n Lead Me, Lord
n A Meaningful Summer
n Love Thy Neighbor
n A Legacy of Service
VOL. 43, NO. 2 FALL/WINTER 2024 60th Anniversary Commemorative Issue
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
We all have a story to tell. The story of who you are is made up of the stories of so many other people, places, and events that intertwine to create something unique and special. Just as each of those individual stories becomes a segment of your greater story, the story of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) is the story of many people God has brought together to serve the Appalachian region.
Brianna Stephens bstephens@chrisapp.org
In August, we began a year of celebration in honor of CAP’s 60th anniversary. Our hearts are full of gratitude for each person who has been a part of our story.
People like Gloria Jordan, who has devoted nearly 40 years of her life to CAP’s mission. Jordan has relied on her faith and God’s wisdom to lead her on the path that was set out for her, embracing the many opportunities she has been given to serve people in need through CAP. Read more about how she puts her faith in action on page 8.
At CAP, our partners play a critical role in the work we do. For 25 years, Good360 and CAP’s Operation Sharing program have worked together to provide essential items that help meet daily needs of people across the region. Discover more about the partnership on page 12.
Lillie Bullock first joined CAP’s story as a program participant. An Eastern Kentucky native, Bullock understands the challenges people in Appalachia face. While CAP’s services have made an impact on her life, she helps her neighbors in need in Rockcastle County through her volunteer service at our Grateful Bread Food Pantry. Learn more about her story on page 24.
Melvin Marks was one of CAP’s first paid employees, and he played an instrumental role in the organization’s early operations, including clearing the land for Camp AJ. On page 26, his wife, Joyce, shares the story of how their decision to move to Eastern Kentucky made an impact in their lives and in the lives of so many others in Jackson County.
As you read these stories, I hope you can see your part of our story. Your compassion has created a story of hope that has spanned decades. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our mission.
Spirit
Building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Brianna Stephens
COPY EDITOR
Stephanie Avent
PHOTO CREDITS
Christian Appalachian Project Archives, Toy Adams, Warren Brunner, Tina V. Bryson, Mountain Arts Center, Good360, Ricki Pryor, Brianna Stephens
CONTACT US
By phone: 859.269.0635
Toll-free: 866.270.4227
Email: capinfo@chrisapp.org Website: christianapp.org
SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Mountain Spirit is published twice a year. The suggested donation is $20.00. Subscription requests and other correspondence should be sent to:
Christian Appalachian Project
The Mountain Spirit P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555-5911
Copyright 2024. Christian Appalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Christian Appalachian Project is a nonprofit Christian service organization operating throughout Appalachia. 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.
Meet the Writers
Faith
8 Lead Me, Lord
Gloria Jordan reflects on how she sees God’s hand working in her life to make an impact through the roles she has served during her nearly 40-year career at CAP.
12 Opportunity for All
The 25-year partnership between Good360 and Operation Sharing strengthens communities and meets the critical needs of people in Appalachia through the distribution of essential items.
Grant Harned
Grant is a CAP philanthropy officer and comprehensive campaign manager.
16
Breaking Barriers
With a lifelong connection to CAP, J.D. Bussell continues to see the organization’s impact on children and families in his community through the school system.
18 A Meaningful Summer
After nearly 25 years, Lauri Eiselt returns to Camp AJ for an unforgettable summer of empowering and inspiring Appalachian youth.
22 Community of Care
Tony Smith commends his teacher in CAP’s former Adult Education program for unlocking his passion for storytelling. Now a close friend in Home Repair helps make his home safe, warm, and dry.
24
Love Thy Neighbor
Community volunteer Lillie Bullock is grateful for CAP’s impact on her family and lives out her passion for serving others nearly every day at our Grateful Bread Food Pantry.
Compassion
26 A Legacy of Service
Joyce Marks is proud of her family’s legacy with CAP. After coming to Jackson County in 1964, she and her husband helped pave the way for the organization’s success and future programs.
28 Lifetime Impact
Steve and Kathy Peterson’s volunteer experience in Appalachia solidified their passion for service, which has carried through to their vocations as well as their family.
Appalachia Spotlight
30 An Authentic Appalachia
With a goal of disproving Appalachian stereotypes, Warren Brunner strives to portray the people of the region with dignity and respect through his photography.
32
Celebrating the Arts
The Mountain Arts Center is a state-of-the-art venue in Eastern Kentucky that hosts headlining musical acts, showcases exhibits by regional artists, and promotes opportunities for arts education.
Shannon Holbrook
Shannon is a freelance writer based in Central Kentucky.
Kristy Horine
Kristy is a freelance writer based in Central Kentucky.
Abigail Martin
Abigail is a freelance writer based in Central Kentucky.
Tina V. Bryson
Tina is CAP’s director of Communications.
News Spirit
Family Life Counseling Services Celebrates New Office
CAP’s Family Life Counseling Services (FLCS) in Paintsville has moved into a new facility. The program was previously located in our headquarters but moved into a former CAP volunteer facility in August. The new renovated space includes high-quality security cameras, a large waiting room, and soundproof walls to ensure privacy for participants. “We want to offer our participants the comfort of home in a professional setting,” said Chris Griffith, manager of FLCS. “Our focus is to provide quality services in a safe and secure environment. We look forward to the work we will be able to do in our new space.”
Disaster Recovery Support Continues
In the wake of the historic 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky, CAP committed to repairing 100 homes in the impacted communities. Two years after the flood, CAP has kept and exceeded that promise, having repaired 107 homes, and continues to partner with likeminded organizations, like Appalachia Service Project, to support additional efforts in rebuilding homes across the region. CAP's Operation Sharing program also continues to distribute essential items and materials to help communities impacted by the floods recover and rebuild. “We made a promise, and we’ve kept it,” said Robyn Renner, director of CAP’s Disaster Relief program. “The recovery for these communities is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s going to take everybody working together to continue the progress that has been made.”
FROM THE PRESIDENT
As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), it is a time to reflect on the work we have accomplished, our continuing efforts, and our dreams for the future of the Appalachian region and its people. Our focus will especially be on the most challenged part of Appalachia-Central Appalachia.
Our mission of building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia has been made possible by your generosity. Thank you for caring and sharing. Because of you, a hungry child is eating a nutritious meal. Because of you, a family’s substandard home is being made safe, warm, and dry. Because of you, an isolated senior is experiencing companionship and receiving needed support. While we have served our region in many ways during our history, your support has continued to create necessary programming that meets the evolving needs of the people we serve.
I am honored to be part of such an inspiring organization that has met both the physical and spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in Appalachia. As our founder, Rev. Ralph W. Beiting, said, we deal with poverty of the spirit. We use your gifts to provide help and hope. Thank you for the hope you continue to bring to this region, hope that tomorrow will be better than today.
As we look forward to the future of CAP and Appalachia, we praise God for the blessings He provides and seek to do His will through our work. As said in Proverbs 19:21 (NIV), “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Thank you for being part of this mission that matters.
In gratitude, Guy Adams
President/CEO
The Campaign for Christian Appalachian Project
BY GRANT HARNED
In September of 2021, Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) launched our largest philanthropic effort to date RISE and Shine: The Campaign for Christian Appalachian Project. It is a pleasure and a privilege to share some exciting news that attests to the passion and dedication of CAP employees, volunteers, donors, partners, and friends.
The goal was simple: to be the hands and feet of Christ to our Appalachian neighbors impacted by poverty through growth in our robust network of human services programs to serve more and serve better.
Under the excellent leadership of the Campaign Steering committee, as of the end of July 2024, we have reached 121.2% of our RISE and Shine $95 million campaign goal, representing over $115 million in current and deferred gifts and commitments. These funds will benefit all of CAP’s human services programs, enabling us to continue the life-changing work we accomplish each day and grow in strategic ways to meet the needs of the people and communities we are blessed to serve.
Because of God’s providence and the generosity of CAP friends like you, the impact has been extraordinary. CAP has been able to grow strategically to meet participants’ needs in the wake of natural disasters and recovery from the global pandemic.
Since the beginning of RISE and Shine, we have expanded our food pantry network to include two new facilities: Eagle Food Pantry and the new Grateful Bread Food Pantry, each of which serves hundreds of families per month. We have grown our Home Repair program
to ensure more families and seniors have homes that are safe, warm, and dry. We have helped more than 100 families displaced by the 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky return to their homes while maintaining other critical home repair projects across the region. We have expanded our Operation Sharing network through strategic, core growth in the Central Appalachian region. We have increased engagement and participation in our Teen Leadership initiative, expanding on the good work being done in Youth Empowerment Services.
We also see the impact CAP makes each day in our human services programs dealing directly with the basics food, clothing, and shelter. It is the smell of a home-cooked meal from provisions provided just in time from one of CAP’s food pantries. It is the smile on the face of a young mother as she works with an employee to pick out winter coats for her two boys at one of CAP’s Christmas events. It is the pride on the face of a WorkFest volunteer as they show a participant the roof their team installed before a cold mountain winter.
We are so thankful to partner with you in this mission and critical service. Because of your faithful prayers and support, we are being propelled toward greater service milestones than we ever could have dreamed of reaching when we first started talking about the RISE and Shine campaign. This is a hugely impactful step that we make together in fulfilling our strategic plan and 30-year vision, and it speaks to the heights we can reach together to serve more and serve better in Appalachia.
For more information about this campaign, visit christianapp.org/rise-shine n
CAP Celebrates 60 Years of Service
Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) has one mission, but many ways to serve. That mission is to build hope, transform lives, and share Christ’s love through service in Appalachia, which started through the faith, service, and compassion of one man who chose to answer God’s call on his life. Today, we all get to be a part of this story happening in Appalachia: participants, volunteers, employees, partners, donors, and supporters. We are all a part of this amazing story six decades in the making. Join us in honoring our past, being rooted in our present, and advancing faithfully into the future. Learn more about CAP’s history at WeAreCAP.org or by scanning the QR code.
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“All through this time, I can look back, and I can see His hand working in my life as He used me to work in other people’s lives and to help grow people.”
– Gloria Jordan
Gloria Jordan reads to a child in CAP’s Rainbow Respite program.
Lead Me, Lord
BY BRIANNA STEPHENS
The still, soft voice of the Holy Spirit guides us toward the path that God has set before us. In moments when we are unsure of what’s next or what we are capable of doing, that voice can speak volumes. Gloria Jordan has always been sensitive to that voice and has remained faithful to God’s plan throughout her nearly 40 years with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).
“I could not have gotten this far because self gets in the way,” said Jordan, senior vice president of administration and philanthropy at CAP. “Flesh gets in the way, your attitude gets in the way, and you close the doors God has opened for you. When you put yourself somewhere, whatever you did to get there you’re going to have to keep doing it. When God puts you there, He
is able to sustain you. When he puts you there, you are there for a reason and a purpose. All through this time, I can look back, and I can see His hand working in my life as He used me to work in other people’s lives and to help grow people.”
Looking back at her first days at CAP, Jordan said she felt “green as grass,” but was eager to learn and embrace new opportunities. Her background in nursing prepared her for her first position at CAP as the medical coordinator for the Home for Special Children. The residential facility was a foster home for medically fragile children with the goal of placing the children back home with their biological families or with adoptive parents. She advanced to the manager position of the facility before it transitioned out of CAP’s programming.
Jordan volunteers her time to serve during CAP's community distributions.
She vividly remembers sweeping by herself in the kitchen of the facility when she asked God where His path would lead her next. She heard a voice clearly speak to her, and it said, “Parents Are Teachers,” which is CAP’s early intervention initiative that serves children from birth to 3 years old. She followed the guidance and served in the program as well as in the Hisel Child Development Center, which offered a variety of programming for children and teens; Christian Appalachian Project Resources for Independency in Community and Employment, also known as CAPrice, a program focused on supporting the needs of older teens and adults with disabilities; and Rainbow Respite, which served the needs of families of children with disabilities.
In her 18th year at CAP, she again asked God what was next for her. She was approached with an opportunity to move from human services programming into administration to serve as the director of Human Resources. While she was unsure of the transition, she leaned into her faith and trusted that it was another step along her path.
“God knew where I was and where I needed to be,” Jordan said. “He reminded me it wasn’t about status or the position I was in. He was building my character. He put me in the right place with the right people and helped me listen, learn, and observe. CAP also helped provide me with opportunities to grow and develop the skills I needed at the time.”
Providing opportunities for employees to professionally develop has been an important part of Jordan’s time at CAP, and something she hopes becomes her legacy with the organization. To her, a successful organization not only carries out its mission, but also invests in its employees, who are the future of the work.
“What has remained throughout my time at CAP is the heart of the employees who have been here,” Jordan said. “They have a heart for service, they want to make a difference, and they love the people we serve. It is important that we continue to build on our core values of faith, service, and compassion, and cultivate a workplace culture that will pour into our people and help them grow.”
Today, CAP’s employees and volunteers continue to meet needs that our founder Rev. Ralph W. Beiting saw when he came to Appalachia. In recent years, the region has faced immense challenges, like COVID-19 and multiple natural disasters, but CAP continues to find new ways to serve growing needs as they arise.
“No matter what challenges we see, CAP is still meeting the most basic human needs,” Jordan said. “I am proud to say our donors never have to question if their funds are being used for the right things. I’ve seen it in action for many years. This organization is who it says it is. You can bank on it. You can stand on it. You can fight for it. I hope 60 years from now, CAP continues to serve people in need in Appalachia.” n
(above) After the 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky, Jordan joined employees from across CAP programs and volunteers, like Johnetta Bernhart, in disaster response. (right) During her time in Parents Are Teachers, Jordan worked with Suzann Fenton, a teacher in the initiative.
Opportunity for All
BY KRISTY HORINE
A53-foot tractor trailer pulled into the gates of the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP)
Operation Sharing facility in Corbin. Inside the rig were 120 brand new, twin-sized TempurPedic mattresses. Jeff Burchett, director of Operation Sharing, knew these mattresses were much needed.
“Whether it’s for a burn out, where people lost their homes due to a fire, or a flood, like we had in 2022, or for participants in our programs, we know these mattresses are going to people in need,” he said. “It’s hard to believe there are people out there that sleep on
the floor every night, or sleep on a couch, or in a chair because they don’t have a bed. To help somebody lay down and sleep, that’s just really a good thing.”
Operation Sharing has spent nearly 40 years doing those good things to meet the needs of people in Appalachia. One way the program meets needs is through faithful partnerships, like the one that began about 25 years ago with Good360. The nonprofit organization connects socially responsible companies who have surplus product to a network of 100,000 nonprofits. Good360 made the mattress delivery possible.
Good360 sources essential products for more than 100,000 nonprofits in its partner network.
“By working together, we are able to continue building hope for children, their families, and seniors in our region through the distribution of essential items.”
– Jeff Burchett
The combined efforts of Operation Sharing and Good360 have converged to become a powerhouse of good for communities across the Appalachian region by meeting essential needs.
In 1983, 3M Corporation wanted to donate $12 million worth of office equipment to United Way. A structure was needed to receive and distribute the donation, so United Way formed Gifts in Kind International, known today as Good360.
Good360 ranks No. 2 on the annual Forbes list of Top 100 Charities in America. Through their partner nonprofits, they have distributed over $18 billion of quality products to communities who have experienced disasters or face economic challenges.
Here’s how a partnership between nonprofits like Operation Sharing and Good360 works: Corporations like Nike, Walmart, Amazon, or Tempur-Pedic contact Good360. These corporations have products they would rather donate than see end up in a landfill. Nike might have extra stock of shoes. Walmart might have extra stock of hygiene products. Tempur-Pedic might have extra stock of pillows or mattresses. Good360 reaches out to its network of nonprofit partners, like CAP’s Operation Sharing, to move the product into communities.
Jason MacFarlane, senior vice president of operations at Good360, said that in the last 10 years alone, Operation Sharing has received more than 425 truckloads of product.
MacFarlane noted that some of the products have been in direct response to a disaster like the 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky or the 2021 Western Kentucky tornadoes but a lot of the products are intended to meet essential daily needs.
“Everyone remembers the first part of our mission, which is to close the need gap, but the second part is to open opportunity for all. That’s really what it’s about. It’s not just shrinking a gap, but it’s opening up what people are able to do with the product that they need,” MacFarlane said.
Appalachian communities.
Opening opportunity for all creates what Good360 calls “community resilience.” A mattress, for example, is more than a mattress. A good night’s sleep can turn into a successful job interview that changes a family’s future.
(above) Aaron Thoms, manager of CAP’s Operation Sharing in Paintsville, delivers a new mattress to a participant. (below) Operation Sharing hosts distributions to bring products from partners like Good360 to
“We’re contributing with our partnerships to open opportunities to people that they wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Elena Balint, Good360’s vice president of marketing. “You do that once and that’s helpful, but you do that in a community over a period of 20 years, and what you’re really starting to do is make an overall impact on that community and help them day to day, year over year, just be a little bit stronger.”
Burchett knows the benefits of community resilience. “Partnerships are critical to the work we do,” he said. “By working together, we are able to continue building hope for children, their families, and seniors in our region through the distribution of essential items. We are grateful for the longevity of our partnerships, like with Good360.” n
Meeting Needs Across Appalachia
BY BRIANNA STEPHENS
Since 2020, Good360 has helped facilitate a partnership between Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) and Marine Toys for Tots to distribute toys and essential items to children and their families during the summer. In 2024, around 40,000 toys and up to $5 million worth of essential items were distributed to 12,000 children and their families through the partnership between the three organizations.
“These distributions are helping ease some financial stress off of families in our region, which will help them be able to buy gas, a few more groceries, or whatever they are struggling to afford,” said Ben Ridner, manager of CAP’s Operation Sharing in Corbin.
Some families, like Kendra Blanton’s, are facing challenging situations. Two weeks prior to the distribution in her community, Blanton’s home caught fire. Her family, including her 4-year-old son, lost several belongings.
“I wanted my son to have toys again. When I told him we were coming to the distribution, he was so excited,” Blanton said. “We are in need of everything, because we lost everything. It is very tight for us right now. It’s overwhelming because our situation was unexpected
and devastating. All of the items we received mean so much to my family because we are in need.”
Operation Sharing serves communities in all 13 Appalachian states, as well as the two Ozark states of Arkansas and Missouri. For the first time this summer, CAP hosted two out-of-state toy distributions in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and St. Albans, West Virginia.
“When we go to other Appalachian communities, we see a dire need just as we see in Eastern Kentucky,” said Aaron Thoms, manager of CAP’s Operation Sharing in Paintsville. “We hear stories about families barely making ends meet or saving the toys until Christmas. Things are tight for everyone. It doesn’t matter what your demographic is or where you are from, we all need a little bit of help some time.” n
Good360 provided hygiene and other essential items to CAP to distribute following the 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky.
Good360, Marine Toys for Tots, and CAP partnered together to distribute toys to 12,000 children over the summer.
CHURCH RELATIONS
“Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)
Whether your church is on the East Coast, West Coast, or anywhere in between, it can help make a difference to people in need in Appalachia. By volunteering, giving monetary contributions, or donating gift-in-kind items, your church can help us continue to be the hands and feet of Christ for years to come.
To learn more about how your church can become involved as a church partner, please contact Sarah James at 606.308.8094 or email Churches@chrisapp.org.
Breaking Barriers
BY ABIGAIL MARTIN
Over Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) 60-year history, we have seen time and time again how many hands make light work to meet the basic needs of the people in our region. For more than 10 years, CAP and Rockcastle County Schools have partnered to support children and their families in the community through essential items like food and clothing. The partnership continues to flourish because of people like J.D. Bussell, the principal of Rockcastle County High School (RCHS).
Bussell was born and raised in Rockcastle County and has been a lifelong member of Our Lady of Mt. Vernon, where CAP’s founder, Rev. Ralph W. Beiting, was the priest. Bussell remembers Beiting well, but one of his distinct memories is seeing him stand at the courthouse preaching. Today, Bussell feels connected with Beiting when he stands at the courthouse to help raise awareness for food insecurity during CAP’s annual Hunger Walk event.
“He would stand at the courthouse, with white hair and a white collar, everyone knew who he was. He would preach right there,” Bussell said. “Now look at what it has become! All of his work, Christian Appalachian Project, and my connection with it now even more so. It’s always been special to me just to have that connection.”
Hunger Walk is just one way Rockcastle County Schools partners with CAP to fight hunger in the community. Many local schools have food drives for the Hunger Walk, and items donated are distributed to families in need through CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry. Students at RCHS also have many opportunities to give back by serving their community through the pantry and CAP’s Grateful Threadz Thrift Store.
“It’s great that we have that relationship with CAP. I think it will continue to grow,” Bussell said.
CAP works closely with the Family Resource Youth Service Center in Rockcastle County to ensure the needs of students and their families are being met. The Youth Service Center coordinator sends out surveys, and teachers send referrals to local agencies, like CAP, about students who may need assistance. The Youth Service Center strives to remove obstacles for student success. Grateful Bread Food Pantry also assembles around 150 weekend food backpacks every week to send home with students so they will have food to eat while they are not at school.
“Youth Services has always been good to coordinate with CAP. It’s hard to fund all the clothes and food, so we’re really glad that CAP is there to help with that,” Bussell said.
Beiting pastored Our Lady of Mount Vernon in Rockcastle County. Pictured is a nondenominational Bible school CAP hosted at the church in 1979.
Rev. Ralph W. Beiting was known for street preaching in Eastern Kentucky communities.
“I hope to make a difference with our students. I want to be somebody that they can learn to trust and come to for advice.”
— J.D. Bussell
During his 25-year career with Rockcastle County Schools, Bussell has served as a chemistry teacher, baseball coach, and principal at an elementary and high school. He is grateful for the opportunities he has been given through his time as both a student and now employee with the school system, and he hopes he can help set his students up for success as they transition from learners to leaders in the community and beyond.
“I could’ve gone anywhere I wanted to go. I had those opportunities that were given to me by Rockcastle County Schools,” Bussell said. “I hope to make a difference with our students. I want to be somebody that they can learn to trust and come to for advice. Every kid is different, and every kid has different opportunities. These kids keep hope, find what they’re good at, and explore it. One thing we do as teachers is break down barriers. We keep things out of the way for them so that they can succeed.” n
(above) J.D. Bussell participates in CAP's annual Hunger Walk event. He is pictured with Sherri Barnett, community coordinator for CAP's Grateful Bread Food Pantry and Grateful Threadz Thrift Store. (below) Students from Rockcastle County High School volunteer at the pantry.
A Meaningful Summer
BY BRIANNA STEPHENS
Lauri Eiselt served as both a CAP volunteer and employee at Camp AJ.
In 2024, Eiselt’s nieces spent part of their summer with her, one as a camp counselor and the other as a camper.
The final mile of the drive to Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Camp AJ is suspenseful. The narrow road curves left and right, making it hard to see what lies ahead through the thick brush. After what seems like ages, the trees start to thin out and you hear playful screams, songs, and laughter echoing off the hills. You know you’re almost there. As you take the last bend in the road, you look up a long driveway to see the Camp AJ sign, and behind it, the camp’s iconic brick red A-frame structures.
“I still get goosebumps when I come around the corner and see camp up on the hill,” Lauri Eiselt said. A volunteer from 1990–1992, she served as a teacher for CAP’s former Eagle Child Development Center preschool during the school year and spent her summers as a counselor at CAP’s summer camps. In 1993, she transitioned from a volunteer to an employee and spent the next eight summers working as a coordinator then manager of Camp AJ.
After her time at CAP, Eiselt stayed local and focused on her teaching career while also taking classes to be a foster parent. She fostered and eventually adopted two girls. While she was no longer a CAP employee, Eiselt
“Camp is a special place that is changing the lives of Appalachian children in a big way.”
— Lauri Eiselt
still stayed connected with Camp AJ over the years. Both of her daughters attended camp, and her stepchildren served as counselors.
CAP’s Youth Empowerment Services (YES) encompasses summer camp, in-school services, and a Teen Leadership initiative. As YES was making plans for summer camp 2024, employees reached out to Eiselt to see if she would be interested in coming back to Camp AJ for the summer to help train incoming volunteers and manage operations.
“For the new staff coming in, it was hard to explain to them that what was about to happen to them would change their life.”
— Lauri Eiselt
“I knew I would have the same love and energy for it,” she said. “I knew when I said yes that it was the right decision. When I came back to camp, it felt like I had never left.”
Addressing the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of Appalachian youth is a critical component of CAP’s youth programming. During the summer, CAP employees and volunteers strive to create a safe and loving space for campers to be themselves for a week and forget about the challenges they may face at home. At camp, they know they are loved and cared for by the people around them.
An important part of creating that trust is through listening and making personal connections with each camper. This past summer, Eiselt made an unforgettable connection with one teen attending camp.
When the teen arrived, Eiselt could tell she was nervous as she watched her take a seat alone away from the other campers. She approached her, and after learning her name, she asked about her hobbies, her family, and if she had any concerns for the week she wanted to talk about. The girl told Eiselt she was hungry but was afraid to ask for food. Eiselt didn’t hesitate as she escorted the teen to the kitchen for a snack and introduced her to other campers. After that, the teen came out of her shell and proved to be a leader among the group during the week. She
expressed the hope of coming back to camp to be a junior counselor in the future.
“For the new staff coming in, it was hard to explain to them that what was about to happen to them would change their life,” Eiselt said. “They would create a bond with not only each other, but with the campers they were about to meet. This place is their life, and it is sometimes the best week of their summer, maybe even their year. We want to make this a place kids want to come back to. There are teens who were campers for 10 years and are now serving as junior counselors to recreate the magical experience they had for the new campers. That shows something special is happening here.”
Since before CAP’s official incorporation in 1964, summer camp has been a fundamental component of our youth programming. As Eiselt reflects on her experiences at Camp AJ from the past and present with a warm smile, she looks forward to the future of YES and its continued impact, made possible by the generosity of CAP’s supporters.
“The reason we can have camp for our children is because of the donors who help keep it going,” Eiselt said. “This place means so much to them. Whether you donate funds or volunteer your time to serve during the summer, everything helps this mission continue. Camp is a special place that is changing the lives of Appalachian children in a big way.” n
(above) A camper plays Minute to Win It with Eiselt’s encouragement. (left) Eiselt helps a camper swim in the swimming pool in the 1990s.
ICommunity of Care
BY BRIANNA STEPHENS
n small Appalachian communities, people look out for each other and neighbors become more like family. A unique part of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) is that several employees live in the same communities they serve. They not only see the needs of their neighbors, but they are also part of the community of care supporting one another.
“When someone is in need, we all help them,” said Jeff Carpenter, a crew leader in CAP’s Home Repair
program. “Our community looks out for each other and always sees that everyone is safe and has what they need. It’s beautiful to see people come together to support each other.”
Tony Smith is a person known for taking care of people in his community. Carpenter grew up three miles away from him and has known Smith his whole life. It wasn’t a proper family gathering or celebration without Smith there telling a story.
Jeff Carpenter (left), has known Tony Smith (right) his entire life. As a CAP Home Repair crew leader, he made the Smith family home safe, warm, and dry.
“It’s beautiful to see people come together to support each other.”
— Jeff Carpenter
Anyone who visits Smith will quickly find he is a storyteller. A lifelong resident of Eastern Kentucky, he has many stories of what it was like growing up in the mountains. He credits CAP with helping him discover his passion for storytelling.
Smith was a participant in CAP’s Adult Education program, a program that served from 1981 to 2009 and provided Adult Basic Education, GED preparation and testing, Kentucky Competency-Based Adult Education instruction, computer literacy, job readiness, college preparation, and tutoring. Instruction was given in group and individual settings at CAP’s education centers as well as homes through the School on Wheels, a school bus converted into a mobile classroom.
While pursuing his GED, Smith worked with Adult Education teacher Keith Gilbertson, who was impressed by the stories he shared. After listening to him, Gilbertson helped Smith turn his stories into books. Smith would write his stories down on paper and give them to Gilbertson during their weekly meetings for him to type up on a computer. From their collaboration, Smith published two books.
“I had a lot of stories from my life. What better way to preserve them than to put them in a book?” Smith said.
(above) Rant Saylor, a CAP Home Repair assistant crew leader, installs new underpinning to help keep the Smith home warm during the winter. (left) Keith Gilbertson, a teacher in CAP’s Adult Education program, worked with Smith. With his help, Smith published two books based on his experience growing up in Appalachia.
“Keith helped bring out the storyteller in me. A lot of people didn’t know that side of me. If it hadn’t been for him, I would have never published my books,” he added.
Just as Gilbertson made an impact on Smith’s life, Carpenter hopes he has been able to do the same through his work. Carpenter helped lead home repair projects to make a safe, warm, and dry home for Smith and his wife.
“This was a heartfelt project for me to be a part of,” Carpenter said. “I want to help him like he has helped others. He is a good person and like family to me. He deserves to be helped too.”
Work on the home included installing insulation underneath the floors and adding underpinning, installing new flooring, repairing gables, adding a ramp and new stairs to the front porch, installing new plumbing, and replacing the doors and windows.
“It means a lot to me that Jeff is making the repairs on my home,” Smith said. “Jeff is a hard worker and takes care of a lot of people.”
Smith is thankful for the services he has received from CAP. Like our employees and volunteers are embedded in the communities we serve, Smith said CAP supporters are as much a part of the community because of the impact they make.
“What the donors are doing is a great thing. Their gifts are going toward helping our neighbors who are in need,” Smith said. “They are making a difference for people in Eastern Kentucky.” n
Service
Love Thy Neighbor
BY BRIANNA STEPHENS
When someone comes through the doors of Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Grateful Bread Food Pantry, they are greeted by familiar smiling faces, like that of Lillie Bullock. For more than 16 years, she has helped ensure children, their families, and seniors in Rockcastle County do not go hungry.
“The pantry is my home away from home,” the 79-yearold volunteer said. “I love what CAP does. Without this pantry, people in our community would go hungry. We serve a lot of people through the pantry, especially senior citizens and children.”
Before Grateful Bread Food Pantry was established in 2007, Bullock volunteered to distribute food items from another CAP facility in Rockcastle County. Today, she serves pantry participants nearly every day with kindness and compassion, helping them fill their shopping carts with fresh produce, meats, dairy, and pantry items. Being a native of Eastern Kentucky, Bullock is familiar with the struggles many people in the region face from her own personal experiences.
Bullock grew up in a coal camp outside of Hazard. While several members of her family worked in the coal mines, she remembers the challenges they faced financially. Through that difficult time, Bullock learned from her mother the importance of hard work and caring for your neighbor.
“I was close to my mom. We didn’t have a lot of money, but she would give the shirt off her back to you if you needed it,” Bullock said. “I do the same as she did. I love being able to help others through CAP.”
After getting married, Bullock moved to Rockcastle County, and she later became acquainted with CAP as a participant in our programs. In the 1980s, the Home Repair program replaced the roof on her family’s home. Since then, the program has made other repairs, like replacing the siding on her home and building a new front porch and stairs.
“At times, my house felt like it was falling apart, but CAP was there to help me,” she said. “I appreciate the help of the employees and volunteers who came to fix my home.”
Bullock and her son were also participants of Rainbow Respite, a CAP program from 1985 to 2012 established to serve the needs of families of children with disabilities. Bullock’s son is a person with an intellectual disability and requires constant care. Rainbow Respite was a safe place she knew she could trust to leave her son to have fun and be cared for while she was able to rest and take care of other needs.
Lillie Bullock is a community volunteer at CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry.
“I hope that 10 years from now, I am still coming to the pantry to serve.”
— Lillie Bullock
With a twinkle in her eye, Bullock reflected on one of the most meaningful experiences she’s had as a CAP participant. It was Christmastime, and her family did not have a lot of money to purchase presents. However, that year, because of CAP’s Christmas Baskets program, her family did not go without. Each year for Christmas, the initiative, which now falls under CAP's Family Advocacy program, helps provide gifts, small household items, and a ham to families in need in Eastern Kentucky.
Bullock remembers the overwhelming feeling of joy she had walking through the tables of gifts and picking presents for her family to open on Christmas morning. “It was the first time we ever got to have presents like
that, because we didn’t have a lot of money at the time. CAP really helped us,” Bullock said.
After being connected with CAP for so many years, Bullock considers the employees and volunteers she has met and serves with her second family. She hopes to continue serving through the pantry to help make a difference in her community alongside an organization that has impacted her life.
“I hope that 10 years from now, I am still coming to the pantry to serve,” she said. “It’s important to volunteer, because a lot of people in this community need our help and need food. CAP has been good to me, and I love coming here and doing what I do for the people here.” n
(above) Before Grateful Bread Food Pantry, CAP distributed food and other essential items out of another facility in Mount Vernon. (right) CAP’s Christmas Baskets program officially began in 1977, although the organization has provided Christmas Baskets to families since 1950.
Grateful Bread Food Pantry was established in 2007. The pantry moved into a new 4,620 square foot facility in February 2024.
Compassion
A Legacy of Service
BY TINA V. BRYSON
With the picturesque lake at Camp AJ behind her and a cool breeze offering respite from the oppressive heat, Joyce Marks reminisced about what drew her husband and their family to Eastern Kentucky.
It was 1964, and her husband, Melvin, was a student at the University of Kentucky. He read about a job in the church bulletin and made plans to interview with Rev. Ralph W. Beiting, who had just formalized Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) a few months before.
“He didn’t even tell me about it, but that was okay. That was his style,” she said with a smile. They were expecting their first child, whose due date was nearing. Melvin accepted the job, and they moved to Jackson County.
Melvin’s degree was in agriculture, but he soon expanded his knowledge and used his expertise to encourage Beiting to purchase a sawmill to provide jobs in the area. His pay was $50 per week, and he was provided a house with running water.
“It was common that he might have one job one day and another job another,” Marks recalled. “He was made a supervisor, and since he had a degree in agriculture and grew up on a farm, he was put over the tobacco, about five acres.”
CAP purchased a dairy farm in 1963 and also grew tobacco. George Purcell and Melvin were among CAP’s first paid employees. They worked together to make these projects successful in the creation of jobs in Jackson County, which was economically depressed.
After forming Cliffview Lodge to serve children in Jackson County, Beiting realized that the parents in the area also needed assistance. They wanted jobs “to earn their own living so that they didn’t have to be on welfare,” said Beiting in an interview with the University of Kentucky Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History in 1992.
“One of the things that I felt was essential was that we should utilize the resources of the area in the creation of jobs,” Beiting said. “The poorest of the four counties that I had was Jackson County and so my concentration went there.”
Joyce Marks is the director of the Jackson County Food Bank.
Melvin Marks was among CAP’s first employees and had a passion for helping people in Appalachia. He helped clear land for Camp AJ.
He talked to the Trappist Monks of Gethsemani, who had a farm. When Beiting asked if they could help, they gave him some pigs and connected him to the Sisters of Nazareth, who gave him some cows. About six months after Purcell began, Melvin reached out. He was put in charge of CAP’s timber operation too. They cut down old trees to sell and turned that land into pastureland for the cows. That operation expanded and eventually became a sawmill, which Beiting not only sold to Melvin but financed as well. Every year, they met on the same day as Melvin’s first interview, and he would pay the next installment on the purchase of the logging operation.
“We were living in a camp house at Grayhawk, and [Beiting] let us keep on living there,” Marks said. She and Melvin eventually had nine children in 10 years and stayed at CAP for about nine years.
One day, someone donated a bulldozer to CAP. Beiting accepted the gift and it was used to clear land for a number of early projects at CAP, including work on the lake at Camp AJ. Melvin helped clear the land for Camp AJ with a group of volunteers who were college students.
(above) Camp AJ youth camp started with day camps in 1967 and transitioned to overnight camps in 1970.
AJ.
“That is really how he got his start. And by the grace of God, we made it,” added Marks, who, in addition to raising nine children, kept the books for the sawmill, did the billing, and performed other administrative duties for the logging operation. “We stayed in Jackson County, and he employed people here because people really needed jobs. There were really poor people, and he worked with them.”
Marks now runs the Jackson County Food Bank, which provides food for 400 families each month. She has more than 30 grandchildren, and her family helps at the pantry as well as at Camp AJ.
“Camp AJ is a very wonderful place,” Marks said. “Some of my children worked here in the summertime. And that that was very eye opening for them. One of my kids said, ‘Oh, we thought we were poor. I didn’t know what poor was.’ It was a very good experience for them. It let them see poverty and also put a good work ethic in them. We were glad to be a part of a place where Appalachian children could come.” n
(left) Pictured is the construction of Camp
LIFETIME IMPACT
BY SHANNON HOLBROOK
Today’s couples meet everywhere from school to church to online, but Steve and Kathy Peterson had their chance meeting when volunteering at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) over 30 years ago.
“She was running down the steep hill in front of Camp AJ and just wiped out,” Steve said.
“I fell flat on my face,” Kathy added. After a good laugh, he helped her up, and the two became friends.
Education drew them both to CAP and fueled their volunteer service. Steve, a music education major, learned about CAP through a college professor. A service project in Appalachia his junior year convinced him to serve at CAP after graduation.
Steve and Kathy Peterson met as volunteers at CAP and developed a passion for service that has impacted their lives.
“The people I met at CAP are the best people I know. We are grateful for the impact CAP has made in our lives.”
— Kathy Peterson
Kathy also served in Appalachia during her college spring break, cementing her decision to volunteer at CAP. Coming from Washington, D.C., she experienced a bit of culture shock, but she adjusted. “I learned to be open, curious, and respectful to how Appalachians see their life and what it was like,” Kathy said.
In fall 1991, they began serving Lincoln County. She volunteered with CAP’s former Adult Education and School on Wheels program, focusing on adult literacy and basic education by tutoring people in their homes. He served with Outreach, today known as CAP’s Family Advocacy program, providing emergency and other assistance to families.
A couple of years later they began dating. “There was an immediate connection for us, this sense of service,” Steve said. “We had a lot of fun, laughed a lot, and had adventures through Appalachia. We also connected on a deep level on spirituality and family.”
“He was uber friendly, funny, and fun-loving,” Kathy said. “I liked his integrity and outlook on life, and we had long conversations about education.”
They married in fall 1994 at St. Clare Catholic Church in Berea during an intimate service before their CAP family and friends.
“Seven years in Appalachia solidified our sense of service that continued in our vocations,” Steve said. He was offered a music director position in Harlan County, where Kathy continued working in adult literacy and education. Then came an offer from Steve’s alma mater in Indiana.
“We didn’t want to leave Appalachia, but this was Steve’s dream job,” Kathy said. The dream job became a 26-year career, where Steve continues to serve as music director. Kathy worked with Soup of Success, a nonprofit providing job and life skills for women, for 20 years.
The Petersons say CAP impacted them on many levels, and today, their legacy continues with their family. Steve’s parents, Dick and Sue Peterson, are CAP donors. Their sons, Adam, 23, and Jacob, 19, have served as counselors at Camp AJ, helping to provide fun and empowerment for Appalachian youth.
While they left CAP long ago, the Petersons still stay connected to many of the volunteers they served alongside. One family Steve and Kathy served with and still see regularly also has children who serve at Camp AJ. Every January, Kathy travels to Berea to spend a weekend of fellowship with the women she volunteered alongside at CAP.
“The people I met at CAP are the best people I know,” she said. “We are grateful for the impact CAP has made in our lives.” n
Just as their parents did, Adam and Jacob Peterson have volunteered at CAP.
“CAP knew a lot of people from rebuilding their homes and the other community services they provided, so they were always welcome in communities.”
— Warren Brunner
Appalachia Spotlight
An Authentic Appalachia
BY BRIANNA STEPHENS
Following the declaration of the War on Poverty, photographer Warren Brunner received requests for photos that showed the despair and oppression of Appalachia. In an era when photos enforcing stereotypes were becoming the mainstream image of the region, Brunner was committed to showing an authentic Appalachia and the dignity of its people.
“I wanted to disprove the stereotypes,” Brunner, now 96, said. “That was my goal.”
A Wisconsin native, Brunner came to Appalachia in 1954 to work at a photography studio in Berea, and by 1960, he came to own it. He inherited his passion for photography from his mother and started taking his own photos while in middle school, when his father bought him his first camera. His first job in high school was taking photos for a local newspaper, as their photographer had been drafted during World War II.
Through his studio, Brunner collaborated with and took photographs for more than 30 government and nonprofit agencies serving the region, such as Save the Children, Appalachian Regional Commission, Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, Hindman Settlement School, and Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), as well as several Appalachian scholars and activists. His award-winning photographs have been featured in local, state, and national publications, such as Time magazine, and the Smithsonian Institution.
As a newcomer to Appalachia, gaining trust was a little challenging at first. “People would shout ‘There goes that crazy Brunner, trying to look Appalachian with a Wisconsin accent,’” Brunner said.
One of the first people Brunner met when he came to Appalachia was CAP’s founder, Rev. Ralph W. Beiting. Brunner traveled with him and CAP employees to take pictures of various programs and the people being served through the organization to share with donors and supporters.
“CAP knew a lot of people from rebuilding their homes and the other community services they provided, so they were always welcome in communities,” Brunner said. Like him, CAP prioritized the dignity of Appalachian people. “That was their goal, to treat everyone with respect.”
Even outside of his studio work, Brunner was dedicated to spending time with people in Appalachia. Every Sunday, he would drive down mountain roads with his family in a Jeep, getting to know families they met along the way and gaining a reputation of trust among the communities.
He recalled a time when a photographer from New York came to Appalachia to take photos and wasn’t respectful to the people he met, making them feel alienated. The photographer was forced to leave Appalachia, and Brunner was called in to do the job. “I must have become part mountain,” said Brunner, smiling.
Brunner has published books featuring his work and has donated more than 45,000 of his photographs to Berea College Special Collections and Archives. He hopes to donate more photos that he still has in his possession to the college. You can view his collection online at berea.access.preservica.com. n
Photographer Warren Brunner is well known for his portraits of the Appalachian people and region.
Appalachia Spotlight
The country group 49 Winchester performed at the Mountain Arts Center (MAC).
Celebrating the Arts
BY SHANNON HOLBROOK
There’s a mountain of musical talent tucked into the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Kentucky, and the Mountain Arts Center (MAC) in Prestonsburg is their beacon of hope. The stateof-the-art facility hosts live shows by national headliners, the Kentucky Opry, and the Kentucky Opry Jr. Pros, and serves as the area’s musical arts education hub.
The MAC is a pipe dream-turned-pathway for hundreds of musicians. It opened in 1996 to fill the need for local students to receive music lessons and performance opportunities, while providing a home for the Kentucky Opry.
The dreamer was Billie Jean Osborne, a recently retired local band director and widow. The MAC was her passion project, and along with local businesswoman Lucy Kinzer, she fought hard to fundraise for the facility.
“She knew we had the talent here but needed the venue,” said Kay Hall, the MAC’s board chair, Osborne’s niece, and a retired local music teacher. “She always told me it only takes one person to say yes, and that person was Hal Rogers.”
Congressman Hal Rogers helped secure half of the funding needed through federal monies, while Osborne and Kinzer lobbied state legislators, local officials, and corporate and private donors, often going door to door. The result: a $7 million 1,044-seat theater, commercial recording studio, arts education room, art gallery, individual practice rooms, and large meeting rooms under one roof. It’s used for private lessons, performances, education, and rentals, positively impacting local talent, tourism, and economic development.
(left) The MAC is a state-of-the-art facility that hosts national headlining acts.
(below) The center offers spaces for musical arts education.
(below left) The CEDAR Coal Exhibit is a permanent exhibit at the MAC that focuses on the coal industry’s role in the heritage of Eastern Kentucky.
Prestonsburg native Joe Campbell is one example of that impact. “I served on the technical crew as a high school senior, running the spotlight,” Campbell said. “It was just something cool to do.”
Two decades later, he’s in his eighth year as the MAC’s executive director. After college at the University of Kentucky, his passion for the area brought him back. “I just fell in love with the industry; I thought I’d made it bigtime,” he said.
Campbell’s not alone, as the MAC has inspired and featured musicians from many genres. Eastern Kentucky’s own Loretta Lynn, Billy Ray Cyrus, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Stapleton, and Tyler Childers have performed there. As mentioned, Osborne’s The Kentucky Opry and feeder program, Kentucky Opry Jr. Pros, perform here. Local students can receive individual and group musical instruction, too. “It’s a huge value to the community,” Campbell said. “People do not realize we are basically a music school 9–10 months a year.”
MAC alumni are currently playing with Childers, Stapleton, Blake Shelton, and Justin Moore. And 12-yearold Adalyn Ramey, a MAC student from Paintsville,
recently signed a contract with a Nashville-based recording company.
Big Sandy Community and Technical College offers technical classes and general education at the MAC also. This fall, HVAC students will maintain the building. Event interns have even been hired as MAC staff.
The MAC is home to the first pathway in media art with Floyd County Schools. Students will learn how to produce a show firsthand, including livestreaming.
The MAC also celebrates Appalachian artists with an awards show, the Appalachian Arts and Entertainment Awards, or APPYs, and a rotating art gallery displaying works by regional artists.
Osborne’s vision and tenacity helped realize her dream to foster and celebrate local talent, giving many musicians hope. “She didn’t have any kids of her own, but she had thousands that she claimed as her own,” Hall said.
Learn more about the MAC at macarts.com. The MAC will be a part of Christian Appalachian Project’s 60th anniversary celebration by hosting the We Are CAP exhibit March 3 to April 30. n
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