The Mountain Spirit Spring/Summer 2024

n Hope for Tomorrow

n A Promise to Keep

n Feeding the Need

n Obedient Service

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The impact of storytelling is powerful. Stories inspire us, encourage us, and connect us all. The stories I am privileged to hear and see in action every day from CAP’s programs bring me a deeper understanding of the need we are meeting and an appreciation for our mission and the many hands that make our work possible. I am excited to share the many ways your compassion shines through in these stories and our mission.

Brianna Stephens bstephens@chrisapp.org

This year the generosity of our supporters came to life during the opening of our new Grateful Bread Food Pantry. The new facility is twice the size of the former pantry space and boasts special features that will help offer quality services in a more efficient way to more people in need in Rockcastle County. Read more about the ribbon-cutting ceremony on page 18.

Today, nearly two years since the July 2022 floods, CAP continues disaster recovery efforts to help ensure families like Brenda and her granddaughter have safe, warm, and dry homes again. On page 22, see how CAP’s Home Repair program and a group of dedicated volunteers were able to make life-changing repairs to the home in just three days.

Since our founding, volunteers have been an integral part of our mission to serve children, their families, and seniors in need. We are blessed to have dedicated volunteers to serve alongside us, like Bob and Kathy Rice. For more than 15 years, the Rices have shown God’s love through their annual service in CAP’s Home Repair program. Learn about their experience on page 24.

On page 26, you will see the many ways our Eagle Community Center is building community and transforming the lives of families in McCreary County. The center strives to help people in the community be self-sufficient, empowered, and secure in all aspects of life. In a rural community where resources and services are scarce, Eagle Community Center is a safe place for groups to gather, an educational place for children, and a hub of resources and opportunities for adults.

I hope you find inspiration, joy, and a sense of pride in these stories of impact you help make possible. Thank you for your compassion and continued prayers for 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

Amy Schill

PHOTO CREDITS

Toy Adams, Tina V. Bryson, Julie Centers, Clayton Gilligan, 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.

Tina V. Bryson

Tina is CAP’s assistant director of Communications.

Kristy Horine

Kristy is a freelance writer based in Central Kentucky.

Abigail Martin

Abigail is a freelance writer based in Central Kentucky.

ON THE COVER: Appalachian youth like Isabella experience a week of games, arts and crafts, canoeing, and more at summer camps hosted by CAP’s Youth Empowerment Services (YES). YES also offers in-school services and a Teen Leadership initiative.

Faith

6 Hope for Tomorrow

Convoy of Hope partners with Operation Sharing to provide essential items to people in need in Appalachia.

10 A Part of the Story

Andrew Harrington sees the power of faith and the legacy of CAP’s founder in Appalachia through his service at Grateful Bread Food Pantry.

12

Trust in the Lord

CAP welcomes the Caudill family home after being displaced for 15 months following the July 2022 floods.

14

18

Overcoming the Stigma

Through her counseling services, JaLane Speaks is grateful to help participants in their journey of overcoming personal challenges.

Feeding the Need

Grateful Bread Food Pantry hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new facility that will serve more and serve better in Rockcastle County.

22 A Promise to Keep

With help from volunteers, CAP made Brenda’s flood-damaged home safe, warm, and dry again in just three days. Brenda’s home was the 100th home completed during CAP’s disaster relief response.

Compassion

24

Obedient Service

While answering the call to serve closer to home, Bob and Kathy Rice have demonstrated God’s love through more than 15 years of annual service with CAP.

26 Coming Together

Eagle Community Center offers transformative services for children and their families in a rural community where resources are scarce.

Appalachia Spotlight

30 The Quiet Gift

Chris Green uses the power of storytelling to share the rich story of the Appalachian region and to help other people find and tell their own stories.

32

Living Out Faith

Dwayne Mills’s passion for serving the people of Appalachia is personified through his role with Appalachia Reach Out. CAP recognized Mills as a 2023 Champion of Appalachia for his ongoing work.

News

Elliotts, Huff recognized as 2023 Philanthropists of the Year

CAP honored Shanna and John Elliott and Shanna's mother Pat Huff as our 2023 Philanthropists of the Year during the National Philanthropy Day celebration. The family was recognized for more than 20 years of generous support of CAP’s mission of building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia.

For many generations, the family has called the picturesque mountains of Eastern Kentucky home. With compassion and an understanding of the challenges people in the region face, John, Shanna, Pat, and her late husband, Dave, have generously and consistently sup-

Griffith Named Outstanding Clinical Supervisor of the Year

Chris Griffith, manager of CAP’s Family Life Counseling Services (FLCS), received the Outstanding Clinical Supervisor of the Year award during the Kentucky Counseling Association’s (KCA) annual conference in November. He was presented the honor by Dale Hamilton, KCA president and CAP FLCS counselor.

Griffith has more than 25 years of experience as a counselor with CAP. He is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Supervisor (LPCC-S) and has been honored with several awards from KCA. He has worked as a leader in the profession and strives to raise the

With the generosity and help of kindhearted donors — like this family — as well as partners, volunteers, employees, and members of the communities

we serve, CAP has grown to impact the lives of more than 1.5 million people each year with a focus on nine priorities, including programs that address food insecurity, substandard housing, disaster relief and recovery, and mental health.

professional standard for counselors. He holds advanced training in numerous areas including trauma, relationship counseling, and cognitive therapy.

He is also a Diplomat in Advanced Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

ported CAP's efforts to help people in need in Appalachia over the years.

Grateful Bread Food Pantry Receives Donation of

Hams

The Honey Baked Ham Company in Somerset donated 1,606 pounds of ham to CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry, a donation estimated to be worth $5,000. The power of CAP’s

Rev. Ralph W. Beiting

Remembered on 100th Birthday

CAP began this special year, in which the organization celebrates our 60th anniversary in August, by recognizing the 100th birthday of our founder, Rev. Ralph W. Beiting. When Beiting first came to Appalachia, he said he had a dream the size of a mustard seed to make an impact on the great need he saw in Eastern Kentucky. Through his

partnerships, like the one with The Honey Baked Ham Company, helps meet the needs of children, their families, and seniors in need in Appalachia.

“We would not be able to provide food to people in need in Rockcastle County without the support we receive from our donors, partners, and volunteers,” said Brad Hunt, logistics clerk at Grateful Bread Food Pantry. “These hams will make a great impact in the lives of our

participants. Because of the generosity of The Honey Baked Ham Company, we are able to continue fighting hunger and feeding hope in our region.”

The donation came just days before the pantry celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for its new facility in Mount Vernon (see full story on page 18). The Honey Baked Ham Company also partners with CAP to provide hams for families during the holidays.

unwavering faith and dedication to helping people, and the support of volunteers and donors, his dream came to be through his founding of CAP in 1964.

Beiting is remembered by many as a kind, courageous, and genuine man. Rather than sitting at a desk from day to day, he was often in the programs visiting with participants or serving alongside employees and volunteers.

While Beiting passed away at the age of 88 on August 9, 2012, his legacy continues to live on through CAP’s enduring mission.

Hope for Tomorrow

BY KRISTY HORINE

Today, a young mother feeds her toddler a nutritious dinner. A home repair program uses a shipment of nylon boards to rebuild a community. A young man gets a good night’s sleep in a new bed.

All these items food, building materials, furniture are made possible by partnerships positioned to provide the right products, at the right time, to the right places.

Just such a partnership exists between Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Operation Sharing and our new corporate partner, Convoy of Hope, which is based in Springfield, Missouri.

Operation Sharing manages two warehouses in Kentucky that receive donated goods from corporate

partners. Then Operation Sharing redistributes the products to a network of more than 1,300 partner organizations across the 13 Appalachian states and two Ozark states, Arkansas and Missouri.

Brian Conley, the gift-in-kind acquisitions specialist at the Operation Sharing program in Paintsville, said partners make his job possible.

“It can be overwhelming at times to look at the needs of our recipients and to be able to fulfill their requests. We do the best we can, and we do a great job, but it’s all dependent on if these donations are available,” Conley said.

Conley has worked with Operation Sharing for 22 years. He’s seen community needs increase exponentially over the last three years. “We’ve grown our corporate

Convoy of Hope became an Operation Sharing corporate partner in May 2023 and provides close to 10 tractor-trailer loads of essential items each month.

partnerships and our recipient base. The need is still there if not greater than it ever was. In today’s time, with inflation, everything is high, people are hurting,” Conley said. “They’re hurting more now, than I can ever recall.”

Hal Donaldson, Convoy of Hope’s founder, grew up in poverty. Dependent on food stamps and the welfare system to survive after his father was killed and his mother was severely injured by a drunk driver, Donaldson became determined to break those bonds of poverty.

While working as a journalist years later, Donaldson had an opportunity to interview Mother Teresa. In that conversation, Mother Teresa asked Donaldson what he was doing to help the poor and the suffering. His answer: Nothing. Mother Teresa told him, “Everyone can do something. Just do the next kind thing that God puts in front of you.”

For Donaldson, that next kind thing meant when he returned to California, he emptied his bank account, bought $300 worth of groceries, and handed them out to migrant farmers.

Convoy of Hope supports communities in need through food, water, hygiene items, and more. (Top and bottom right) Volunteers help pack items for distribution following Hurricane Idalia in Florida. (Bottom left) Convoy of Hope continues offering aid in Hawaii following the devastation left by wildfires.

Ethan Forhetz, the vice president of public engagement at Convoy, said Donaldson didn’t stop there.

“Since then, that handful of migrant farmers has become 250 million people served, and that $300 worth of groceries has become more than $2.5 billion worth of supplies given out 30 years later,” Forhetz said.

A portion of that has landed in the Operation Sharing program, and from there, into homes to meet very real, basic needs.

In August 2022, Convoy’s disaster team surveyed different regions and came across the post-flood humanitarian work CAP was doing. That natural disaster prompted the first truckload of Convoy supplies. In May 2023, Operation Sharing and Convoy of Hope solidified a partnership.

Convoy of Hope's disaster response team responds to natural disasters and other urgent events across the world to distribute essential items.

Convoy’s Director of Fulfillment Alan Dunlap said they accepted CAP as one of about 140 Hope Network Strategic Partners because they witnessed CAP’s faithful stewardship, and because the values of both entities aligned.

“We partner with other organizations who are already established and have connections with people,” Dunlap said. “We can give our donors confidence that when they give us product, it will be used in a way that we would use it. The product goes to the end user all the way down the line, with no profit involved.”

What the partnership looks like in practical terms is close to 10 tractor-trailer loads per month since May 2023, bringing items like food, clean water, building materials, furniture, clothing, and hygiene products, as well as mixed medical supplies.

“We want to highlight the importance of partnerships with other like-minded organizations, to accomplish the big tasks that are at hand. No one organization can handle them alone,” Forhetz said. “It’s time to look forward and say we aren’t finished yet. We’re just getting started and there’s a lot more that needs to be done.”

“It’s time to look forward and say we aren’t finished yet. We’re just getting started and there’s a lot more that needs to be done.”

– Ethan Forhetz

Conley agreed. “As long as the need continues, Operation Sharing, along with corporate partners like Convoy of Hope, will work together to make a difference for people in need in Appalachia.” n

A Part of the Story

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

For Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) founder, Rev. Ralph W. Beiting, the most beautiful thing God ever made was people. To him, people are at their most beautiful when they are serving as volunteers, giving selflessly of their individual talents — that’s when they reflect the face of God.

Andrew Harrington, an AmeriCorps member serving at CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry, shares Beiting’s beliefs on the matter.

“I believe I am the most beautiful version of myself when my life is built around some kind of ministry, a position where I am giving freely of my unique gifts because it is the right thing to do the loving thing to do,” Harrington said.

Harrington first fell in love with Appalachia during his involvement in the Center of FaithJustice, a New Jerseybased organization that introduces young adults to a life of ministry through various service opportunities. He traveled to Dunlow, West Virginia, and found that not only the land, the people, and the culture left a lasting impression on him, but so did the great need and poverty he saw in the area. It was that impression that brought him back to Appalachia when seeking another service opportunity that would allow him to focus on prayer and ministry.

“My fond memories of Dunlow made me gravitate to the word ‘Appalachia’ immediately,” he said. “After reading what the life of a volunteer at CAP would entail, my mind was set. This was what I wanted. I was accepted to serve at CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry for the first time in 2016.”

Since that first year of service, Harrington has repeatedly returned to CAP, contributing over three years of service to the organization in total.

CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry provides nutritious foods through pantry boxes to nearly 800 families a month in addition to commodity boxes for nearly 200

seniors a month. In many cases, people in Appalachia do not know where their next meal might come from.

“When you are hungry, everything in life gets harder. It is so much more difficult to be a good student, a good employee, a good parent, or even a good person when you are starving,” Harrington said. “I hope that my service at Grateful Bread helps alleviate some of that burden and offers the people of Rockcastle County much more freedom to be their best selves.”

While Harrington hopes to make an impact on the people he serves, one participant has confirmed to him the power of faith an elderly man who, Harrington said, is an expert in generosity. During one visit to the pantry, the man brought a gift of three handmade crosses.

AmeriCorps member Andrew Harrington has contributed more than three years of service with CAP, helping to provide nutritious food to children, their families, and seniors in Rockcastle County.

“I believe I am the most beautiful version of myself when my life is built around some kind of ministry, a position where I am giving freely of my unique gifts — because it is the right thing to do — the loving thing to do.”

— Andrew Harrington

“Even though some might look at him and say he has nothing to give, those of us who know him have learned he is far richer than he seems, for he is full of heavenly gifts that no one can take or destroy,” Harrington said. “While we offered him food, he offered us his faith in Jesus, his hope for our ministry, and his love for everyone at the pantry. He taught us that our service does more than simply give people food, it offers us the opportunity to love Jesus through His children.”

Because of volunteers and AmeriCorps members like Harrington, Beiting’s vision and hope for Appalachia has

continued to come to life since CAP’s founding in 1964. Harrington encourages anyone who wants to make an impact in the lives of children, their families, and seniors in the region to consider serving with CAP.

“Rev. Beiting has left a vision, a drive, and a love for CAP and the region as his legacy,” Harrington said. “If you want to be a part of that great story, I would encourage you to apply for a service opportunity with CAP.”

For more information about CAP service opportunities, visit christianapp.org/volunteer. n

Harrington hopes his service at Grateful Bread Food Pantry helps alleviate the burden of hunger in the community.

Trust in the Lord

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

More than a year after the July 2022 floods displaced their family, the Caudills moved back into their home. Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Home Repair program hosted a housewarming for the family to celebrate the momentous occasion with a cake and gifts.

“We are honored to have had the opportunity to work on this home. The close relationship we have made

with this family is something we will never forget,” said Ron Morrow, CAP’s Home Repair manager in Johnson, Martin, and Northern Magoffin Counties. “It is overwhelming to see the joy and the smile on their faces as they are finally able to start getting back to normal.”

Immediately following the floods, Michael Caudill began making repairs to not only his family’s home, but his mother’s home across the street, which also flooded.

James Akers (left), CAP crew leader, and Ron Morrow (right), manager of CAP’s Home Repair program in Johnson, Martin, and Northern Magoffin Counties, present a “Home Sweet Home” sign to Brittany and Michael Caudill (center).

The repairs needed were extensive, but Caudill worked diligently to do what he could around his full-time job and taking care of his family.

“Coming back home after the flood was a nightmare to see that much mud inside the house. It is a sight to see all your belongings have to be thrown away. Mold started growing within a few days, and we knew it was bad,” Caudill said. “There is no way we would be where we are today without CAP.”

At the beginning of 2023, CAP’s Home Repair program reached out to Caudill and offered hands-on help to repair his home. Throughout the year, teams of volunteers from across the country came to help build back the gutted home.

“Without the groups, this would have been a two-tothree-year project,” said James Akers, a CAP crew leader who oversaw the work being done on the Caudill home. “We are grateful for the people who were willing to help and to learn the needed skills to help get families like the Caudills back in their homes as quick as possible.”

On the left, photos show a before and after view of the Caudill family's home when volunteers constructed a new porch with stairs. On the right, a before and after view of the family's living room.

After being displaced by the flood, the family lived in a camper. But, with such a small space for the family of five, the Caudill children would occasionally stay with their grandmother.

“We were out of our home for 15 months and seven days,” Caudill said. “The night we moved back in, the feeling of being able to have all the babies under the same roof with us was a wonderful feeling.”

During the housewarming, CAP employees gifted the family household decorations and a new family Bible.

“I hope after all that this family has been through, they see that God has a purpose in all things,” Morrow said. “God sent us all here for an appointed time, each with our own talents and our own abilities. I hope through that, this family sees and continues to put their trust in the Lord through all things.” n

JaLane Speaks, a licensed professional clinical counselor for CAP’s Family Life Counseling Services (FLCS), hopes to empower individuals and families to improve their mental health.

OVERCOMING THE STIGMA

BY ABIGAIL MARTIN

Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) mission of building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia drew JaLane Speaks to the organization nearly 14 years ago. When she heard about CAP’s counseling services, she knew she wanted to be a part of the program to help offer critical counseling services to make an impact in the lives of people in Appalachia.

“I wanted to work for an organization that cared about people and community, and that is what CAP is all about,” said Speaks, a licensed professional clinical counselor for CAP’s Family Life Counseling Services (FLCS). “It was important to me that people who wanted counseling services were able to access that resource regardless of their ability to pay. CAP’s counseling program doesn’t want financial insecurity to be an obstacle for those seeking counseling services. Because of the generosity of CAP’s donors, counseling services are

“I wanted to work for an organization that cared about people and community, and that is what CAP is all about.”

— JaLane Speaks

available for children, their families, and seniors who may need flexibility with the cost of services.”

Speaks is trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma. She is in the process of getting certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), another trauma-focused treatment that has been extensively researched and proven to be effective in treating trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

With their extensive knowledge, CAP’s FLCS counselors perform thousands of counseling sessions each year. Speaks travels between two counties to perform in-person sessions and offers telehealth services to people who may not have the needed transportation to attend an in-person session.

“I worked with a young lady who was struggling with anxiety, but we were able to take the time needed to build skills that helped her navigate her feelings of anxiety,” Speaks said. “From those skills, she was able to develop confidence in her ability to manage those feelings. I was grateful to be a part of her journey.”

Since the pandemic, and on top of natural disasters and other challenges Appalachian people have faced in recent years, CAP’s counselors have seen an increase in struggles with depression, anxiety, and isolation in their program participants. Speaks meets her participants where they are and walks alongside them to help them develop skills that they can apply to their life to overcome their challenges.

“Personal growth, confidence, hard work, and showing up for themselves is something to celebrate,” Speaks said. “It’s a joy for me to see that confidence grow and hope be restored in their lives and that they have the ability and are capable of overcoming challenges they are faced with.”

Each year, CAP's FLCS counselors, like Speaks, perform thousands of counseling sessions through in-person and telehealth services.

“I am incredibly humbled by every person that seeks counseling services. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to talk about things that are difficult to talk about and face challenges that life presents to us. We want to help in any way we can.”

— JaLane Speaks

Mental health is just as important as physical health. The need for mental health providers in CAP’s service area is four times greater than the national average, according to the Robert Wood Foundation. In addition to the lack of mental health care providers offering services, the poverty many people in Appalachia face creates a negative impact on their mental health. FLCS counselors use their skills and work closely with community partners to ensure people in Appalachia have access to high-quality mental health services.

“I hope my work is impactful in that it helps empower individuals and families to improve their mental health and their relationship with themselves and others,” Speaks said.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and during this time, FLCS highlights the importance of taking steps toward good mental health and encourages people to reach out for services if they feel they are needed.

“It is not a weakness to ask for help when you need it it’s a strength. When we can provide support and resources to people who are struggling, it helps people to overcome the stigma,” Speaks said. “I am incredibly humbled by every person that seeks counseling services. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to talk about things that are difficult to talk about and face challenges that life presents to us. We want to help in any way we can.”

To learn more about the services FLCS offers, visit christianapp.org/familycounseling. n

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

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear helps pack food backpacks for local school students.

Feeding the Need

BY TINA V. BRYSON

Adream of Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Grateful Bread Food Pantry was realized in February during the ribbon cutting of a new facility that would help provide more quality services to hungry people in Appalachia.

“This food pantry expansion is a part of helping us serve more and serve better,” said CAP President/CEO Guy Adams. “Our staff are committed to having the greatest impact in the communities we serve. Every

day, our employees and volunteers serve communities struggling with the impacts of poverty.”

In 2007, Grateful Bread Food Pantry began serving children, their families, and seniors in need throughout the community. The mission of the pantry is to reduce physical and spiritual hunger in Rockcastle County.

The pantry’s new facility is more than double the size of the former facility, at 4,620 square feet, and includes twice

The new facility for Grateful Bread Food Pantry offers a large shopping space and a three-door cooler filled with fresh produce and dairy products.

Beshear joins CAP employees and volunteers for the cutting of the ribbon at Grateful Bread Food Pantry’s new facility.

as many parking spaces and a three-door cooler in the shopping area to enhance the shopping experience for families. A drive-thru was added to help traffic flow and to provide shelter for shoppers during inclement weather.

“We are excited about this new, larger facility, but more importantly, we want to make sure that participants continue to have a wonderful experience at the pantry with staff who truly care about them and their personal needs,” said Carolyn Lindsey, director

of CAP’s human services programming in Rockcastle, Jackson, and McCreary Counties. “Whether it be their need for food, prayer, or just someone to talk to, we want to be there.”

Grateful Bread Food Pantry serves around 800 families each month, in addition to nearly 200 seniors through the USDA Commodities program. The pantry also prepares 142 weekend food backpacks each week (568 food backpacks a month) for local students who may

“You’re living out our Team Kentucky values, helping your neighbors, taking care of each other, and getting through the hard times together so we can get to the good times together.”

— Governor Andy Beshear

not have enough to eat at home when they are not receiving free or reduced lunch at school.

“This organization already has a huge impact, but this new pantry will help even more of our Kentucky families,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the pantry. “You’re living out our Team Kentucky values, helping your neighbors, taking care of each other, and getting through the hard times together so we can get to the good times together.”

After the ceremony, Beshear joined students from Rockcastle County High School in packing food backpacks for local school students. Rockcastle County Schools Superintendent Carrie Ballinger and God’s Pantry President/CEO Mike Halligan also helped.

Through a longstanding partnership between CAP and the school system, Rockcastle County students have modeled compassionate community service for more

Grateful Bread Food Pantry staff and volunteers serve around 800 families a month in addition to 200 seniors. Pictured are Carolyn Lindsey, director of CAP's human services programs in Rockcastle, Jackson, and McCreary Counties; Brad Hunt, logistics clerk; Sherri Barnett, community coordinator; Izzy Ammerman, AmeriCorps member; Angela Howard, coordinator; Crystal McCoy, Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program volunteer; Lillie Bullock, community volunteer; and Andrew Harrington, AmeriCorps member.

than 10 years. Since 2021, students from Lexington Christian Academy in Lexington have also partnered with CAP to participate in community service and help fight hunger and feed hope in Rockcastle County.

“We are grateful for the generosity of CAP donors, partners, and the many supporters who have prayed for this expansion to continue to give hope to many more children and their families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities,” Adams said. “This day is a blessing. Thank you all for being a part.” n

PLANNED GIVING

A PROMISE TO KEEP

BY TINA V. BRYSON

The night of the flood, Brenda and her granddaughter were awakened at 1 a.m. to find water rising toward their home from the creek bed. Soon, the water rushed under Brenda’s home, demolishing everything in its path, including her home’s electricity and water sources. After water was restored, debris in the lines destroyed her hot water heater, as well as her washer and dryer.

Through strategic partnerships and committed volunteers, Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) is able to help families, like Brenda’s, that have fallen through the cracks since being impacted by the devastation of the July 2022 floods.

Brenda had been a counselor and a case manager at a maximum-security women’s prison for more than 20 years. She had a double major in college in social work

and criminology so she could help people in the community struggling with the impacts of substance abuse. “I was no different than those prisoners except I chose a different path,” she said. “It made me realize how much I took for granted. It completely changed me.”

Wiping tears from her eyes, Brenda continued: “Asking you all for help was hard for me. Because I sent people to you all, but now I’m on the other side of the fence. It’s hard to ask for help when you have helped so many people in your own life.”

Through the generous support of donors nationwide, CAP and Knott County Long-Term Recovery partnered to fulfill a commitment to help 100 families like Brenda’s, who were still on their waiting list, get back into homes that were safe, warm, and dry. Brenda’s home marked

“It felt good to be able to help. It’s simple things that we take for granted, like being able to wash your hands or your face in the bathroom sink or flipping the switch and you have lights. It makes you more grateful.”

— Scott Dale

the 100th of that disaster response goal and with volunteers from Iowa’s Amish community providing the labor, her home’s repairs were completed in just three days. CAP is working with Knott County to assist with an additional 10 homes that still need repairs.

Scott Dale, a CAP Home Repair crew leader, oversaw the replacement of the floor joists, subfloor, and the water heater. In addition, volunteers built a wheelchair accessible ramp to help Brenda, who suffered debilitating injuries following a near-fatal car accident. They also patched her roof, replaced the floorboards on the back porch, and repaired the back steps, which had crumbled under floodwaters.

“It felt good to be able to help,” Dale said. “It’s simple things that we take for granted, like being able to

(Left) Ron Morrow, CAP’s Home Repair program manager in Johnson, Martin, and Northern Magoffin Counties, visits with Brenda at her home. (Below) CAP’s Home Repair program and volunteers from Iowa’s Amish community made extensive repairs to Brenda’s flooddamaged home in just three days. Work included the replacement of the floor joists, subfloor, and the water heater and an addition of a wheelchair accessible ramp.

wash your hands or your face in the bathroom sink or flipping the switch and you have lights. It makes you more grateful.”

Dale, whose grandparents helped raise him, felt a special connection to Brenda, who had promised her son, who passed away from cancer, that she’d take care of her granddaughter.

“I told myself when I lost my son that there is nothing in this house that cannot be bought back, but I can’t bring him back. So, it has changed how I look at things,” Brenda said. “My daddy built this house and watching them repair it has been hard for me because they are taking up the last thing I have that’s his. I can buy another house, but I can’t buy back Daddy’s house. But I am very grateful for the help.” n

Compassion Obedient Service

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Throughout scripture, we see the many ways service is the foundation of our relationship with God and the people around us. Bob and Kathy Rice have responded to the call to serve, acting as the hands and feet of Jesus everywhere they’ve been, all across the world. Since discovering the great need that exists in Appalachia, the Illinois natives have served anually with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) for more than 15 years alongside other devoted volunteers.

“The need right in our own backyard is just as great as what we saw in other places. We felt called to help people closer to home,” Kathy said. “The reason why we do this is because Jesus instructed [his followers] to help others in need. I would hope in all of this, the people we help recognize it’s not about us doing the work, but it’s about Jesus commanding us and us being obedient. The reason we are here is to show God’s love.”

They show that love in Appalachia through serving in CAP’s Home Repair program. Bob serves as a shortterm skilled leader, helping CAP crew leaders oversee worksites. Short-term skilled leaders make it possible for CAP to open additional worksites, therefore leading more crews of volunteers, completing more projects, and helping more people in need. Kathy has served as part of the worksite crews, making home repairs, and as part of the kitchen crew at CAP’s Foley Mission Center, preparing meals for the volunteers who serve.

Each spring, the Rices serve for three weeks during CAP’s annual WorkFest event, an alternative spring break trip for college students. Their experiences during WorkFest have not only transformed the lives of people in Appalachia, but they’ve made lasting impacts on their lives as well.

During those weeks, Bob teaches volunteers construction skills needed to complete designated home repair projects and many go on to use in their everyday lives when they return home. He remembers one instance when he saw the skills he was teaching even go beyond his crew members.

Bob and Kathy Rice have served annually with CAP for more than 15 years.

“I was installing windows with three college students. I installed the first, showed them how to do it, and then had them work on the second window,” Bob recalled. “The homeowner was watching and said she wished she could do something like that. I encouraged her to try it and watched as the three college students I had just taught teach the homeowner those skills. The four of them put in the remaining windows. It was a powerful experience.”

What has captured Kathy’s heart during her service with CAP is the people she has served and the people she serves with. In 2014, she and a friend came to serve during YouthFest, CAP’s alternative spring break trip for high school students, and they met

(Left) Kathy Rice has served on worksites but also serves as part of the kitchen crew at Foley Mission Center, preparing meals for volunteers. (Below) Bob Rice serves as a short-term skilled leader on CAP worksites, teaching volunteers new skills to complete home repair projects.

"The reason we are here is to show God’s love.”

— Kathy Rice

two women from Arkansas. The group immediately formed a strong connection, and the next year, they coordinated to serve together during YouthFest again. Since then, the women have made it a tradition to serve during YouthFest and take other trips together during the year.

“They are some of my closest friends,” Kathy said. “Our bond was built side by side in service, and it was affirmative for a lifetime. It’s a family that is built around serving together, and that community was built by CAP.”

The Rices are grateful for the experiences and bonds they have made through their service in Appalachia, and they credit CAP’s RV accommodations for their ability to serve for long periods of time. The Rices stay in their RV during their service, using the free power, water, and sewage hookups CAP offers.

“It’s a great opportunity for RV travelers to have great accommodations. Everything you need is at CAP,” Bob said. “You don’t have to have a lot of construction experience to help. You just have to have a willing heart. CAP will teach you what you need to know. You won’t be left alone.”

“We would encourage anyone to try a week of service at CAP, whether you have an RV or if you stay in the mission center,” Kathy said. “We have fallen in love with so many of the participants we worked with. We are in alignment with what CAP is doing to help people in Eastern Kentucky. There are many opportunities to serve here. I bet anyone who tries it will fall in love with the region just as much as we have.”

For more information about service opportunities with CAP, visit christianapp.org/volunteer. n

Eagle Community Center strives to be a place of education and fun for children in

McCreary County.

Coming Together

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

The winding roads of McCreary County lead you through a picturesque view of Appalachia.

Tall trees line the roads that climb through the hills and valleys with homes and businesses sprinkled here and there along the way. While the scenery is unmatched, Appalachia’s geography can pose a challenge to people living in rural communities.

Set back from the road among a break in the trees is Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Eagle campus, home to the Eagle Food Pantry and Eagle Community Center. Both programs strive to help people in McCreary County be self-sufficient, empowered, and secure in all aspects of life.

Eagle Community Center Infant/ Toddler services ensure children birth to 3 years old receive critical developmental care.

“In a rural community, it is important to have a space like this to gather with other people and build a sense of community. I want people to think of this as a connection to the rest of the community and to other critical services that CAP offers,” said Lisa Meldrum, manager of Eagle Food Pantry and Eagle Community Center. “I want this to be a place of safety for families, a place of education and fun for children, and a place for resources for adults.”

While the food pantry serves the community through the distribution of nutritious food, the community center offers services and programming largely for children and their families. The center does so through

“In a rural community, it is important to have a space like this to gather with other people and build a sense of community.”

— Lisa Meldrum

three components: Infant/Toddler services; Scholastic Preparation, Arts, and Recreation for Kids (SPARK); and community programming.

The Infant/Toddler initiative ensures children from birth to 3 years old receive critical developmental care through a mobile classroom and in-person services on the Eagle campus. Children ages 5 to 17 can participate in SPARK, which offers after-school programming, in-school services to help in local classrooms, as well as field trips and summer programming.

“Through our services, we transform the lives of children in our area,” Meldrum said. “I feel like our youth programs allow children to be inspired and have new opportunities they might not have otherwise. When they come to the community center, they have a space where they can grow and know they are going to receive unconditional love from the employees.”

Meldrum believes the impact made on a child’s life is greater when the whole family is part of the transformation. CAP’s community programming gives adults a space to be empowered, grow confidence, and learn new skills. CAP offers the community center as a space to use for

(Left) Children ages 5 to 17 can participate in SPARK, which offers after-school programming, in-school services to help in local classrooms, as well as field trips and summer programming. (Below) CAP offers Eagle Community Center as a space for local groups, such as the Eagle Sewing Bees, to use. The group works on sewing projects for local organizations and individuals, as well as CAP’s Elderly Services participants.

local events or groups, such as a sewing club, and facilitates a variety of groups. A popular group that has gathered at the center for 10 years is a men’s cooking class.

“The men’s cooking class was started because we heard an interest and a need for something like that from our community members. Once a month, men gather to learn cooking skills and new meals to prepare for their families,” Meldrum said. “Our programs are based on the needs we see in our community. In the future, we hope to offer similar programs for grandparents raising grandchildren.”

When thinking of what is next for Eagle Community Center, Meldrum takes the planning and consideration of new programming seriously. She keeps the mission of CAP at the forefront of her mind and wants to emphasize opportunities of transformation.

“We want to show children and adults that they can be more than their circumstances, and I feel like our programs allow them to see that,” Meldrum said. “There is so much good that has happened through our services because of the generosity of our donors. We look forward to the future of Eagle Community Center.” n

Appalachia Spotlight The Quiet Gift

BY KRISTY HORINE

hris Green grew up in Lexington.

“It ain’t Appalachia,” he said with a laugh.

And yet Green lives out the legacy of deep Appalachian roots that plunge into mountain soil, fill crevices between rock and coal, and anchors his commitments in the world. These days, as the director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center (LJAC) at Berea College, Green uses the whole of the Appalachian story to help others find and tell their own stories.

It’s the desire to know people and their stories that keeps Green coming back for more. That, and the fact that it’s his job.

Green is not only the director of the LJAC, but he is also an associate professor of Appalachian Studies and former chair of the college’s Appalachian Studies Department. A widely published writer, regional poet, and a literary and social historian, Green shares the beauty and goodness of all things Appalachian with others.

“I love people, and I love helping people tell their stories and helping people feel heard,” Green said. “I have to be careful if I go out of my office and we have a visitor come to the center, and they want to tell me a story of their grandparents. I’m just gonna sit down in a rocking chair because whatever they’re going to share, I’m going to learn. I learn about that person’s heart. I learn about their world and where they’re from, and I grow from those stories, too.”

The giving and receiving of stories is an integral part of the mission of the LJAC, Green said, and it is a quiet gift. He employs his own version of this quiet gift inside the classroom, the center, and beyond. He’s delivered

Green has a passion for listening to and helping people tell their stories, a critical part of his role as director of the

lectures at Hindman Settlement School’s annual writer’s conference. He has also reviewed, edited, and endorsed a score of scholarly, fiction, and poetry book manuscripts for presses in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Georgia. Green teaches his students how to listen. He curates stories, information, and history, and then connects those elements to others who might not even know they needed an Appalachian infusion.

Chris

Loyal Jones Appalachian Center.

The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center highlights the history and story of the region through several exhibits, such as When I was 20: Voices from the Appalachian Experience (above). The center also invites visitors to sit in rocking chairs and share their own stories or thoughts on Appalachia (below).

At the end of the day, Green waters and tends all Appalachian roots – roots that have been here for centuries, and roots that have yet to take firm hold. He does it because he cares, and he cares because he knows the value of all people.

“When I think of Appalachia, I think of service. And I’m not thinking of outside folks serving people inside. I’m thinking of the way that there is a sense of openness and care that people have for each other. For folks on the outside, they might not be able to see that at first, but if you’re able to sit with somebody for a while, you’ll see it, and you’ll feel it, too.”

So for today, and tomorrow, and for as long as he can, he’ll smile, pull up a rocking chair, and open his quiet gift for Appalachia and beyond. n

“I love people, and I love helping people tell their stories and helping people feel heard.”

– Chris Green

Appalachia Spotlight Living Out Faith

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Dwayne Mills felt God’s call to return to his native Martin County to serve people in need in Appalachia. After serving as the pastor of his childhood church, Mills transitioned into the role of executive director of the nonprofit organization Appalachia Reach Out (ARO).

Martin County became the face of poverty in America when President Lyndon B. Johnson came to the county seat of Inez in 1964 to promote programs and initiatives intended to help end poverty in the United States. Year after year, the poverty in the region is recounted in the media but Dwayne Mills chooses to focus on the richness of the beauty, culture, and tradition of the people here.

“Even though we were poor, I reflect on those times as wonderful memories,” said Mills, a native of Martin County and the executive director of the nonprofit organization Appalachia Reach Out (ARO) since 2019.

ARO, founded in 1972, strives to be Christ’s love in action through being His hands, feet, heart, and mission each day, every day. The organization focuses on four main areas: education, addiction recovery, community

engagement and leadership development, and Work and Witness teams. ARO also operates a food pantry that serves more than 180 families a month and a thrift store. And they partner with local schools to provide students with hygiene items, coats, shoes, and more.

Mills’s early education and career drew him away from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, but he felt God’s radical call to return home to serve the people there. In 2012, he returned to Martin County to pastor his childhood church and serve people in the community.

“I knew our call was more to the people than just the church,” Mills said. “I remember interviewing with the church board and telling them, ‘If you call me here as your pastor, know this — there are going to be many people that we minister to that will never darken the doors of the church, and yet God still calls us to serve those folks.’”

Bill Zuidema manages ARO's food pantry and thrift store in Martin County.

In 2023 CAP honored Mills as a Champion of Appalachia for his dedication to serving people in the region.

In less than a month of being back in Martin County, the church hosted its first Work and Witness team, a group of volunteers who traveled from outside of the area to serve local families through short-term missions. After the number of volunteers continued to grow, Mills recognized the need to expand their capacity to host groups and partnered with ARO to use the organization’s volunteer lodging. After two years of partnership with the organization, Mills transitioned to his current role with ARO.

In 2023, Mills was recognized by Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) as a Champion of Appalachia for his dedication to serving the people in the region. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have had a positive, long-term impact in the lives of people in Appalachia.

“My heart’s desire is to bring glory to what God has done in and through our lives,” Mills said. “That’s really the heart of what we are trying to do. We are bringing back hope into those hopeless situations, and it is vital to the work that we do. We have to live out our faith every day, in every moment.” n

We are bringing back hope into those hopeless situations, and it is vital to the work that we do. We have to live out our faith every day, in every moment.”

– Dwayne Mills

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