service
Repaid
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IN KIND
he Ousley twins, Jamie and Amie, were just six years old and had never spent the night away from home or away from their parents. A year prior, volunteers from Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) had visited their valley and invited them to camp. The sisters were so excited that they packed bags a year in advance anticipating their week at Camp Shawnee.
“I attended Camp Shawnee for nine years. That was my only vacation every year,” she said. “Then there was a terrible time in our lives with nowhere to turn and nowhere to go. CAP made sure my family had what we needed to get a fresh start. I will never forget that.”
CAP continued to make an impact on Conley’s life throughout the years. After attending Shawnee, she became a participant at CAP’s Teen Center in Martin, Once boarding the bus that was taking them on the Kentucky. She also witnessed how the organization long winding road up the mountain to camp, the sis- helped several neighbors who needed home repair. ters wondered if they had made a mistake. Amie was anxiously Years later, it was Conley’s husbiting her nails as she and Jamie band Brian who told her about took the journey. Upon their a job opening with CAP. She arrival at Camp Shawnee, a was thrilled when she got the camp counselor from Chicago, position. “I was excited to show Illinois, saw their distress and the same love and compassion made them feel at ease. to other participants that I felt as a child,” said Conley. “It is “We grew up in a little holler important to me that people called Conley Fork of Spurlock, know that they are not alone in just outside Prestonsburg,” said whatever it is that they are going Jamie (Ousley) Conley, who through. I want to help if I can serves as a Housing coordinator make their burden lighter.” for Johnson, Floyd, and Martin Counties. “Growing up in our Brian, who works as a manager neighborhood, everybody was Amie (left) and her sister Jamie (right) looked forward to at CAP’s Operation Sharing poor. We were always outside, participating in the camp program every year. warehouse in Paintsville, shares playing barefoot in the summer her desire to help people in need. months. The only shoes we got in the summer were a In his role, he serves churches and nonprofits. When pair of jelly shoes to wear to church on Sunday.” Disaster Relief responds in Appalachia, the warehouse provides needed items. Conley’s stay at Camp Shawnee was her first introduction to CAP which would later play a pivotal role “I rode with Brian who was driving a tractor-trailer in her life. full of supplies to Joplin when it was demolished by 18
christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive | SPRING / SUMMER 2019
