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.

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.”