IN THIS ISSUE
nn Hanover Friends nn Full Service nn A Drink of Water nn Fired Up
RISE UP
XXXVIII No. 2 FALL / WINTER 2019 Vol. XXXVI No. 2 Fall / Winter 2017
STORIES OF GROWTH AND RESILIENCE
A Publication of Christian Appalachian Project
A Biannual Publication of Christian Appalachian Project
editor’s letter
Spirit “We will work with each other, we will work side by side, We will work with each other, we will work side by side, And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride, And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
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OUR MISSION
Building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ’s love through service in Appalachia. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sarabeth Brownrobie
am so very lucky. In my position at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), I am able to visit many of our programs. If you ever wonder about the power of love and the resilience of people you only need to visit our programs. Every time I speak to an employee or volunteer I am reminded of the song “They Will Know We Are Christians.”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kim Kobersmith, Rebecca Napier, Bridget McCormack-Finley, Tina Bryson, Sarabeth Brownrobie
You might not be able to travel to meet the staff and volunteers at CAP, but I hope the stories that we share show you what an incredible difference they make.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Tina Bryson, Rebecca Napier, Sarabeth Brownrobie
I hope you’ll read April Reynold’s story and that you’ll see what a difference our programs made in her life as she was growing up. We are so blessed to have her pouring out love to the children that she serves.
CONTACT US
And maybe you’ll be inspired, as John Oliva was, by the work of our Housing and Volunteer Programs. One week spent repairing houses has led to years of trips to the mountains. Perhaps you’ll see something inspiring in the way our Counseling Program works to empower participants to make better choices for themselves and their families. In each story, as with each program, you’ll see that those of us at CAP strive to be a living embodiment of that beloved hymn. With gratitude, Sarabeth Brownrobie Editor, The Mountain Spirit Magazine 2
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By phone: 859.269.0635 Toll-free: 866.270.4227 Email: publications@chrisapp.org Website: christianapp.org Mail: Christian Appalachian Project P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555-5911
SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Mountain Spirit is published twice a year. The suggested donation is $20.00. Subscription requests and other correspondence should be sent to: The Mountain Spirit Christian Appalachian Project P.O. Box 55911 Lexington, KY 40555-5911 Copyright 2019. 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.
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Contents FAITH
8 Hanover Friends
A faithful partnership with CAP develops over the years.
10 Give and Take
Lessons are learned by living in the volunteer houses at Christian Appalachian Project.
13 From
the Archives: A Drink of Water
CAP Founder Rev. Ralph Beiting recounts a street preaching experience in Appalachia.
SERVICE 16 Full Service
John Oliva has inspired more than 150 volunteers over the years to join him at CAP.
COMPASSION 20 Forget Me Not
Ellen Merrill is connected to the Elderly Services Program which brings her friendship and fun.
23 Full Circle
April Reynolds was a participant as a child and now serves children at CAP’s Child and Family Development Center in Mount Vernon, Kentucky.
26 Therapy on the Cutting Edge The Family Life Counseling Program employs culturally-informed practices to make a difference.
ARTS AND CULTURE 28 Fired Up
Flour and water are transformed into sourdough in workshops with Tara Jensen.
32 On the Banks of Troublesome Creek
Wood and lives are transformed by a school in Hindman, Kentucky.
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Spirit
News
DISTRIBUTION EVENT FOR HARLAN COAL MINERS
CAP’s Operation Sharing program brought about $50,000 to $75,000 worth of product in five tractor trailer loads. CAP employees and volunteers came together in Harlan co. to help distribute the products to the miners and their families. 371 families, 138 miners and 233 general public were served through this event! 4
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CAREGIVER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
The In-Home Respite Program knows how hard it is to be a full time-caregiver. The program held a caregivers luncheon where they were served a delicious meal and listened to live entertainment.
SEPTEMBER IS HUNGER AWARENESS MONTH
(top) Greatful Bread Volunteer Alumni Helena Gallant shows her support for the food pantry in a social media post. (below) Members of the Lexington CAP office repackage food at God’s Pantry which partners with CAP. FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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Welcome home!
Countless volunteers spent hundreds of hours building a home for the Mullins family. After losing trailers to a fire and a flood (see The Mountain Spirit, Spring 2019), the family is excited to finally have a home to call their own. Here’s a look back at the project through its many different phases of construction.
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WHAT A FRIEND we have in Hanover
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anover Evangelical Friends Church (HEFC) has been sharing Christ’s love in – and allaround – Mechanicsville, Virginia for more than 50 years. But the church also has a history of extending its reach through organizations like Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).
Reynolds, who coordinates the mission trip and part of the children’s ministry at the church. “We love the relationships we have developed with CAP staff and long-term volunteers that have touched our lives. We love that we get to share in CAP’s mission of helping the people of Appalachia in the name of Jesus.”
“There are many things about CAP that have kept The partnership with CAP started in 2006 when two us coming back for 14 consecutive years,” said Jeff members realized that they had both been financial 8
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faith attending the church for a few years, but never went on a mission trip until 2016,” Peggy explained. “Tim had been away from the church for several months. When he came back, he was welcomed with so much love. Jeff asked him that day if he wanted to go on the group trip; it was already paid for.”
(left) The HEFC team poses on the porch of a home where they helped make repairs. (above) Peggy and Tim Ridenour joined CAP as volunteers after being part of a mission trip.
supporters for years. Another member of the church was connected through a relative that worked in CAP’s Family Life Counseling Program. HEFC has since become an invaluable part of the CAP family. “Our main focus has been housing repair,” Reynolds said. “It was one of the ways that we knew we could glorify Jesus by helping people in need in Appalachia. When we return to Virginia, others are impacted as we simply come home and tell of our experiences. People are drawn to join us on the next trip. We have people on our jobs, family members, as well as other church members who decide to serve or donate once we talk to them about our experience with CAP.” In addition to participating in mission trips with CAP’s Housing Program, the church has also offered a Vacation Bible School through CAP’s Eagle Community Center in McCreary County. When each of their various service experiences are included, HEFC has served in nearly all of CAP’s primary service areas and has stayed in all of CAP’s group housing facilities. They have also participated in WorkFest and YouthFest, CAP’s alternative spring break trips for college and high school students. Through that partnership, CAP gained two long-term volunteers from the church – one of whom later became a CAP employee. Tim and Peggy Ridenour discovered a new part of God’s plan during their week-long mission trips. “We had been
The trip proved to be a catalyst for both Tim and Peggy. Following Tim’s initial week of service with CAP that summer, he returned with Reynolds to serve as an assistant crew leader at YouthFest the following spring. In the summer of 2017, Peggy joined Tim on the church’s next mission trip. “By then we were thinking, ‘God is trying to tell us something,’” Peggy said. “We came in September, by ourselves, and we were convinced that this is where we were supposed to be. God used HEFC to get us here.” Tim and Peggy committed to a year of service beginning in January 2018, and Tim joined CAP’s Housing Program as a full-time employee that following July. Peggy is currently serving with CAP for a second year as a Family Advocacy/Housing Caseworker in Rockcastle County and has signed up for a third year of service. “The intentionality of the HEFC leaders with evening devotions during the mission trips always played an important part in my experience,” Peggy added. “The practice of reflecting on who we’d met, who we’d touched, where we’d seen God at work, and in whom we’d seen God, truly incorporated the spiritual aspect of serving. It has stayed with me.” Reynolds added, “It is a life-changing experience to share the love of Christ through working and sharing our lives with participants and CAP staff. You return home enriched and looking for ways to help others in your church and community.” n
Author Bridget McCormack-Finley is a Philanthropy Officer in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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O
GIVE and TAKE
n the third week of August, new and returning Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) volunteers gathered at Camp AJ for a volunteer commissioning and retreat. It was a time to prepare mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for their time of service, with activities that were both fun and serious. There was laughter when they played games, camaraderie as they prepared meals, and reverence at the commissioning service held at a local church. Perhaps they didn’t realize it, but this was a crucial time for building a key component of volunteer service at CAP: community. Volunteers reside in one of the five volunteer houses as a family. Creating community with strangers can be one of the most transformational aspects of the volunteer experience. Living in intentional community develops life-long relationship-building skills and sets CAP apart from other volunteer programs.
Kathryn Branham, from Floyd County, Kentucky. “I just graduated from college and I am leaving my family for this. I look forward to the community becoming like family.” But forging a community is not easy or simple. Current and previous volunteers share important communitybuilding practices from their CAP experience. BE INTENTIONAL It takes intentionality and time to build relationships. Volunteers share a meal and devotions four nights a week, a time which is a cornerstone of life in community. Everyone is expected to participate. “Some of my best times here have been sitting down together for supper and devotional time in the evenings,” said Kathleen Krause, a retiree who has lived in Johnson House since last fall. “We are all so different, yet come together as one.”
“Community living was an important factor in my decision to volunteer with CAP,” said new volunteer Another way volunteers connect is through group activities. Volunteers list hiking and exploring nearby communities as favorite bonding outings. “I have enjoyed this new adventure and doing things I wouldn’t have “I appreciated the spiritual of doing by myself,” said Carolyn Klaesges, a exposure at a transitional time.” thought young adult volunteer who has lived in Johnson House since January. She is particularly looking forward to a JENNY KING planned zip line outing with housemates. 10
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faith
Volunteers take a moment to laugh together during their first gathering at Camp AJ. Though the experience is often solemn, there is always time for laughter.
APPRECIATE DIVERSITY CAP intentionally fosters a culture of accepting and even embracing differences. There is a communal understanding that while volunteers might not all think alike, they can all love alike. During orientation, personality assessments and communication exercises lay a foundation for understanding and valuing differences which are crucial for the development of community. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and are in different places on their spiritual journeys. The ecumenical experience is frequently mentioned by volunteers as life changing. “I appreciated the spiritual exposure at a transitional time,” said Jenny King, a former volunteer and current volunteer life manager. “People practiced their faith in very different ways.” The houses often have a valuable intergenerational mix, with almost 50 percent who are recent college graduates, 25 percent retired people, and 25 percent in between. “I appreciated the older adults in my volunteer
community,” said Jimmy Owsley, a former volunteer and current volunteer life manager. “They had a lifetime of experience and wisdom, and a knowledge of how to build relationships.” RESOLVE CONFLICT Weekly house meetings are a time to bring up potential conflicts and address them together. “Sometimes it is hard to even acknowledge there is a problem,” Klaesges admitted. The work of the volunteer life managers is to support and nurture volunteers. They teach conflict resolution skills during retreats, including tips for having difficult conversations, and they serve as mediators when situations require an outside perspective. As former volunteers themselves, they can pull from their personal experience living in community. Krause shared a time in the Johnson House when a compromise solution created a beloved house tradition. One young man spent much of his time on the communal FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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faith couch playing video games, which was a concern for some other house residents. One result of a problem-solving session was the establishment of Wednesday game night, where housemates take turns choosing a video or board game they want to play together.
NOW SEEKING VOLUNTEERS: ALL AGES Whether a person is 18 or 108, steaming clothing or climbing onto roofs, committing to a year of full-time service or devoting a few hours a week to serving our communities – each volunteer is necessary to the mission and ministry of CAP. We firmly believe that volunteers who serve with CAP are called by God to do so. We know that each of them and all of their gifts are exceedingly valuable. Opportunities are available for people of all backgrounds, experiences, ages, and availabilities.
“Living with other volunteers involves give and take,” Krause said. Benny Mattis is returning for his second volunteer year with CAP to live in the Mount Vernon House. He added, “Communication is huge. It’s a balance between being respectful of others while standing up for yourself.” SERVE TOGETHER Besides rotating meal preparation and devotional leadership, housemates serve each other by dividing up housekeeping roles, including hosting guests, grocery shopping, house business, and maintenance requests. Just like in a family, this kind of service demonstrates care and affection. The service continues as volunteers reach into the community through their CAP work. Finding common cause in service and faith is formational when it comes to community. “Living together for that length of time, with intentionality and the common bond of service and spirituality, can really lead to deep friendships,” King added. “I remain close friends with some of my fellow volunteers even nine years later.” Communal living helps CAP volunteers practice living, serving, and problem-solving with a motley group of others forged in the real-life immersion of intentional community. It can be both joyful and challenging as they learn skills in getting along with others that they will use for a lifetime. It is not for everyone, but for these and many more CAP volunteers it is a vital part of the experience. n
Christian Appalachian Project
christianapp.org volunteer@chrisapp.org 800.755.5322 12
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Author Kim Kobersmith is a freelance journalist residing in Berea, Kentucky
faith
A STORY FROM THE CAP ARCHIVES, 1977
A DRINK
of Water
By Christian Appalachian Project Founder Rev. Ralph Beiting
“I belong to the Catholic Church,” I said.
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He said, “Now whoa, just back off there now. I don’t remember one day when we were out on Highway want to get involved with anybody that’s from that 421, about half a dozen miles out of Hyden, Catholic Church. I just reckon we better forget all Kentucky. There was a nice cluster of houses, so about this.” I decided to stop and do some preaching. The house that was most centrally located had a nice porch and a “Well, we just can’t forget all about it,” I replied. “It’s an shade tree in front, and just seemed the ideal place for important subject. God is worthwhile; no matter who a preaching stop. I knocked on the door and a little speaks a good word on His behalf, it’s worth hearing.” old man answered. He said, “Yea, but I don’t want to have anythin’ to do “I wonder if we might ask a favor of you,” I inquired. with Catholics.” “We need some electricity to run our amplifier.” “What are you up to?” he asked. I said, “We’re visiting here in the area, and I’d like to talk a little bit about Jesus. We’d like to sing some religious hymns and spend about a half hour or forty-five minutes with you all.” “Well, I’m a preacher myself,” he said, “so I reckon I couldn’t do anything but say yes to that.” So I gave a signal to the young men, and they began to bring up the extension cord while others started setting up the loudspeakers and amplifiers. The minister man looked at me and said, “By the way, what kind of religion are you?”
Rev. Beiting was well known for preaching throughout Appalachia. FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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Rev. Beiting loved to sing and always incorporated music into his street preaching whenever possible.
After a little while I saw I wasn’t going to get anywhere, We spent about 45 minutes preaching and singing, so I said to him, “Let me ask you another question. If and all the time I’m wondering if the plug is coming I came here today and asked you for a cup of water to out or not. drink, would you give it to me?” When the whole thing was over, he came up and “Why you know I’d have to give that to you,” he replied. shook my hand, saying, “You know, mister, you’ve “The Bible says, ‘As long as you gave a cup of water in done an awful big favor for me. I’ve been a preacher my name, you gave it to me,’ so I’d have to give you a for a long time and it seems to me that I’ve got the wrong idea. Here I didn’t want you to preach about cup of water.” Jesus, ‘cause you’re a different religion than me. What “Well, what I’m asking for is not a cup of water,” I said. you said about Him was good; I wish I could’ve said it as good. I’m just ashamed that I thought about “All I’m asking for is a plug full of electricity.” stopping somebody who was saying a good word for So he said, “Well, I don’t reckon I understand exactly Jesus. Anytime you’re back in this neighborhood, you’ve got to promise me you’ll stop here. You’ll get what you’re saying.” all the electricity that plug can handle right here from “Well, it’s the same difference,” I said. “All I’m asking my house, and you’ll get a cup of water too, someyou to do is give me a little electricity for my plug; it’s thing cold to drink.” the same thing as asking for a little water for my cup.” Well, I stopped there for the next three years. The last “I don’t quite follow you,” he said. “But it sounds like time I stopped, the old man had died. I often rememit’s got something to do with the Good Book, so I’m ber, though, that summer day in Leslie County, where going to do it. But if I hear one thing out of the way, out prejudice had a funeral. We buried a little bit of it. There was understanding, respect, and appreciation. It’s a nice comes your plug.” kind of thing to remember, I think. n “That’s fair enough,” I replied. 14
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Now Open!
THE CAP GIFT SHOP
Show your love for CAP with gear from our new store! Your purchase promotes our mission to build hope, transform lives, and share Christ’s love through service in Appalachia.
CAPgiftshop.com Christian Appalachian Project
faith
Full Service H
e paces as he speaks. He tells terrible jokes. He makes up outrageous songs - and then tries to sing them. John Oliva does everything he can to engage volunteers when he emcees the morning and evening gatherings during WorkFest. He is committed to the experience.
volunteering through his Jesuit high school, joining his sister on service trips, and his love of teaching all contributed to his decision to take part as a mentor.
“In the nine years that I’ve been coming down to WorkFest, my role has evolved,” Oliva said. “Early on, I would have viewed my participation as accompanying “WorkFest itself has a lot of traditions, both those that the students for that one week that we are at CAP. As the are weird for an outside observer, but also traditions that years have gone on, I have taken a more active role. I’ve are very serious and cut to the heart,” Oliva said. gotten more involved.” Oliva has also started attending seminary so that he can become an ordained deacon at His own experience at Christian Appalachian Project his church. “That wouldn’t have happened had it not (CAP) began nine years ago at the age of 33. He was been for WorkFest and alternative spring break.” working as a parish mentor in Michigan for his church’s alternative spring break program, a position that he still Harold Underwood, senior director of the Volunteer holds, when he first visited Appalachia. Oliva had just Program, explained that “John is a likable guy and has finished his doctoral degree and was actively looking for been an exceptional volunteer and host, but what he a meaningful way to get involved in the church after does best is bring stories of transformation back home graduation. It was then that he saw a message in the par- after his work trips.” Those stories have inspired nuish bulletin looking for mentors for WorkFest, CAP’s al- merous groups, including a new group of adults from ternative spring break program. Oliva’s early experiences Oliva’s parish, to serve at CAP. It’s estimated that Oliva has brought more than 150 volunteers to Kentucky over the last nine years. “I have a big place in my heart
for people who know when to be serious and when to have fun, who can be both professional and silly, and know the boundaries between the two.” HEDLUN WALTON
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According to Oliva, being able to cultivate transformational experiences for other people is essential. “I’ve said all along that if I was going down for a week of good times, there are plenty of other places in the world that I could go and do a better job of that, if that were my only objective. If I wanted to go somewhere to do a week of construction work, I could find another avenue for that. If I wanted to spend a week in contemplative prayer, I
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John Oliva is known for wearing costumes, creating humorous speeches, and being the life of the work party. This year he wore head-to-toe, color-coordinated outfits to match the colors of each work team.
could probably find a different way of doing that. It’s the combination of prayer, the work, making an impact in the lives of people in Eastern Kentucky, and the fun that we have. I don’t know if there is another place that gives you that experience as completely and consistently as CAP.”
an impact at CAP, but he also sees service as a means of engaging students and community members in the work of the church well beyond that week.
“CAP instills in people the idea that they still have the ability to change the world, and I’ve seen students come away from the trip and change their academic major,” He no longer sees his role as only helping students pre- Oliva said. “I’ve also seen students have a spiritual rebirth pare for a one-week trip. Oliva wants his service to have from the theological elements of what goes on at CAP.” FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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(from left to right) Becky Neuenschwander, volunteer coordinator, discusses logistics with John Oliva and Jimmy Owsley, volunteer life manager at CAP’s Foley Mission Center, before sending teams to their worksites.
Oliva recalled that there have been students who confided that they weren’t very religious before coming on the trip. He made sure that they knew that everyone was welcome. “They came away from that trip reborn in their faith,” he shared.
the trip. Once you see a life change, there is a drive to see it happen again.” Oliva has expanded his time beyond WorkFest to bring permanent parishioners, those who aren’t college students, on mission trips. “I’ve seen what kind of impact it has had with our students, and it seemed a shame that our permanent parishioners were missing out on that. This kind of experience didn’t exist for them when they were in college,” he said.
One student went on to volunteer at a Catholic service organization after graduation. And although not everyone has had ground-shaking transformations, several students have remarked that their week at CAP shaped what it meant to them to be “I have a big place in my heart for a Christian living in the real world. people who know when to be serious and when to have fun, who can “Every year is similar, but distinc- be both professional and silly, and tively different,” Oliva explained. know the boundaries between the “There is something unique and life two,” said Hedlun Walton, a pachanging every time that I’ve taken rishioner who took the opportunity 18
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to go on the trip with his daughter Audrey. “From the older folks in their 70s to my 15-year-old daughter, I think we all felt equally valued and part of the group. John was a big reason for that. He didn’t force you to do anything; he just gave you opportunities and good reasons to come along. Only a fool wouldn’t join him.” n
Author Sarabeth Brownrobie is a Creative Design Specialist in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office
CONSTRUCTION VOLUNTEERS NEEDED JOIN US FOR A WEEK, A MONTH, OR A YEAR
Join us for a week at WorkFest or Youthfest or as a short-term or long-term volunteer! APPLY TODAY!
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Christian Appalachian Project
compassion
FORGET ME NOT E
veryone I have met from CAP, I just want to adopt them, I just love them!” said Ellen Merrill, a 65-year-old widow who lives alone in Eastern Kentucky. “They are loving, giving and caring, and they don’t just leave when the work is done, they make sure I am not forgotten,” said Merrill while reflecting on the housing crew that made repairs to her home.
that her hand was freezing. “Dominic said, ‘You’re not warm enough, we need to do something about that.’ He went that day and brought me a heater. I’ve been warm ever since then,” Merrill said with a smile. Peggy Ridenour, a CAP Housing volunteer, and AmeriCorps member, worked on Merrill’s home last March.
“When I first met Ellen, she walked with a walker, but very slowly. She didn’t go out much, except to the store and church. I kept in touch with her, and every time I saw her, she was improving, little by little, and I think she appreciated the company.” Ridenour knew that Merrill would benefit from CAP’s Elderly Services Program and urged her to apply.
Last year Merrill was sitting alone in her home with the cold winter chill setting in fearing that the rest of the world had forgotten about her. Her windows were falling out, there was no heating or air conditioning, and the roof desperately needed repairs which she could not afford. She had lost all hope and was ready to give up until a knock on her front door changed everything. “I was wearing two sets of clothes and a hat to keep warm because it was 49 degrees inside my home. When I answered the door, Dominic was standing there,” Merrill recalled. When Dominic Valentine, a CAP Housing crew leader, shook her hand and introduced himself; he noticed 20
Ellen Merrill is all smiles while attending CAP’s annual women’s retreat held at Camp AJ.
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compassion and holiday celebrations. Like many of the elderly participants we serve, CAP has transformed Merrill’s outlook, bringing her closer to her community and those around her. Ridenour was happy to see the changes that the Elderly Services Program had made in Merrill’s life. “When I saw her this year at the women’s retreat, I was totally amazed,” Ridenour said. “Every time I saw her, she was talking to someone new.” “Just getting to know the CAP employees and volunteers made a huge McCreary Counties said, “When par- impact on my life,” Merrill added. ticipants have the opportunity to be “CAP opened my eyes to the fact around others to have conversations, that there are more people in the to share meals, or just to have fun, it community like me. I have even increases our participants’s outlook met people that I am related to that on life. It lets them know someone I never knew about.” cares about them; it provides them comfort, and it gives them something Now, Merrill not only has friends to look forward to.” Lindsey said that but also family members in the it also has a positive effect on their community. She no longer feels health. “Knowing that they have a alone. She takes immense pride in chance to get out of the house and her newly repaired home and hopes be around others takes their mind off to have her friends over often. “I am their physical ailments and the lone- happy with the way my home looks liness they experience, even if only for now, and I would be comfortable a short time,” she said. having anybody over,” she said.
Ellen Merrill takes immense pride in her newly repaired home and hopes to have her friends over often.
The Elderly Services Program provides companionship and support to isolated seniors in need of assistance. It makes a real impact by providing friendship and opportunities for community involvement. Many participants don’t have viable support systems, so CAP is their only connection to the community. For these vulnerable seniors, CAP meets critical transportation needs and provides other vital support. Isolation can have severe effects on older adults. According to one article from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), research shows that socially isolated older adults are more likely to have heart disease, depression, and premature cognitive decline. The AARP also pointed to a study that showed that isolation is connected to an increased risk of death in older adults. The companionship and social opportunities that the Elderly Services Program provides are a vital part of CAP’s services.
When Merrill signed up with Elderly Services, she was given a caseworker to visit her monthly, run errands, and take her to medical appointments. Her caseworker, Ruth Davis, provides companionship and makes sure Merrill can participate in CAP events, like the annual women’s retreat, a three-day event highlighting spiritual growth.
Every year several outings and social Carolyn Lindsey, manager of the opportunities, like the retreat, are Elderly Services and Family Advocacy planned for participants, including Programs in Rockcastle, Jackson, and trips to the movies, pizza parties,
While the sounds of hammers and saws no longer ring out through her home, CAP’s presence in Merrill’s life remains stronger than ever. n
Author Rebecca Napier is a Marketing Associate in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office
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compassion
(top left to right) Participant Virginia Walters was surprised with a day out to the salon. Carolyn Lindsey dresses as the Easter Bunny at the Elderly Services Easter lunch. (bottom) Many participants miss going out for pizza, so CAP’s Elderly Services Program threw them a pizza party at a local restaurant.
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compassion
FULL CIRCLE W
hen April Reynolds was a preschooler in 1993, her parents enrolled her in Christian Appalachian Project’s Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. Now she serves as a teacher’s assistant and bus driver at that very same center. As her life comes full circle, she is in a position to empower others.
Reynolds said. “I know how it is to come from a low-income family where every day can be a struggle to meet basic needs. It makes me happy to be able to help other families, especially parents with children with special needs.”
Those gifts were a tremendous blessing. CAP also provided transportation so Reynolds could attend CAP’s day camps. After high school, she earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of the Cumberlands.
Reynolds has had the support of CAP throughout her life. Her family particpated in CAP’s Christmas basket program from the time that “I love that I am able to help oth- Reynolds was in elementary school ers like my family was helped,” until she graduated high school.
“I came from a one-income family that wasn’t making a lot,” Reynolds recalled. “Our family used CAP programs for clothing and school supplies when I was growing up. Family Advocacy helped with
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compassion utilities sometimes, and we used the Grateful Bread Food Pantry. One year, we even received seeds from CAP to grow our own garden.”
April and Brandon also utilize some of those resources in raising their own three children. Being a parent who has benefitted from these services, while also being able to proApril’s husband, Brandon, also vide these services to other families, works at CAP at Grateful Bread has been a double blessing to April. Food Pantry. Together they pay it forward through some of the same “We all want to help our students programs that helped April and her and their families,” Reynolds said. family when she was growing up. “If we see there is a family that is
struggling with something, we try our best to find a resource to help them out. I especially like that we provide services for children with disabilities, such as speech, or that have occupational or physical therapy needs. The CFDC has worked with my own family and provided us needed help for our daughter. She started school with a developmental delay, but after only one year of kindergarten, she is testing on age level. If my children hadn’t attended CAP’s child development center, they wouldn’t have received the services that they needed to succeed in elementary school,” she explained. Their oldest daughter, Emma, started attending the CFDC when they couldn’t get the services they needed at the local hospital. Emma was able to get help with both behavioral issues and speech therapy at the center. Her formational experiences played a pivotal role in her later success in elementary school. “After being at the CFDC for two years, she learned a lot. Because she knew her ABCs, she was able to pick up on her letter sounds quickly,” Reynolds explained. “Emma ended up being in the advanced reading group in her kindergarten class and also made the honor roll throughout the entire school year. She struggled a little bit with math but picked it up before the school year was over.”
(previous) April Reynolds stands in front of a bus used to transport CFDC students. (top) Reynolds poses for a formal photo with her husband and children. (bottom) Reynolds recalls that the Christmas presents provided by CAP made a real difference to her as a child.
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christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive | FALL / WINTER 2019
Emma continues to improve, thanks to the teachers at the CFDC. “If the staff wouldn’t have pushed her so hard to learn what she did at the school, I feel she would have been way behind. She is still receiving speech services at Mount Vernon Elementary, but will soon
compassion
“If my children hadn’t attended CAP’s child development center, they wouldn’t have received the services that they needed.” APRIL REYNOLDS be testing out of speech,” Reynolds added. “Thanks to all of their time and efforts with her at the CFDC, she is able to go into first grade prepared and ready to learn.” In 2018, Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) partnered with author and speaker Annie F. Downs to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children at CAP’s Child and Family Development Centers. It takes $25 annually to fund one child from birth to age five. Children in CAP’s service area began receiving books in December 2018. Ten of the initial recipients have aged out of the program. Currently, 115 children receive books in McCreary and Rockcastle Counties. We have served 125 children in the program thus far, including April Reynolds’s children. “I am happy that my children get books through this program,” Reynolds said. “If it weren’t for this program, my children would probably not get many books. Although both my husband and I work, we still don’t make a lot. The money we make goes to pay bills or to buy clothes for the children.” She praised the program noting that most parents in Rockcastle County don’t have the extra income needed to buy books each month for their children. “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has taught my children to value books,” Reynolds added. “Each book they get has a wonderful story in them, and many of them also have educational value, too. My children now run to check the mailbox each day because they know there is a chance there could be a book for them in the mail. It makes me smile.”
Reynolds and her husband are grateful to have the opportunity to give back in their own community. They are living transformed lives that build hope for other Appalachian families. “Really, I want to say thanks to all of the donors because, without them, CAP programs would not be possible. If my parents hadn’t received services from CAP, I would not have had new nice school clothes or supplies for school. I wouldn’t have had a Christmas gift or dinner at Christmas time because my parents didn’t have the money,” Reynolds noted. “There are many families still today like mine that need help and support. I am forever grateful to CAP and its donors for all they do for everyone in Eastern Kentucky.” n
Author Tina Bryson is the Manager of Communications in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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compassion
THERAPY
C
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on the Cutting Edge
hristian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Family Life Counseling Program steps in every day to meet the needs of our participant families. They ensure that highquality counseling is available to children and adults dealing with mental health issues in Appalachia.
“I was pleased to inform him that we would never turn away someone due to their inability to pay,” Griffith said. “His treatment was successful, and I still see him occasionally some 22 years later, living a well-adjusted life. I’m proud to have been a servant of the greater good in his life.”
Chris Griffith, manager of CAP’s Family Life Counseling Program, knows that the seeds planted by his staff can continue to bloom long after clients are no longer being seen. He remembers one of his first participants who told him that although he didn’t have the money for treatment, he desperately needed help.
CAP’s counseling program now has three locations to treat patients as well as limited services at the Pike County Child Protective Services office. This includes CAP’s headquarters facility in Paintsville, Mount Vernon, and a new site at the Foley Mission Center in Martin, Kentucky. The new location partners with a nearby women’s shelter where domestic violence
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victimization and related substance misuse issues are common. “My counseling work primarily involves services to adults and some adolescents,” said Terrie Harris, who leads a group of parents involved with Child Protective Services. Parents in the group often have multiple issues that they need help working through. Often that includes anxiety, trauma, depression, and relationship issues between parents and their children, their partners, or their family. “Parents are the linchpins of the family system. It is important that we recognize that and seek to impact those dynamics,” she added.
compassion “I researched clinical and academic concepts that support the input of parents,” Harris explained. She has spent the past seven years working on her doctorate and her dissertation which focuses on what is distinctive about parenting in Appalachia. “Experience has taught me that there can be anxiety around how to be a parent in general, as well as in our changing world and culture,” she said. “These issues can significantly contribute to relapses of depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and addiction in individual parents.”
to treat sexual abuse, violence, and other traumas. He also uses it with clients that have irrational beliefs that lead to anxiety, depression, and negative self-image.
Griffith isn’t only focused on CAP’s growth, but he is also committed to providing training opportunities for mental health professionals throughout the state. He currently serves as president of the Kentucky Mental “It is a highly-researched form of Health Counselors Association therapy that has shown the ability to (KMHCA) and sees that as a way provide effective and efficient prog- to expand how many people have ress with minimal re-traumatization access to these vital services. from having to relive the experience,” Hamilton explained. “I want to make sure that we advance the profession by providing He is also trained in Trauma-Focused training opportunities and netCognitive Behavioral Therapy working for mental health profes(TFCBT), another evidenced-based sionals that can lead to greater acform of treatment used for children cess to services for people in need in who have experienced trauma. It Kentucky,” Griffith said. Under his helps children address distorted and leadership, KMHCA has expanded upsetting beliefs about the trauma its online presence and is working and learn skills to help cope with to expand chapters in every region the associated stressors. “Having of the state. “When we develop the training in both areas provides these professional relationships, an increased ability to serve chil- they provide a greater community dren and families in Appalachia,” to expand the impact of mental Hamilton noted. health professionals in Kentucky.”
Her research has led to the creation of an Appalachian-parenting based curriculum which is culturally-based and culturally-generated. Harris hopes these interventions can prevent the breakup of family units. “Our Appalachian children need help,” she stated. “The foster care system isn’t working and is adding a tremendous amount of burden on grandparents. We must show our Griffith continues to develop his staff parents a better way.” to meet the increasing mental health challenges facing children, individuHarris’s curriculum is not the only als, and families in Appalachia. innovative approach that CAP is pursuing. She and many of her In addition to Harris and Hamilton, colleagues have also been trained who work out of Johnson County, in Eye Movement Desensitization JaLane Speaks serves in Rockcastle and Reprocessing (EMDR). In this County. Griffith has also recently treatment, a client will focus on an hired Sabrina Duncan, who brings event or thought that they want to a wealth of experience dealing with reprocess while being exposed to trauma in children and adolescents. an external stimulus which might include eye movements, taps, or “I want to extend CAP’s ability to tones. Through this system, clients serve through expanding our billfocus on positive thoughts such as ing of insurance programs,” said the strength and resilience they used Griffith. “I also want to increase to survive traumatic circumstances. our capacity to serve challenging populations through the inclusion Dale Hamilton, a CAP therapist for of advanced, cutting-edge inter11 years, says that EDMR has be- ventions via training like EMDR come his preferred form of therapy and TFCBT.”
Griffith takes satisfaction in the way the Family Life Counseling Program continues to make a significant difference in the lives of children and adults dealing with mental health challenges in Appalachia. He concluded, “I am proud that CAP is helping to lead those efforts on behalf of vulnerable populations in Appalachia and throughout the state.” n
Author Tina Bryson is the Manager of Communications in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office
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arts & culture
O
Fired UP
n a warm summer day at Pine Mountain Settlement School students listened to Tara Jenson explain the science of sourdough bread. The sun streamed through the windows, and the students were mesmerized by the story. They leaned in and listened intently as Jenson explains that sourdough starter only contains two simple ingredients. Flour and water by themselves are not spectacular. The mixture also houses wild yeast and bacteria, and that makes all the difference. It’s not the yeast that drives the starter, she told them, it’s the bacteria lactobacilli that is the hero of this story. It’s the catalyst for the sourdough starter and essential to the transformation of the flour.
Jenson’s own catalyst was a job at a bakery staffed entirely by women in Maine. It was her introduction to adulthood and empowerment. She had grown up baking with her mother, but the communal nature of the commercial bakery sparked something in her. That experience primed her for the many lessons she has learned through her profession. “It’s helped me love math. It’s helped me learn about human history. I’ve traveled and learned from specific people in very different parts of the world. It’s my lens that I see everything through. Even though baking seems very humble and very small, it can be informative,” Jenson explained. FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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arts & culture
“Once you start to investigate the process, however, you can really dive into what makes a consistently beautiful loaf.” TARA JENSON These days you can find Jenson writing cookbooks, baking wood-fired pizzas, and passing on the lessons that she learned throughout her career in the workshops that she teaches. She discovered that these workshops also provide a community that is lacking for folks who bake alone in their own kitchens. Her Appalachian workshops take advantage of the cultural history of the region and its rich food traditions.
“Bread baking is the most basic staff of life,” she said. “You don’t have to know anything about the chemistry or why it’s working, and you can make decent bread. Once you start to investigate the process, however, you can really dive into what makes a consistently beautiful loaf.”
In the classroom, at Pine Mountain, her students took what they learned as they approach the table. They were intimidated at the beginning, but she “It feels very natural to be making this kind of bread in a encouraged them. And so, they gathered. They place like this. In particular, we teach at Pine Mountain flipped. They tucked. And they allowed the bacSettlement School, which has spring-fed water,” Jenson teria to transform those simple ingredients, and explained. “When I make my bread there, all my starters that small group of people, into something that are so happy, and my bread is so beautiful. There really nourished them all. n isn’t anything like milling your flour for your bread and using water that comes out of the mountainside.” Baking at home can be isolating and seeing and experimenting with new methods can bring bakers together. Jenson demonstrated the physical techniques (even a little flick of the wrist can be a trick to bring dough together in a specific way) that are difficult to write about in a cookbook but become clear when her students can see it for themselves. 30
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Author Sarabeth Brownrobie is a Creative Design Specialist in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office
CORPORATE RELATIONS A Great New Way to Partner with CAP SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Tax-Deductible Gifts • Gifts-In-Kind Donations Matching Gift Programs • Employee Volunteers
To learn more about how your company can become involved as a corporate partner, please contact Bryce Haneline at 859.286.3025 or email info@chrisapp.org.
arts & culture
ON THE BANKS OF
TROUBLESOME CREEK
T
he Appalachian School of Luthiery began with an idea and a building in Hindman, Kentucky that was along the side of Troublesome Creek. The building was ready, but it took a call from the Appalachian Artisan Center to Master Craftsman Doug Naselroad to get things started. Naselroad was asked if he would consider coming to Hindman to share his more than 40 years of luthiery experience to teach area residents to build instruments. “That was an unusual statement in a lot of ways. Just someone asking for a luthier is really unusual,” Naselroad remembered.
to Hindman to see about putting together some programs for the Artisan Center. He found that there was an underutilized infrastructure for arts education, especially woodworking, already in place. He immediately got to work. The school he put together, the Appalachian School of Luthiery, has been an incredible success. Originally envisioned as a program that would charge fees for classes, things took an unexpected turn when one particular person approached Naselroad during an event.
“This guy came up to me and said, ‘Mr. Naselroad, Intrigued by the possibilities, Naselroad drove the I need to get into your program.’ I told him to sign three hours from his home in Winchester, Kentucky up and he, said, ‘No, you don’t understand, I need to 32
christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive | FALL / WINTER 2019
arts & culture
(left) Doug Naselroad (far left) and the staff of Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company gather round a work table. (above) Paul Williams plays a mandolin made at the Appalachian School of Luthiery.
make guitars.’ I said, sure, fine, go ahead and sign up “Our resources meet the needs of the community both and then he told me he had a felony on his record that individually and collectively,” Naselroad explained. “We he needed to take care of first,” Naselroad recalled. offer a way that people can get inspired and motivated – whether they have had an addiction, or not. We give He saw something in this young heroin addict. them hope.” Naselroad approached the board of the school to see if it was feasible to include the young man in classes Making instruments at the school was just the beginning. after he was released from rehab. The board decided Naselroad has had his eyes on a building up the street, to take a chance but was guardedly optimistic about and recently his plans came to fruition in the form of how things would work out. That chance paid off. the Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company. The young man went on to make over 16 instru- Along with a shop supervisor, students from the school ments, went back to college, and now works in the of luthiery have been hired to build guitars and maninformation technology sector. The school itself be- dolins. Full-scale production is in its infancy, but incame an integral part of efforts to mend parts of the struments are already being crafted for the prestigious community affected by the opioid epidemic. National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) market held in Anaheim, California in January. “I didn’t realize til several years later that his situation would shape our organization,” Naselroad mused. In “I’ve always wanted to be able to offer something in 2018, Hickory Hill Recovery Center teamed up with terms of employment. It turns out now we are. That’s the school for a project called the Culture of Recovery. really cool,” Naselroad explained. The project offers apprenticeships in craft trades such as blacksmithing, luthiery, and ceramics to clients of the One of the craftsman at the shop, Nathan Smith, first center. Now the Appalachian School of Luthiery reg- came to the school as part of an 18-month program ularly includes members of the community who are in through drug court. He loved being around the instrucrecovery in its programs. tors and kept coming around beyond what was required. FALL / WINTER 2019 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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arts & culture
Doug Naselroad inspects the bodies of instruments left on newly assembled drying racks at the Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company.
“We offer a way that people can get inspired, get motivated, and get interested in life.”
tremendously. It’s got me back on track; it’s got me where I want to be.”
The growth of the school and factory mirrors the growth of the students and employees. Smith summed up his experience, “Starting from nothing and buildDOUG NASELROAD ing a beautiful instrument - it’s amazing what you can “I was only supposed to come one day a week for two do with just a block of wood. I’m not going to say it’s hours,” Smith said. “A lot of times I was in here every easy, but it gets easier as the process goes along.” free minute I had. They’ve taught me a whole lot. I never would have imagined that I would make an instrument,” “We offer a way that people can get inspired, get motisaid Smith who credits the program with helping him to vated, and get interested in life,” Naselroad explained. stay sober. “After I made my first instrument, I sat back “Whether they’ve been in an addiction situation or not. and looked at what I had done myself. I knew that things Serving these guys, helping them to build a future – that would be a little harder with other instruments, but I is what keeps me here.” n knew I had the capability to do it as long as I focused and took my time.” Smith believes that being able to build instruments helped take his mind off the things that he was trying to escape through drug use. He was thankful for the counselors that he encountered, but said, “I feel that if you have something that you can do that you’re not just sitting talking – that you have hands-on training – something that keeps you focused, it can help you 34
christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive | FALL / WINTER 2019
Author Sarabeth Brownrobie is a Creative Design Specialist in CAP’s Lexington, Kentucky office
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