Poverty in Appalachia

Appalachia has a tremendous amount of resources and assets, but it is also a region plagued by poverty and lack of opportunity for its residents. Christian Appalachian Project Volunteers serve in eight of Eastern Kentucky’s poorest counties. These rural areas not only have high rates of poverty, but also the companion challenges of substandard housing, low education levels, domestic violence, and hunger. Through a variety of service programs, CAP Volunteers partner with the people of Appalachia to address each of these issues–providing for the immediate needs of families in poverty and helping individuals overcome the obstacles that keep them in poverty. With Christ as their example, volunteers also serve the marginalized of Appalachia: children, the elderly, and domestic violence survivors. Our volunteers serve because the need is great and because many feel the irresistible call of the Gospel to demonstrate the love of Jesus to the poor and disenfranchised. Year after year, CAP Volunteers leave the mountains feeling they have received as much from this place and their participants as they have given.