Faith Drawing Me Back

BY KIM KOBERSMITH

Danny Overholt was working full-time as a truck driver in 2016 when he felt a calling to take up disaster work. Not long after, he turned in his truck keys, loaded up his pick-up truck with tools and supplies, and hit the road.

“Disaster relief was never on my radar, but the Lord began to put me in places and give me dreams and made it pretty specific,” Overholt said.

Now, his commitment has extended to chaplaincy work, and he said he’s been privileged to minister as a Billy Graham Chaplain to people around the country and in Ukraine as they recover from fires, hurricanes, wars, tornadoes, and floods.

Overholt’s relationship with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) began years ago when he received a mailing and began learning about the mission. He calls Knoxville, Tennessee, home and has a special place for Appalachia in his heart. He began supporting CAP’s work as a donor, and as he learned more through the magazine and newsletters, he knew he wanted to be involved on the ground.

It was tornado relief in 2021 that first drew Overholt to the commonwealth, where he helped CAP serve affected neighbors in Western Kentucky. He screened people requesting aid and served as a chaplain, listening compassionately to their stories and offering to pray with them. “I fell in love,” he said.

That love for the people of Kentucky only deepened when he responded to Eastern Kentucky with CAP after the summer floods. He has continued a relationship with people in the region beyond the crisis, returning every couple of weeks to minister to and care for affected residents. He has made more than a dozen trips to the region.

“Since responding to the floods, the people in Eastern Kentucky have just stole my heart,” he said. “The situations people were living in even before the flood is heartbreaking, but it keeps drawing me back. I feel like they are family, especially the people at CAP.”

While listening to stories and praying with people, Overholt gained a unique perspective on the community. He communicates to CAP staff the needs of the families he meets and how they can be served. One family Overholt got to know while volunteering with the Family Resource Center at Beaver Creek Elementary especially touched his heart. They live in a single-wide trailer that was impacted by the floods. Volunteers had helped them with the muck out, and they’d moved back in, but they were living without a front door. Overholt notified CAP staff who worked to get a new door installed before the area experienced bitter cold December weather.

Because of his continued work in the area, Robyn Renner, director of CAP’s Disaster Relief, realized the importance of a chaplain presence during a crisis. To increase the number of people able to serve in this capacity, CAP plans to host a day-long training for CAP employees, volunteers, and community members to prepare for future disaster responses.

At CAP, Overholt has found friendship and meaning, and knows he is making a difference. “Appalachia is where my heart is drawn to,” he explained. “I love volunteering with CAP and plan to continue.”