Updates

V OLUNTEER

PROGRAM UPDATES

CAP WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEES AND BIDS A FOND FAREWELL TO FAVORITES

Kathy Kluesener, 1973-80, is retiring after 48 years at CAP along with Brenda Thorton who has been here for 36 years. What a tremendous accomplishment! We are so thankful for everything that they have contributed. They will be incredibly missed.

SUMMER CAMP SUCCESS

Camp Shawnee and Camp AJ staff, including a crew of summer AmeriCorps members, have served over 2,000 children this summer. This includes Camp In a Box, day camps, and summer programming.

Ruth Davis, 2018-21, and Emma Estep, 2020-21, have transitioned from volunteers to full-time staff members. Ruth is a caseworker in Elderly Services and Emma is a Community Educator at Camp Shawnee.

Nick Hites has accepted the Sandy Valley Volunteer Life Coordinator position. He has jumped right into the thick of things with fall volunteer orientation. It feels like he’s been part of the team for years.

Margaret Murray is the new Volunteer Admissions Advisor. We are excited to have her join our team!

Bryan Byrd has been promoted to Assistant Director of Housing and Jamie Conley has been promoted to manager of Sandy Valley Housing. They have been integral members of the Housing Program for years and we are lucky to continue to benefit from their expertise and dedication.

SUMMER AMERICORPS MEMBERS

For the first time, this past summer, we were able to offer a living allowance to AmeriCorps members serving at CAP in a variety of programs. We were excited to welcome a record number of Teen Leaders in Training, two of which have become members of our One-Year Volunteer Corps.

NEW FOOD PANTRY REDUCES PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HUNGER

Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of CAP’s third food pantry on June 28. Eagle Food Pantry will fight hunger and feed hope for children, families, and seniors in Parkers Lake, McCreary County. Since beginning distributions in May, 88 households, 220 individuals, and 42 seniors have signed up for the pantry’s services, with more being added each week. “CAP always looks to meet the needs of the communities we serve,” said Joseph Beaudoin, pantry manager. “We want to listen to the people we serve, take their ideas, and find programming that best suits their needs. We listened to our community, and we saw that another pantry was needed.”

JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth (June 19th) has been added to the holidays CAPofficially observes. Juneteenth, which officially became a federal holiday earlier this year, honors the end of slavery in the U.S. The date is significant because it is the anniversary of the day that General Order No. 3 was announced by Union Army General Gordon Granger, in Texas, the last state of theConfederacywith institutional slavery.