July orientation welcomes 18 new volunteers
“This is where God wants me.”
The words of long-term volunteer Katie Hynds, 20, have been echoed by thousands of volunteers throughout the history of Christian Appalachian Project’s Volunteer Program, and in its largest summer orientation in recent memory, CAP commissioned 18 new volunteers who received and answered the call to serve in Appalachia.
Because CAP has rolling admissions and three orientations per year, some of the “new” volunteers at the July orientation have actually been serving for several months. Maureen Black, a former customer service supervisor from Wisconsin, has been with CAP since the end of May. In her position at Camp Andrew Jackson in Educational and Recreational Programming, she is currently helping run several summer day camps and will teach in the public schools this fall. Although Maureen was already in the swing of things at Camp AJ, orientation gave her a chance to reflect on why she chose to commit a year to serving Appalachia.
“My life is in transition,” Maureen says, “and this is a huge step outside my comfort zone.” Because her children are now grown and her health is good, Maureen thought now was the perfect time to make the leap of faith out of her comfort zone and into the hills of Appalachia. “I am volunteering with CAP because I hope to grow,” she says. “I have a heart for service and CAP has made [volunteering] possible.”
(l-r) Jordan, Sarah and Maureen light candles symbolizing their commitment to Appalachia
Jordan Spiegle, 26, also left a job in Pennsylvania to commit a year to CAP repairing homes for the elderly. Jordan is quite familiar with construction, although his expertise is in timber-framing. “It’s an ancient style of construction where buildings are made of large timbers and wooden pegs are usually employed instead of nails or screws,” Jordan says. Though this style of building is much more prevalent in German settled areas than In Appalachia, Jordan’s appreciation for old-world craftsmanship may explain his attraction to Appalachia, a region steeped in tradition. “I’m really looking forward to being immersed in this amazing Appalachian culture,” Jordan says. In addition to taking in the culture, Jordan hopes to grow spiritually during his time with CAP. “I’d like to try and discern if God wanted to take me in a different direction in my life than the path I had figured out for myself.”
Unlike Maureen and Jordan, Sarah Eisenberg is one of three volunteers from July orientation joining CAP fresh from college graduation. A Georgetown College graduate, Sarah participated in WorkFest during college and fell in love with CAP’s work. Sarah says she looks forward to the “nitty-gritty side” of CAP, and the “everyday life of working for a non-profit. As one interested in nonprofit administration, knowing the heart behind an organization is important to me.” Sarah volunteers in the Grateful Threadz thrift store and will also be with CAP for twelve months.
Katie, Maureen, Jordan and Sarah are just four of the diverse new volunteers welcomed to CAP in July. To read more about them and all of CAP’s long-term volunteers, check out our Meet Our Volunteers page.
