Home Away From Home

from The Mountain Spirit Fall/Winter 2022

Creating Hope

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Photos of Todd and Dana Morton’s five smiling grandchildren and homemade crafts with their small handprints decorate the walls of the Morton’s RV. Their passion for service takes them all over the southeast to serve with several ministries they have chosen to support. Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) is one of those ministries. The Georgia natives have traveled more than seven hours away from home on four separate occasions to volunteer with CAP.

“It’s home away from home,” said Dana, who began mission work with her husband in 2010. They joined Campers on Mission, a national fellowship of Christian campers who accept short-term volunteer opportunities across the country. Since that time, Todd has been involved in construction projects, while Dana has learned how to sew and make dresses to send to girls overseas. While on a mission the Mortons learned about CAP from another volunteer and made the decision to get involved.

“At CAP you will have the best experience, especially with the other volunteers and the staff that you meet,” Todd said. “Here you are around those with a similar heart to serve people in need, and it’s encouraging and inspiring. You get more out of this experience than you give.”

Georgia natives Dana and Todd Morton have traveled to CAP four times to serve in Eastern Kentucky.

While COVID-19 delayed their first trip to Eastern Kentucky, Todd and Dana continued to reach out to CAP to see when they would be able to serve. When the urgent call for volunteers was made to help close home repair projects CAP had started before the pandemic shutdown, the Mortons were some of the first volunteers to respond and came to the Foley Mission Center in Martin, Kentucky.

In anticipation for the need of RV service volunteers across CAP’s service area, several RV hookups were added to volunteer lodging locations, including Foley Mission Center. “CAP has done a great job with these RV sites because there is power, water, and sewage hookups. The accommodations are so nice,” Dana said. All short-term and seasonal volunteers who serve between March and November, whether they stay in an RV or the mission center, play a significant role in helping people in need in Appalachia.

“With skilled volunteers like Todd, additional home repair projects can be completed, allowing more homes to come off of CAP’s lengthy waiting list of individuals and families in need,” said Becky Neuenschwander, manager of CAP’s Mission Groups Program. “Dana serves the volunteers who work out with the home repair crews by preparing and serving hot meals each day, as well as the needed items to pack lunches for meals. Both types of service are critical to the needs of CAP’s programs to help continue our mission.”

Although CAP’s annual WorkFest, an alternative spring break trip for college students, was canceled along with their plans to make their first trip to CAP, Todd, a retired firefighter, was able to take part in the 30th anniversary of the event earlier this year. His favorite part of the experience was getting to interact with the students who came to serve, and the families too.

“This is a unique opportunity because you not only get to do the work, but you make a connection with the people you are helping,” Todd noted. “Sometimes we live in a bubble, and we don’t know the challenges people may face. This experience can make you realize your blessings, but you leave knowing you have made a difference in someone’s life.”

Working in the kitchen, Dana is grateful for the opportunity to serve and enjoys working with other like-minded people from across the country who are passionate about service and CAP’s mission of building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2021, the Mortons were not sure they would be able to come back to CAP. But God was on their side, and Dana was cancer free by the spring.

“My God is good. I owe all my thanks to him, and I can’t do enough to repay him,” she said. “The Bible says, ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’ That is part of why we love being able to serve with CAP. We have been so blessed, and our goal is to run this race of life and finish well.”

People interested in serving for a week or for a few months with CAP can contact Kelli Bryant, Volunteer Groups admissions advisor, at kbryant@chrisapp.org to begin the application process.