President's Letter

Susan Jones had been in her home for just five months when historic flooding hit Eastern Kentucky. Her Appalachian home on the Rockcastle River was elevated 14 feet, but the water line in her home after the flood was still at least 2 feet from the floor. You made it possible for Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) to answer the call and help our neighbors, like Susan, when the unthinkable happened.

CAP staff and volunteers did all they could to help save as much of Susan’s wood flooring as possible. When they pulled up the boards, at least a quarter inch of mud coated everywhere they stepped. Although her home sits about 30 feet from the edge of the river, on the day of the flooding, it was like her home was built in the middle of a lake. Susan had to climb over a rail into a kayak to escape. Her small rental cabin floated over her neighbors’ fences and landed nearly two miles away. Your generosity helped so many families like Susan’s to rebuild after losing nearly everything.

It has been nearly a year and news of flooding in Eastern Kentucky may have faded into the background, but residents in Central Appalachia are still struggling to put their lives back together. With the economic fallout of the pandemic still impacting communities, layered onto generational poverty, families found themselves at the mercy of a succession of winter storms including, ice, snow, and historic flooding. Strategic community partnerships with churches, businesses, and mission groups make this work possible, and when we add that to the blessing of your donations each month, we see first-hand how lives are transformed. You make the difference.

CAP programs such as Disaster Relief, Housing, and Operation Sharing have worked together to address the ongoing needs of families who, even now, are still trying to replace a lifetime’s worth of work, sweat, and tears, washed away in minutes. Your compassion during the pandemic and generous response during appeals following the ice storms and flooding enabled staff and volunteers to continue to meet needs of Appalachian families who needed aid immediately and consistently. You make this work possible.

On their behalf, on behalf of our staff and volunteers, and truly from the bottom of my heart, I say Thank You. This has been a difficult year in so many ways, and yet, you did not waver in your commitment to build hope, transform lives, and share Christ’s love through service in Appalachia.

We are grateful!

Guy Adams President/CEO