestic violence. “Some of the handmade Raggedy Anns are adopted by kids and they’ll get to take them home.” The couple’s support of CAP has expanded to include involvement in the annual golf tournament at Latrobe County Club in Pennsylvania, for Jim and the members o f the Cincinnati which Jim makes silent Woodworkers Club sent 230 handmade toys to auction items, as well as CAP for Christmas, 2000. favors for those who partici­ pate. An avid golfer, Jim recruits we’ve told them what we’ve seen. players for the tournament, in Our friends tell others — to us, it’s addition to his other contributions. just amazing,” Sylvia added. Jim’s and Sylvia’s enthusiasm is The example of the Schaefers, buoyed by visits to CAP headquar­ Ben said, has motivated other ters and the trips that vice president donors to become involved in Bqn Prewitt makes to speak to CAP’s work in a similar way, supporters who have become prompting the organization to honor interested in CAP’s work through the couple on National Philanthropy the Schaefers’ efforts. Ben gives a Day in 2000. first-hand picture of the needs of the “CAP’s goal is really to form region, the work that CAP does to partnerships with communities and meet those needs and the impor­ with donors. Jim and Sylvia aren’t tance of the support received from just talking the talk, they’re walking the Cincinnati area. People who the walk,” Ben said. “Whether attend his appearances frequently they’re attending a black-tie fund­ offer suggestions of new ways that raiser, standing on a river bank, as folks can become involved with they did during Father Beiting’s CAP’s work. boat trip, or making toys, people The Schaefers modestly deny any like the Schaefers are CAP. Our extraordinary effort. “We don’t have work isn’t done by any individual, to give a testimonial for CAP. When but all the people together are God’s our friends hear about CAP, its hand at work. By using their time, message and mission, people want talent, energy and finacial re­ to be involved,” Jim said. sources, Jim and Sylvia are being “People believe in CAP because Christ-like. It’s awesome.”

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M aking Choices — M aking Plans After many years of marriage Donna found herself single with three children to support. When she applied for welfare, Donna learned that she was would have to participate in a program that would enable her to learn the job skills she would need to leave the welfare rolls in the required two years. “She was hesitant to make a commitment to come to class every day, but she really didn’t have much of a choice,” said Sheila Patton, who manages the Christian Appalachian Project JobStart program in Magoffin County. A welfare check for three children paid $320 a month. The job skills she would learn in the CAP training program would enable her to improve her family’s standard of living. Donna had previous job experience when she began the program; now she’s displaying a knack for computers. “She’s a whiz,” Sheila said. This aptitude will well equip Donna for office and clerical work, said JobStart teacher Miranda Joseph. Her winning, outgoing personality would make her a top-notch receptionist or secretary, and although she has completed the JobStart curriculum she continues to go in to the classroom at the CAP offices in Salyersville almost every day to improve her typing speed. Donna is one of several who continue to work on their skills as they apply for jobs. In 2000, 43 women have enrolled in JobStart in the Magoffin County office. Nearly half of them have completed the four-month program and then returned to school or joined the work force, Sheila said. Recently Donna told Sheila and Miranda that she and her husband were reconciling. Through JobStart, Miranda said, Donna has not only acquired the skills she needs to return to work, but she has learned coping skills for handling crisis. “Even in the hardest times, she is blessed with the selfconfidence she needs to persevere and succeed,” Miranda said. Because she is no longer so financially strapped, Donna has the opportunity to make choices about returning to work or staying home with her children, ages 17, 14 and 6. Through the generosity of CAP donors, JobStart was launched in Magoffin County, and has grown steadily over the last three years. Your donation of $25, $40, $75 — more, if you’re able — for use where it’s needed most can give people like Donna the opportunity to make choices many of us take for granted.

Ptverty in Kentucky • Seven counties in Eastern Kentucky are included on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau list of the fifty poorest counties in the nation. • Three of those counties are locations of CAP human services programs; all have organizations that receive goods from Operation Sharing. • Owsley County, which has CAP outreach, elderly services, housing and job training programs, currently ranks as the seventh poorest county in the country, but in 1997 ranked as number five. • In 1997, nearly 65 percent of the children in Owsley County were considered poor. Currently, the estimate of poor children in the county is just over 50 percent. _______________________ o

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