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Kentucky River Soundings Publisher.............................CAP Editor-in-Chief............................. Father Ralph Beiting Editor, Writer, Photographer . . . . Henry Gilbert Design A rtist.........Phillip Gilbert
Vol. II
No. 5
Celebrate America's Bicentennial by Voting
Published monthly by Christian A ppalachian Project (CAP). Entered as third class matter at Camp Nelson Post Office, Camp Nelson, Kentucky 40444. Subscription rate in U.S. is $3.00 per year. A ddress all cor respondence to Kentucky River Soundings, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 40444. ______________
Truth is the will and p u rpose of G od in man —Kahlil Gibran
by Father Beiting It is hoped that in the concluding months of this year, 1976, that we shall not forget the Bicentennial Celebration that is a part of our year long obser vance. Rather than parades and special works of art and things of this nature that we often bring forth to celebrate an occasion such as this, this paper would like to suggest that one of the finest ways that the people of America could celebrate the Bicentennial this year is to exercise their God given right to vote. The findings in recent polls taken throughout the country have been a discouraging aspect for this paper, as I am sure for you. These polls indicate that it is quite likely that less than fifty percent of the eligible voters in America shall vote this year. This apathy, supposedly is based on the fact that neither candidate has elicited the enthusiastic support of the majority of the people. While this may be an accurate state ment, it should not be one that would in cline us to refrain from voting. A wise person always picks the lesser of two evils, if this is a fair way of putting the problem. If we are not completely satisfied with any one of the people who may be involved for any office, it would seem to be work of wisdom to pick the one that there is the least objection to. A growing pattern of non-voting in this country is certainly one of the major causes for the political scandals that we read about. If more and more of our people voted, the politicians would be aware of the fact that they are responsi
ble to all the people and not just a tiny handful whom them might manipulate and gain control. In the month of November, which comes at the end of this Bicentennial year, perhaps the greatest Bicentennial celebration in America would be if all of our people would vote. While this paper does not take a public stand on either the two can didates, it does take a public stand that the only way America can remain stand ing strong is if all our people vote.
Response to a Letter by Father Beiting One of our subscribers to the Soundings made a suggestion to us in a letter he sent to us, saying that he would like a greater mention of God in our paper and of the work of religion. We appreciate this comment and many others that we have received. We would like to emphasize the fact that we are “Christian” Appalachian Project and the concept of God and Christ are the basis upon which we perform all the work that we do. That without the deep
realization that God exists and that He is present in each of us, we would not have the courage or the p e rse v e ra n e ^ ^ begin and continue the works t h a t ^ ^ have. All of our camp programs have an element of prayer in them during the course of each day. Morning and even ing prayers, as well as prayers before and after meals are an attempt on our part to make them aware of God’s generosity to them and the fact that God has moved other people to be generous so that they may have the things that they enjoy at camp. Our Bible School programs, are of course, entirely geared to make the children conscious of God in a world in which they live and of His enduring love for them, and that they would indeed have His support and help if they only asked for it. It would be impossible for us to think of the work of the elderly without a con stant concern about God. The elderly, perhaps more than any others realize that as their life comes to an end, God is after all the most important element that has been present in it. Even in the matters of business, feel the presence of God very m u ro Before we begin a new enterprise, we take ourselves to prayer and ask God’s enlightenment, if it is wise or not. We constantly ask his guidance on how it should be operated and how we should proceed in the matter, etc. We, like most people, find at times, it difficult to stress the importance of God and at the same time to remain neutral as to the religious affiliation concerned. We strive and endeavor in all respects to encourage the work of all religions. We hope that in this way, the people will find a continuing sourse of strength in the presence of God. We try from time to time in all of our articles to bring that element in. We also would like to avoid a sacchrine approach to religion where everything has to be saturated of holy things. We feel that God ought to be brought into every element and aspect of our lives, but in a natural flowing way. We appreciate the letter that our friend has sent to us reminding us that people who read the Soundings are deeply concerned about God and hope that they will find in what we an example of those who are truly cooncerned about God and wish to share that concern about God with others.
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Volunteer Mary Anne Bernini (right), manager of the Mt. Vernon A t tic, and Lisa Owens see that the clothes are in order.
The flttics Serve the Needy by Henry Gilbert Much publicity surrounds the ac tivities of the Christian Appalachian Pro ject (CAP) and especially Camp Nelson, but no less important are the four Attics, |h e used clothing outlets operated by H A P - T o a lot of people in the areas of Mt. Vernon, Berea, McKee, and Lan caster, the Attics hold an important place in the community because, except for these used clothing outlets some people wouldn’t be able to send their children to school properly dressed. More importantly, warmly dressed. This is where a lot of people go to buy clothing for the beginning of school and other occasions. The articles for sale in each outlet for, the most part, are donated from all over the United States. A few things are bought, mostly seconds for the conve nience of the needy. Sometimes twenty-five packages in a day are delivered to Lancaster to be sold at a price anyone can pay. Originally the clothing was given to the people, but this didn’t work out very well so now a small price is attached to every article. The price is set according to the economic situation of the family. Just as important as the service the Attics offer are the volunteers that manage these Attics. Take Mary Anne Bernini, a medical secretary from Springfield, Massachusetts. She quit her job to come to Kentucky to work for
Veteran volunteer Doris Anglin (left) of Berea, manager of the Berea Attic is assisted by Mrs. Marie Ramsey, also of Berea.
CAP as a vounteer. This is what you would call a real dedication to a cause. Mary Anne is happy here and hopes to stay for quite a while. The other volunteers are just as enthusiastic.
fin Eye to the Future CflP to Continue Christmas Basket Program While Christmas is still several months away, the program that we have spon sored for many years is the Christmas Basket Program, that includes not mere ly food, but toys and clothing as well. We would like to make an appeal now to our readers to assist us in acquiring these items for the families of Eastern Kentucky. We anticipate that this Christmas we will be helping approximately three hun dred families in this respect. We would very much like to have the means necessary to do this. We ask you to begin to save food, or to encourage other people to get involved in this pro gram of saving food. We also would like to have toys. Clothing, of course, is an ever present need, but especially will this be true in the Christmas season. All additional information concerning this program and how you may particiapte in this can be acquired by writing to the Soundings.
Doris flnglin— Em ployas of tha Month Doris Anglin, has been selected as the Employee of the Month from the CAP Family. Doris is in charge of the Attic, our rummage store at Appalachian Village, south of Berea, Kentucky. Doris has been with the Christian Ap palachian Project in its many endeavors for twelve years. From the very inception of the rum mage store in Berea, she has been the person who has been responsible for its well-being. Over four or five moves, occurred from one location to another with the rummage store, before a final home was found for it at Appalachian Village. In all of these activities Doris has been the guiding light and stabilizing in fluence. She and her husband, Bill, and their two children, Johnnie and Renee, live just south of Berea. She is well-known to the people in the community, having lived there for over twenty-five years. She is one of those people that every organization would be proud of, a capable and qualified individual with an outgoing spirit and a genuine interest and love for the people with whom she lives. We are very proud of Doris’ contribu tion to our work and hope that many years will be granted to her to continue the influence she has exercised in the Appalachian Village complex.
4 Camp Artdraw Jackson Available to Many Groups The shouts of children and the joy of camping are quiet now at Camp An drew Jackson, located in the hills of Jackson County in Southeastern Ken tucky. During the course of the summer, CAP had a program, whereby sixty children a week came for six weeks. These children were from all over eastern Kentucky. This was followed by an additional week of camping where another sixty children came. This was sponsored by the Foster Parents Association of the State of Kentucky. These children came from all sections of Kentucky. At the present time, the Camp is in volved with its fall and winter program. This makes the facilities of the camp available on weekends to various groups. Church groups of all kinds, col leges and civic organizations, use it for seminars, retreats, for spiritual renewal programs, whatever seems to be the particular need they have. We feel extremely gratified that the Camp not merely answers a need dur ing the summer time for the children, but can service their parents, and their older brothers and sisters in the remain ing part of the year. Mr. Gene Hensley is our Camp Direc tor and lives at the camp locations. At the present time, he is supervising the completion of a new building which will serve as his office and living quarters and thereby make more portions of the camp available to the children and to the various groups that come to use the camp. This is the only facility of its nature within a five or six county area and serves a very real purpose to allow the people of the area to get together and to talk and to plan and work out extremely important elements of their social life. We feel particularly pleased because once again, it is any analysis of what the real needs of the people are and the response on the part of CAP to answer those needs and to make the facilities available. The camping program for next year has already been enlarged. The Foster Parent Association is going to be utiliz ing the Camp for two weeks, instead of one. This means that there will be a solid bracket of eight weeks during the course
Much Damage to Mountain Roads Coal Trucks in Violation of Overloading by Father Beiting On a recent trip through the various counties of Eastern Kentucky, I have noticed some deplorable conditions that I think call for immediate action. The deplorable condition of which I am speaking is the condition of many of the roads in Eastern Kentucky. Certain sections, such as the portion of Ken tucky Route 28 that goes through Owsley, Perry, and Breathitt Counties, is at places, almost unpassable. The damage done to the roads, has been done by overloaded coal trucks, bring ing coal out of the various mining opera tions to the tipples in other parts of the county. What complicates this problem even more is the fact that many of these roads, and particularly Kentucky Highway 28, services one of the more beautiful Kentucky State Parks. For travellers coming into that area from the north, which is the major direction of the traffic flow, they have to go over a seven mile section of this road, which is, at times, almost unpassable. Another section of highway is a coun ty road in Jackson County and this too, services a camp area that has been set aside for the use of the children of the Eastern Kentucky area. This too, has been caused by overweight coal trucks. In speaking to a local store keeper, I asked him what he thought about the condition of the road and what it was doing to his business. He said that he ex perienced a considerable loss of business for himself and he knew that
the state park had to suffer in the same way, because of the condition of the road. The road would, in all likelihood, not be torn up had it not been for the fact that the coal trucks that were bring ing the coal from their strip mining sites to the tipples, were overloaded. They were carrying far more weight than the law allows them to do. This editorial seeks in no way to discourage the facts of strip mining as such. But what it does do is to call attention to the fact that despite the fact that we have many laws on the books, apparantly if there is enough financial pressure put on the State, that many of the regulations can be overlooked. This is a tragedy that af fects the county, and the entire tourist business in Kentucky as well as the local residents. It could be that many times the in spectors are overworked and they can not get to every place. It would seem to me that no matter how overworked an inspector would be, the very fact that they would from time to time, tra j^ B road, would indicate to them that mis road is completely torn up and it could only have happened because of the overweight trucks. We call for more and more citizens to write to their state government to en courage them to enforce the rules that are on the books, so that the roads that are there to service the entire communi ty, may be used for the community and not for one simple, single industry who violates the law in making the profits that they presently enjoy.
Common Man The man who inherits his wealth builds his m ansion with m oney taken from the weak and poor. —Kahlil Gibran
of the summer when children will be coming from all over the state.
Ignored by the intellectual as too common. Passed over by the do-gooder as too sufficient, Common man stands alone. He does not become a king, Composes no great poems, Writes no significant books, Paints no masterpieces, Splits no atoms, Leads no conquering armies, All he does is the world’s work, Maintains civilization values, Pays the nation’s bills, Fights his country’s battles, And gives stability to the social order.
5 The new volunteer corps has been selected for the year of 1976 and 1977. the present time there are thirteen pMunteers coming from various states throughout the Eastern and Central sec tion of the United States. They are involved in many facets of the work that we are doing here in the Eastern Kentucky area. One serves as a nurse in a local hospital. Two are in volved in the work of the elderly, and have an extended program designed for their benefit. Two others are involved in medical transportation, whereby they furnish the only transportation some of the poor people of the area have. This transportation enables them to get to the doctors and the hospitals that they are in need of. Still others operate the various Attics, our rummage stores, that make used-clothing available to the peo ple of the area. Three of our volunteers are involved in teaching in the Child D evelopm ent C enters that are established in two of the counties that we serve. Another is setting up a wood working shop for the young people of the area who are without work and who have dropped out of school. Others again are involved with the office work ecessary to keep a volunteer program Ping, and for the general overall work that needs to be done. The volunteers range in age from twenty-one all the way up to until their late sixties. Without their dedicated ser vice, it would be impossible for us to carry on many of the programs that are presently contributing to the well-being of the people of Eastern Kentucky. There is the need at the present time for additional volunteer help, especially in the area of teachers for Child Development Centers, for people in volved in the Attics or rummage stores, some work that would involve cooking, and construction work. Inquiries concerning possible volunteer service in,the coming year for the Christian Appalachian Project, should be addressed to the Soundings, 217 Lexington Street, Lancaster, Ken tucky 40444.
PROGRESS Modern technology has de veloped a 15-cent soda can, which, when discarded, will last forever—and a $5,000 car which, when taken care of, will rust out in two to three years.
L-R, volunteers Kathy O ’Donnell, Mary Anne Crea, Sister Louise Jacoby, Rick Lang, and Pat Sullivan are seeing what is cookin’in the kit chen at Lancaster. Here on this day, Mary Anne Crea is doing the cook ing chore.
Thirteen New Volunteers Do Many Jobs Without Their Service, it Would be Difficult to Carry on the Work of CfiP
Ric O'Connell to Head New Woodworking Project
Mr. Ric O’Connell has joined the volunteer, force of CAP to help establish and set up a woodworking program that will make furniture. The program will have a t'wo-fold aspect. One will be to furnish training and job experience to people who are in need of some skill and of a new direction in their lives. The second aspect will be turn out fine furniture and to employ people in the area to bring this about. In future issues of the Soundings, the types of furniture available from this shop, will be advertised and the prices for them will be published.
Rick Lang to Head Fond Raising Mr. Rick Lang has assumed the new role in the volunteer ranks, whereby he will use his training to help interest foun dations and private individuals in mak ing grants and donations to the various activities and works of the Christian Ap palachian Project. Mr. Lang is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati. He will be headquartered in Lancaster..
Food for Thought How to be a Whole Person Smile: It’s the melody of the soul. Work: It’s the service of the spirit. Play: It’s the secret of youthfulness. Read: It’s the source of wisdom. Love: It’s the gift of the Heart. Pray: It’s the answer to every need.
6 Editor’s note: The following story was written by Mr. Jess D. Wilson, a well known Jackson County historian, civic leader, and editor-writer of the “Rural Kentuckian," a magazine for REA subscribers. Mr. Wilson was most cooperative in giving us information on points of interest in Jackson County and other interesting data on Eastern Ken tucky.
Going too "Burying" by Jess W ilson
In 1922, Mr. D.R. Allen of Bond, Ken tucky made an application for reim bursement to the Bureau of Pension for expenses he had incurred in the last ill ness and burial of his mother Esther Allen, the widow of Civil War soldier Corporal James G. Allen of Company B, 7th Kentucky Infantry. He was known as River Jim. Following is a list of his expenses: One bottle of medicine bought and paid for by myself $ 1.00 Nursing and care 10.00 Paid for lumber for coffin 5.80 Burial clothes and lining, etc. 7.65 Total $24.45 This was followed by the question “Is the above a complete list of all the ex penses of the last sickness and burial of the deceased pensioner?” The answer was “Yes”. Those of us fortunate enough to have been born and lived in the time when a funeral was a community “happening” know how this funeral was conducted. Some of the men gathered at a barn or millshed and made the coffin and rough lumber vault box. Other men gathered at the cemetery to dig the grave. The women gathered at the home and cooked the meal and if necessary made the clothing for the deceased.
Everyone pitched in and had a job to do. Even the boys were called on to go for tools or carry drinking water. The corpse was bathed and dressed by some neighbors and “laid out” on a bed in the spare room until the coffin was finished. The preacher and late comers ar rived. When all was ready, about 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, there was a religious service. Then the coffin was placed on a farm wagon pulled by a gentle team and everyone followed it to the foot of the graveyard hill. The coffin was carried up the hill and placed by the open grave. After a short prayer the carpenter would come forward and nail up the coffin. This sound of hammering as the cof fin was closed would sound across the hills. It was a mournful music that seemed even to echo the driving of nails in the hand of Him who was crucified. It was an eternal sound that seemed to knit together everything that had ever happened to that which was to come. I have often thought that there was a kind of therapy for the community in everyone having to get involved. It was so much more satisfying to be a part of a common effort than it is to call the flower shop after you have decided whether to send a 5, 10 or 20 dollar bunch of flowers.
There Is No Better Way To Show Love For Your Country Than By Supporting The One Institution That Has Made It G reat... The Church.
A man is never so tall as when he stoops to help a child.
Country # Nostalgia Gone but not Forgotten by Henry Gilbert “Going to a Burying”, by Jess Wilson, takes me back to my boyhood days in the small Laurel County community of Blackwater. When someone “passed on” in the community, my father, John S. Gilbert, frequently took on the task of making or supervising the making of the coffin. By today’s standards these cof fins were no works of art as all the work was accomplished with crude tools. He even helped build his own mother’s cof fin. How different today, with the $150.00 w reaths, the $2,500110 caskets, and the $1,000.00 concret*® metal vaults. Perhaps the funeral should be forgotten. My father would never charge for the labor or the lumber that he used, for this would have been disrespectful to the deceased. I remember how the bottom and top took the shape of the typical coffin— wide near the middle and tapered toward the end. To make the sides fit the bottom and top, the wood was scored with a hand-saw at the bend and boiling water from an old black tea kettle was poured over the wood to make the soft yellow poplar pliable. Then, the wood could be shaped to fit the near diamond shaped top and bot tom. Wood screws or nails secured the sides to the bottom. After the coffin was finished (this took most of the day) it was lined wth cotton and covered with bleached muslin or sheeting, then tacked to the wood. The outside was covered with black or white cloth and usually metal handles were fastened to the sides to make the coffin more easily carried and more decorated. Yes, everyone just “pitched in” aad helped on these sad occasions. “Gone but not Forgotten” was the in scription that was to be engraved on many $15.00 tombstones in those days.
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On a summer’s day, when the waves were rippled, By the softest gentlest breeze, Did a ship set sail with its cargo laden, For a port beyond the seas. There were sweet farewells, there were loving signals, And her fate is yet unlearned, Though they knew it not, ’twas a solemn parting, For the ship, she never returned. Said a feeble lad to his anxious mother, I m ust cross the wide, wide sea, For they say perchance in a foreign climate, There is health and strength for me. ’Twas a gleam of hope in a maze of danger, Her poor heart for her youngest yearned.
But she sent him forth with a smile and blessing, On the ship th a t never returned. Only one more trip said a gallant captain As he kissed his weeping wife, Only one more bag of this golden treasure And ’twill last us all through life. Then we’ll settle down in our little cottage And enjoy the rest we’ve earned, But alas! poor man, fore he sailed commander, Of the ship th a t never returned. Did she ever return ? No, she never returned, And her fate is yet unlearned, Though they knew it not, ’Twas a solemn parting, For the ship she never returned.
Many of the songs of 5 0 years ago were written about tragedies. This song being no different. The Ship That Never Returned was recorded by the country singer H / the day, a washed out opera singer by the name of Vernon Dalhart. By 1926, he had recorded the first million seller, The Prisoner’s Song, his own composition,
Pm 1924. In 1926, he led the field when he recorded The Death of Floyd Collins, a song about Collins being trapped and death in a cave, now in the Mam mouth Park System near Cave City, Ky. Bradley Kincaid, the Kentucky Mountain Boy from Garrard County (one of the six CAP counties and location of Camp Nelson) was singing this so n g on the WLS National Barn Dance. His recording of this song appeared som ewhat later.
Lew Phillips Sefferi Second Hcort fittack
Foster Hama Begins its Second Year
Mr. Lew Phillips, one of the key per sonnel in the Christian Appalachian Project, has suffered a second heart at tack and is presently in the hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Phillips was for a while, the manager of the Camp Nelson operation of the Christian Ap palachian Project, and in the course of the last year, has been in charge of the Human Development Program of CAP throughout the six county area. Earlier in the spring, Mr. Phillips suf fered a heart attack and had just recent ly returned to his work at Lancaster, when this second attack occured. All of us hope and pray that he may be able to recover speedily from the at tack and return to the work that he has so ably assisted with CAP.
CAP’s Foster Home for teenage boys located at Camp Nelson begins its se cond year of operation. Eight boys are the normal compliment of the home. They have over the past year, been assisted in many ways to make their life more meaningful. Schooling, both in the regular vein and vocational training has been available to them. Job op portunities have been given to them, both at the farm that comprises their home, and at the Camp Nelson enter prises that is immediately adjacent to their home. Counseling and good family love has been furnished by Moe and Stephanie Mercier, and Bob Wieck. It is hoped that this coming 'year will be an increasing success story for the young men who make up the home at Camp Nelson.
The Christmas Wreath Program Although Seasonal, is Longest Ranning Program of CRP Perhaps the longest standing opera tion that CAP has had that serves the people of Eastern Kentucky by job op portunities is the Christmas Wreath Pro gram, whereby Christmas wreaths are made by the local people and'sold to various outlets throughout the United States. This year that program will continue. We are constantly in need of additional buyers of these wreaths. They are beautiful, natural pine wreaths that measure twenty-four inches in diameter, weigh between five and six pounds, and are truly a work of beauty for the Christmas season. We encourage those of you now, who would like to receive such a wreath yourself, or a friend, or an organization that is dear to you, that you would con tact us immediately, so that we might be able to gear our production to the orders that we have received. The cost of the wreath will be $6.00; it will be mailed to you Parcel Post, or UPS, plus $1.50 shipping cost. Your assistance in selling and mer chandising these wreaths will make a great deal of difference to the people of Eastern Kentucky during the course of the winter and the Christmas season.
The ju s t is c lo se to the p e o p le ’s hearts, but the m erciful is c lo se to the heart o f God. —Kahlil Gibran
Death Comes to F a t h e r 1 of Former Worker Mr. Harold Fredlock, of Pied mont, West Virginia, died this past week. He is the father of Sister Sara Fredlock, who has served longer than any other volunteer with the Christian Appalachian Project. Sister has served for eight years in assisting in the medical needs to the people of Rockcastle County. In July, she had to return home in order to be a value and a ser vice to her ailing father. We all deeply regret his death and we wish to take this occasion to ex press our appreciation to Sister Sara, for her many years of dedicated work to help the sick of our area. We hope that after family affairs and other business concerns are cared for, that she may be able to return and continue her work in our area.
Cutting tobacco is just one of the many chores done by the boys at the B oy’s Home.
9 CfIR Operates Berea's Child Development Center Too Often the Handicapped Child is Overlooked For several years now, CAP has operated a Child Development Center in Berea. In the course of the past year, it was re-located to the Appalachian Village site in Berea, where many other activities of CAP take place. Miss Ellen Burke, who has been the principal of the school for the last two years, is again serving in that capacity this year. Miss Catherine Rettig is also serving on a volunteer basis as a teacher. Thirty children are cared for in this center. The principle difference between the Berea Center and the Lancaster Center is the fact that the Berea Center is concerned mainly with a pre-school child, and does not serve as a day-care center. Its program would be shorter, starting at 9:30 and lasting until 2:30. It would strive to assist the children primarily in the outlying regions. A rather extensive transportation system is necessary in order to bring these fc d re n to school each day and return BKm. This transportation system is furnished by CAP and the teachers are the drivers of the little vans and station wagon that bring the children to class. Additional improvements have been made to the center in Berea during the course of this summer. Carpeting has been installed in certain areas, making the classroom experience a little less noisy. More outdoor recreation equip
ment has been added. It is hoped that sometime in the near future that a blacktop area might be put down to enable the children to play outdoors even when the weather is a little incle ment. Once again, here, as in the other centers, a tremendous amount of work is done, not merely with the children, but with their parents. There is a con scious effort made to bring the whole family into the learning process, so that what is done at the school, may be re inforced and helped by the parents at their homes. Over the past years, we have had many compliments from the school system, concerning the children who have attended the day-care centers and child development centers, how well they adjusted to the regular school pro gram and how much advanced they were over others. In the coming months, we will be in creasingly concerned about the han dicapped child. We would like to be a part of a program that would make their movement into the ordinary world more easy and more satisfying. Too often the retarded child, or the handicapped child is overlooked, especially this is true in the rural regions of Eastern Kentucky. It is hoped that in future issues of the Soundings, we will be able to report ad vances that we are making in this field.
Cathie Rettig and Ellen Burke help the children enjoy playtime at the CAP Child Developm ent Center in Berea.
Automobiles Needed in Medical Transportation Program One of the persistent difficulties that face the Eastern Kentucky area, is the lack of a transportation system. In most of the counties, there is no transporta tion system at all. Occasionally a Greyhound bus may come through some of the areas, but many of them have not even this minimal service. The only possible way in which a per son can get to a job or get to a doctor or get to a store or whatever other necessi ty there is, is for them to have a car of their own. To the poor, this is frequently im possible, and for the elderly, it is almost totally impossible because of their in ability to drive, especially if they are sick. Over the years the Christian Ap palachian Project has served to answer this need on an irregular basis. This year, however, a specific and definite program has been set up to serve the people of two of our counties with a means of transportation to doctors, and hospitals. One of our volunteers, Sister Louise Jacoby, is the person in full charge of this program. She works together with the Public Health, the Department of Human Resources, and Comprehensive Care to see to it that the most needy people are furnished the transportation necessary. She is on the go five days, and even sometimes six days a week, bringing people to doctors and to medical facilities. A car has been set aside for her use to enable her to ac complish her objective. Persistent need in such a program is, of course, a good serviceable automobile, that will be capable of being on the road five and six days a week, without undue repairs. Donations of good serviceable automobiles are an ever present need, for not merely the medical transporta tion program, but for many of the other program that CAP is involved in at the present time. Anyone wishing to participate in this medical transportation program by giv ing a good used automobile, should contact the Soundings.
CUP Hwards First Scholarships Father Ralph Beiting, President of CAP, earlier in the year announced the winners of the first "annual Community Service Scholarship awards. The $1,000.00 scholarships were awarded this year in five of the CAP counties in volved in the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). The other county did not participate but will be added next year, hopefully. The participating counties were awarded a total of $1,000.00 each. “This scholarship is designed to instill a community spirit in the high school stu dent. CAP is a community involvement organization,” says William Begley, pro ject coordinator for CAP. The recipients of the scholarships were picked by a committee of residents of the county the students represented. After the selecting process, CAP reviewed the applications with the com mittee. The final selections were made by “actually rewarding students for their involvement in community activities.” “Financial aspects of the student’s fami ly is not a consideration,” says Begley. The areas where students were in volved are: volunteers in hospitals, ser vice to community as Eagle Scouts, award for community service projects, visiting elderly and shut-ins, establishing music programs such as church youth programs, to name just a few. The scholarships have to be used directly for education and cannot be used for social activities. All recipients are furthering their education in Kentucky. These are the first annual scholarship winners:
Madison County— Miss Ethel Turner, daughter of Mrs. Daisy Turner, Richmond, Kentucky. Miss Turner received a $1000.00 scholarship and is attending Eastern Kentucky University at Richmond. Jackson C ountyMiss Peggy Neeley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Neeley of Gray Hawk, Kentucky. Mr. Arvin Webb, son of Mr. and Mrs. Estill B. Webb, Annville, Kentucky. Lincoln County— Claudia Jean Carter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Carter of Route 1, Stanford, Kentucky. Claudia also received a $1,000.00 scholarship and is attending the Kentucky Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in Louisville. For high school students to get addi tional inform ation concerning this scholarship program, contact your guidance counselor or Mr. William A. Begley at 217 Lexington Street, Lan caster, Kentucky 40444.
Day Cara at Sunshine Cantar Quality and Caliber are Ones That Would be Hard to Match In Lancaster, the name of our Child Development and Day Care Center is the Sunshine Center. Utilizing a building that was erected before the Civil War as the classroom area and an adjoining building as the kitchen and recreational area, thirty children are cared for in this particular center.
During the course of this last summer, the principal of the school, Mrs. F^fcy Wieck was blessed by having h e ^ P It baby, and is unable to continue as prin cipal of the school. She is retained on a consulting basis, however, and makes valuable contributions to the school on this matter. Miss Marilyn Stefanski, one of the teachers from last year is the new prin cipal of the school. She is assisted by Miss Kate Kelley and Miss Kathleen Ford, serves as the third teacher. The teachers have attended special classes during the summer and seminars that enable them to care for the children in a more thorough and professional manner. Additional equipment in the sense of playground and learning toys have been acquired during the course of the sum mer for the children. In addition to this, a new playground has been established and added area has been afforded the children in their outdoor learning and recreational ex periences. While the Sunshine Center is just over a year old, we feel that its quality and caliber is one that would be h ^ ^ to match anywhere in the S ta te ^ B ie children are cared for from 7:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening. This enables working mothers to have a place where their children will not only be cared for, but where they will learn and will be developing at the same time. Other mothers who do not work, bring their children there as a pre-school train ing and as a development process for them.
Garrard C ou n ty Miss Geralyn Meny, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Regis Meny, 207 Davis Ave., Lancaster, Kentucky. Mr. Mark Metcalf, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cay wood Metcalf, 208 Maple Ave., Lancaster, Kentucky. Jessamine County— Mr. James T. Wilson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond M. Wilson, Route 4, Nicholasville, Kentucky. Miss Denise Bailey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bailey, 141 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, Kentucky. Pat Sullivan and Kathleen Ford, volunteers, entertain the little children at the Sunshine Center at Lancaster.
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Camp Nelson
Barry Joe Stenulson is a very versitle musician. Here he “brings the house dow n” (or up) with his barrel-housing on the piano. He is a regular on the Cam p Nelson Music Show, performing on guitar, banjo, as vocalist and as piano player.
Restaurant, stops long enough to get her portrait made.
Cathy and Larry Willett (Mr. and Mrs.) of Asbury College at Wilmore get together back stage for som e fine gospel harmony. They are fre quent guests at the Cam p Nelson Music Hall on Saturday nights and are real crowd pleasers, too.
fl P Involved in Horsy Elderly Programs Perhaps the Greatest Problem Faced by the Elderly is Loneliness Perhaps the greatest problem of the elderly is loneliness. CAP has been con cerned about the plight of the elderly in Eastern Kentucky, almost from its incep tion. Over a dozen years ago, one of the houses that is owned on a farm was set aside for the use of the elderly. A couple operated a home there that took care of between four and six elderly men. At other times, we have made dona tions to the people who were setting up homes in which they could take up to as many as five or six individuals. In recent years, a home in Brodhead has been set aside for the retarded elderly. At the present time, a similar establishment has been furnished by the Catholic Church in McKee for a pro gram for the retarded elderly. We have for the first time this year, set aside two and we hope a third volunteer, whose major function will be to care for the elderly. Frequently peo ple are misinformed about the elderly. They are concerned about the fact that they do not get enough to eat, and as a consequence, programs, such as Meals on Wheels, have been set up in order to make sure that they get an adequate diet. Others have been concerned about their medical care and their needs in this respect. These are all, of course, real problems, but perhaps the greatest pro blem that is faced by the elderly is
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loneliness. The feeling that they have been bypassed by their families and by their community, that they exist isolated and alone in some secluded part of the world, waiting for death to come along, feeling no longer useful or valuable. Our program for the elderly is mainly concerned about this particular pro blem. In Rockcastle County, Barbara Witte is in one of our elderly programs. She has between fifty and sixty people on her regular list that she visits with every week. These visits are geared to answering their very human needs. Maybe to read to them, to listen to them, to offer them advice and encourage ment, to speak a word about God as a part of their mature years. Whatever their needs are, she endeavors to be a vehicle to answer them. The same program is going on in Gar rard County, where Mr. Joe Higgins, a gentleman in his late sixties, is involved in helping the people of that county. We feel that these programs are very worthwhile and that they offer a human dimension that frequently is missing from so many of the programs for elder ly. As you will read in other sections of the Soundings, that we do endeavor to service the medical needs, by making transportation available to the elderly. But to sit down and talk and visit and speak of God and their family and their
Kentucky River Soundings Camp Nelson, Kentucky 40444
country, and to speak of the various needs that they have, occasionally to take them on a ride and let them see parts of the county that they haven’t seen or visited perhaps in many years. All of these things make them realize that they’re still a very much valuable commodity, that people do care, and that they appreciate the contributions that they have made to their community over the past years. We at CAP look forward to an expan sion of this program in the coming year.