Your summer office

Want to do something meaningful this summer? Christian Appalachian Project is currently accepting applications for volunteer summer camp counselors, lifeguards, office helpers, nurses and arts & crafts instructors. Our camps are nestled in the beautiful Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, and our campers come from some of the poorest communities in the nation. Our camps provide children from low-income families a place to have fun, learn respect for themselves and others and encounter Christ through the faith in action of our volunteers. If you have 2-8 weeks to give this summer, you can make a difference in the life of a child, and meet other people of faith from across the country. Volunteers needed June 4-August 3.

Learn more about CAP’s summer camps and how you can volunteer

Read a testimonial from a former volunteer

Apply online. We can process your application quickly, but summer is almost here, so apply today!

Kids have a lot of creative energy.  But, alas!  They all too often use it on the wrong things.

It was homework/reading time during SPARK (the afterschool program in which I serve) the other day.  One of the boys, “Dale,” came into the room where the kids work on their homework.  He had just been in the reading room.  He doesn’t like reading.

“Can I have a piece of paper to practice my math on?”

“Sure.”

I watched him pick up a couple of pieces of large white paper.  This paper, was, naturally, not what I would think of as being appropriate for practicing your math equations, but I let it go.

Then he started folding the paper.

“What are you doing?”

“Making a hat for my sister.”

I took his piece of paper off of the table.

“Making a hat for your sister does not qualify as homework.”

He stared at me with this ”Huh?” look.  So I elaborated.

“In other words, if you’re going to be in here, you need to be working on homework.  If you’re not working on homework, then you need to go in the other room and read.”

He just stood there with his shoulders slouched and his brows furrowed.   It was as if the top of his skull had just popped open and I could see the wheelworks turning in his head.  I prepared myself for some excuses  A lengthy silence ensued in which I stared at him and he stared at me.

“Well,”  he said.  “I have to make a diagram of the solar system for class.  Can I do that?”

“Yes.”  (Personally, I had some doubts about these solar system claims, but I had no way of knowing for sure, and at least it was an educational activity.)

So, he got out a pencil.  And some markers.  And then he looked in his brother’s textbook to see the order of the planets.  And he started drawing the solar system.  Then his dad arrived to pick him up.  And what did he do with his solar system diagram?

If you guessed wadded it up and threw it away, you would be correct.

Oh, that kid.

This past week was my last week in the school.  So, I got to be the recipient of a lot of nice good-bye messages.

“Mondays were my favorite days.”

“Are you coming back next year?”

“Why are you going to Michigan?  What’s there?  You should stay here.”

“I’ll miss you.”

And of course, a lot of “Awwww”s and “Good-bye”s.

But back to those creative energies.  On my last day I gave the kids a post-test of all of the anti-bullying info that I had been teaching them throughout the year just to get an idea of how well everything had stuck in their heads.

I was back at the community center grading them when I stumbled upon one that made me laugh out loud.

I had given the kids a couple of different acronyms to help them remember things that bystanders, bullies, and victims could do.  The letters were on the test for them, but they had to remember what each letter stood for.  One of the letters was a U.  And one of the kids clearly did not remember what that letter stood for.

But did he go the boring, predictable route and leave it blank?

No, siree.

He made up his own suggestion.

“Use yoga techniques.”

Oh, that kid.

Sometimes I think that if I ever get a full-fledged teaching job I might give kids, like, I don’t know, let’s say an  1/8 of a point if their silly answers to my test questions amuse me.

Because, after all, I do like to be amused.

And kids are amusing.

Elizabeth L. is a long-term volunteer at CAP’s Eagle Child and Family Development Center. She is a member of the McCreary Volunteer Community. 

This year at WorkFest some of the long-term volunteers put on a skit about what it’s like to be a volunteer. We focused mainly on funny (but true) realities of volunteer life:

“Being a volunteer is having a year’s supply of expired Gatorade.”

“Being a volunteer is eating three lunches a day because you can’t say no to your elderly participants.”

“Being a volunteer is renaming the men’s room the MAN’s room because you’re the only guy in a house full of girls.”

“Being a volunteer is rush hour traffic stuck behind a tractor.”

“Being a volunteer is leaning over the railing of the back porch, extending your arm as far as it can go, and yelling into your cell phone to try to get reception.”

“Being a volunteer is waking up in the morning to discover that you’re wearing the same CAP shirt as someone else in the house.”

“Being a volunteer is having someone give you directions that sound like this: ‘Go down the road and take a left at the third barn. Then you’re going to go over a stone bridge and pass a tree that’s leaning over the road. When you pass the chickens turn right and go up the hill until you get to the old store, only it’s not a store anymore, and is just kind of a falling down barn…’”

What we didn’t talk about was the challenge and blessing we call a community. In the next 10 days two members of the Jackson Hood (what we call our house) will leave Kentucky. I knew this was coming – it’s what happens in a program where you commit to a year of volunteering: people leave when their year is up (well, most people anyway). But when you’re living in community, you have to forget that your housemates are only going to be with you a year. You have to commit to a relationship with them, even though you know you’ll eventually go your separate ways. I’ve been blessed with an amazing community this year. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve worked through our difficulties and come out stronger because of them. Last night one of my departing housemates came into the living room and asked “Why do people ever leave this place?” That’s a hard question to answer, and one that I apparently haven’t figured out yet (seeing as I’m not leaving), but I think that leaving is part of the experience and part of what makes volunteering with CAP so valuable. Sure, it’s a big step to leave your friends, family, and job to come to rural Kentucky and work for no money, but like anything else, once you’re here, it becomes comfortable. You meet wonderful people, you feel like you’re making a difference, and you’re supported in your faith by everyone that you live and work with. Real life isn’t like that, and I think that’s why we have to go back to real life. We all learn so many things through our service and our community, and if no one ever left, those lessons would never leave Kentucky. Part of our service is going back to where we came from and sharing our experience with others who will never have the chance to live and work here. Transitions have always been hard for me, and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why that is. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the uncertainty of what’s next that I struggle with. I don’t know what my relationships are going to look like when I’m not living in the same house or city as someone. I don’t know if I’ll connect with the next group of volunteers. I don’t know what my life is going to be like when I eventually do leave CAP. There’s a lesson in that, too – a lesson about trust and about appreciating what’s happening right now without looking too far ahead. So as I say my “see-you-laters” (not goodbyes!), I’m trying very hard to focus on being grateful that these “see-you-laters” are so hard to say. It shows that I’ve had people in my life who I care about and who have helped me grow. And hey – now I’ll have somewhere to stay in Georgia and Wisconsin!

“Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts. You have to remember this when you find yourself at the beginning.” – Sandra Bullock

Erin C. is a long-term volunteer in Educational and Recreational Programming. She is a member of the Jackson Volunteer Community and she recently extended for another term of service.

Though our May 1 deadline has passed, we will continue to accept applications for long-term volunteering until positions are filled. Positions are still available in Housing, Elderly Services, Disaster Relief, Educational and Recreational Programming, Group hosting, Domestic Abuse Centers, Family Advocacy, and Human Resources. Volunteers may begin their service as early as August 1 and will make a commitment of 12 months.

Benefits of Long-term Volunteering

Long-term volunteers receive a multitude of benefits from their service time, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Immersion in a new culture
• Living in intentional Christian community
• Valuable job-related experience

Even though volunteers receive many intangible benefits, it is important to note that making a long-term commitment can be a significant financial sacrifice. CAP offers the following benefits to long-term volunteers to help make volunteering more affordable and to ease the concerns that you or your family may have:

• Room and board
• Monthly stipend
• Health insurance
• Potential student loan deferment
• Potential AmeriCorps Education Award

Requirements

To become a long-term CAP volunteer, you must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum age of 18 years old (21 or older preferred; placements are limited for volunteers younger than 21)
• Complete a volunteer application, including a complete driving records check, three personal references and a national background check
• Be personally interviewed by CAP Volunteer Program staff
• Pass a drug screening upon arrival at CAP
• For positions that require volunteers to drive a CAP vehicle, applicants must be 21 or older with a good driving record

We are looking for volunteers who are dependable, flexible, emotionally mature, self-starting, sensitive to other cultures, religions, etc., able to live in community, have a sense of humor and have a desire to serve others. We can teach the particular skills needed to perform in your service position, what we can’t teach is a compassionate heart and a passion for our mission.

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information about long-term volunteering.

Pillars of CAP Volunteer Life

At Commissioning, long-term volunteers are invited to sign a covenant representing their commitment to service, community and spirituality. Follow the links below to learn how each value contributes to the volunteer experience.

Service
CAP volunteers serve in a variety of programs that utilize a self-help philosophy and uplift young people.

Community
Whether a volunteer lives in one of CAP’s volunteer communities or independently, each volunteer makes a commitment to community life by sharing in the joys, challenges and growth that comes with being a short-term or long-term CAP volunteer.

Spirituality
CAP is an interdenominational organization that encourages people to share their faith and express it through their actions. Personal spiritual growth can be an integral part of the CAP volunteer experience. To foster a spiritual environment, volunteers gather for prayer and reflection after weekday dinners.

When working with children, it’s pretty typical for them to ask about your personal life, and they are especially interested in whether you’re married or have any kids. In Kentucky, not only do they ask, but they express concern if you are not where they expect you to be in life.

For a long time, my favorite story on this topic was a little boy who asked me if I was married. When I told him I wasn’t, he looked at me for a second and said “Well, you’re pretty enough to be.” Very sweet, if a little misguided about what is important for a marriage.

This story was more than surpassed last week by a group of Girl Scouts I was driving home from camp. Naturally, the first thing one of the girls asked me was if I was married. When I told her I wasn’t, a different girl (we’ll call her Annie) replied “Oh, so you’re lonely.” Not a question, but a statement. I was pretty much speechless for a few seconds, but then recovered with “Actually, I’m not lonely – I live with seven other people.” This impressed them. “Seven people?” “Wow, you really aren’t lonely.” “How big is your house?” But Annie wasn’t convinced. “Oh, I thought you were one of those women with a lot of cats.”

Erin C. is a long-term volunteer in Educational and Recreational Programming. She is a member of Jackson Volunteer Community.

April is application season at Christian Appalachian Project Volunteer Program. With the May 1 deadline for long-term volunteer applications approaching, we check our email and postal mail each day excited to learn the names of potential volunteers. We’ve already accepted 11 long-term volunteers who applied by our February 1 early deadline, and we have conducted 10 additional interviews, either personally in Kentucky or over Skype. We will be interviewing candidates throughout the summer, and by our orientation in September we hope to have more than 40 new long-term volunteers to commission for a year of service to CAP and the people of Appalachia. If you are interested in becoming a long-term volunteer with CAP, we encourage you to complete your application by May 1; however, we will continue to accept applications until all positions are filled.

Though we do not have a set deadline for summer camp volunteer applications, we prefer to have the majority of applications submitted by May 1 as well. We are seeking counselors, lifeguards, nurses, arts & crafts instructors, musicians and office helpers to serve 3-7 weeks at our two summer camps in eastern Kentucky. Most of our campers come from low-income families, and our volunteers make it possible for them to have a fun summer camp experience and learn the values of respect, self-confidence and care of creation.

Our application process is thorough. We are not a competitive program (you are not competing against other applicants for admission), but we are selective. Below are tips to putting together a successful application:

• Take the time to answer questions thoughtfully. Most questions are short-answer, so we don’t need an essay  for each one, but we are looking for responses that demonstrate the applicant’s seriousness about joining our mission and self-awareness about strengths and growth areas. Please proofread your application for typos, spelling and grammatical errors.

• Choose your references carefully, and give them plenty of time to submit their forms. References that are slow to arrive are the number one cause of delays in the admissions process. We recommend distributing the reference forms before beginning the application and offering your references an addressed and stamped return envelope. We do not mind receiving references before the application.

• Consider all CAP’s service programs and choose 2-3 that interest you most. We want to place volunteers in positions where they will excel, but ultimately we are seeking volunteers who are passionate about our mission and not just one particular program. Positions are limited, and it is possible that you will not receive your first choice of placement.

• Persevere. We realize our application is probably longer than any job application you will ever complete. Keep in mind that you’re not applying for a job–in reviewing your application, we must consider not only how you will perform in your service position, but also how you will do living in community and serving with an interdenominational faith-based mission organization. Serving full-time for a year or even a few weeks is a big commitment, and we hope you will find the application to be a helpful tool in discerning your readiness to make that commitment.

• Ask questions. We would love the opportunity to speak to you personally and learn what led you to apply with us. If you have any questions or concerns about the application or volunteer life, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to receiving your application!

About a month and a half ago I made two important and somewhat scary decisions. The first was to run a half-marathon and the second was to extend my time at Christian Appalachian Project.

I’ll talk about CAP first. My decision to extend was not a sudden one – the possibility had been weighing on the back of my mind pretty much since I arrived. I remember sitting on the dock at Camp AJ during orientation with my housemate Sarah. We were talking about volunteering and Kentucky and about how we liked it here and were excited about our work, but please-God-don’t-make-us-stay another year. (Ironically, she is also recommitting.) As the months went by, the nagging feeling that I should stay grew stronger as I fell more in love with teaching. Last Friday, I met with the volunteer life manager and officially recommitted. She warned me that it isn’t going to be easy, which I know, especially because most of my house (and the other volunteers I know) will be leaving.

It’s particularly scary for me because I tend to be the one who moves away (to Chicago after high school and to Kentucky after college), and I know it will be challenging to “stay behind” as my housemates go on to other adventures. But I also know that this is the right choice for me. I feel it when I go into the schools and the kids tell me how much they miss me already. I feel it when the teachers are talking about various upcoming programs and all I want to do is be a part of them. I feel it when I attend the local health coalition meetings and hear about long-term projects that I will actually see the results of. I even felt it on my way back to the Jackson House from Easter with my family. As I got off the interstate and onto the local highways, I looked at the beauty around me and felt peace. It was very reassuring to feel that way, because as beautiful as my rural surroundings are, I miss being in a city. But as a friend recently pointed out to me – if you wait to make a decision until you have an option that is absolutely perfect, you’ll never make a decision. It’s been hard for me being away from my family in Ohio and my friends in Chicago, but I know that Kentucky is where I need to be right now. It’s really exciting to tell the students that I will see them next year and to know that I have another school year in which to build my relationship with them.

The decision to run the half-marathon was much more sudden. A few of my housemates had been talking about running one for months, but they were struggling to find a race within reasonable driving distance (Jackson County, KY is not known for its superior runners.) I offered my parents’ house as a free place to stay and figured that I would run a shorter distance race if one was offered. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a shorter distance, and I was somehow talked into signing up for the half marathon. With only a month to train, I wasn’t convinced I was going to be able to finish it, but I figured the strict work-out schedule would be good for me. I am very talented at making up excuses for myself as to why it’s okay not to work out on a particular day – it was a long day at work, it was too hot/cold/windy, I had eaten too big of a lunch, etc – but with a limited amount of time to train, I HAD to follow the schedule. Of course, I did end up skipping a few days, but I definitely got better at self-motivating. Up until a couple weeks before the race, I still wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish, but then all of a sudden I felt like I could do it. My 10-mile run (the longest on the training schedule) went really well, and on race day I was feeling pretty confident. Unfortunately, it didn’t go exactly as planned. I blame the heat and the more-frequent-than-expected hills, but I ended up having to walk part of the race. I did finish though, and I was able to push myself to run the last mile.

On a list of things I never thought I’d be doing, running in a half marathon would have been pretty high up on the list. Before coming to Kentucky I had never run farther than four miles, and even that was a painful stretch. At many points throughout the race I found myself wondering “Why exactly am I doing this to myself?” but I’m glad I did. I proved to myself that I can do something if I set my mind to it, and I can push through physical discomfort, which I had never been good at before. Immediately after the race, my housemate Lisa and I were convinced we were done with long distance running, and perhaps running in general. She was really dehydrated and I could barely stand because my legs were so sore. By the time we got back to the Jackson House (thankfully Tim fared much better and was able to drive), we were reconsidering our aversion to running and tentatively making plans to run another race (in the distant future, of course). Now that I know it didn’t kill me, I want to try again and actually be able to run the whole thing.

It might not seem like the half marathon and recommitment are related, apart from happening around the same time, but both were giant leaps of faith for me. In a way, I feel like my time at CAP is like a marathon (although a much less painful one). It isn’t always perfect, and it isn’t always easy, but at the end I’m going to be able to step back and say “That was a great thing I did, and it was worth it.”

“As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit.” – Emmanuel Teney

Erin C. is a long-term volunteer in Educational and Recreational Programming. She is a member of Jackson Volunteer Community.

Survey sets our direction

You are still giving to CAP today. One way this has happened during the past year is that 412 volunteer alumni participated in a survey that helped the volunteer office gather updated volunteer information and solicit opinions on alumni programming. After extensive study, Amy Schill, Manager of Volunteer Admissions and recruitment, has compiled a report about what you said.

Who you are

Of those who responded to the survey, 42 percent are employed full-time, 21 percent are retired, 13 percent work part-time and the “others” fall into six other categories. You represent a wide variety of career fields, with the top three areas being being Education & Training (29%), Human Services (18%) and Health Sciences (8%). CAP’s volunteer alumni are working as teachers, nurses, executive directors, social workers and many other professions.

Newsletter

Because 82% of you indicated satisfaction with the frequency of this CAP Connection newsletter, we’ll continue our tri-annual publication schedule. We’ve made changes to the newsletter to respond to what you asked for, such as the CAP Quicks section that provides an overview of what’s new at CAP and in the Volunteer Program. We’re also replacing the Alumni Spotlight with a shorter Where Are They Now feature.

Like you, we want to read more alumni updates. You can help with this. The updates in From Across the Mountains come primarily from alumni submissions. Your fellow volunteers want to hear about what’s new in your life, so please don’t be shy about submitting updates on jobs, moves, engagements, graduation, children, grandchildren or anything you would like to share.

Reunions

Sixty-eight percent of you indicated you would most likely attend a reunion a CAP reunion, with another 28 percent also indicating a high likelihood. Watch for information about our 2015 alumni reunion. You can also connect with volunteers from you area through a Google group which you can join at christianapp.org/vol/alumni.

Directory

Because you indicated an interest in an alumni directory, we are currently looking into the possibility of developing one online, but it may be cost prohibitive. For now, we have created searchable Facebook for former CAP volunteers. Please join at facebook.com/groups/capalums.

Networking

Seventy-six percent of you said you would be willing to discuss your career, school or both with current and former volunteers. Alumni also indicated job searches as an area of networking that could be helpful. Alumni can sign up for our job postings listserv at christianapp.org/vol/alumni. Once a member, you can also email the group with job openings you think will interest other alumni.

Megan Kruse, '10-'11, helps recruit volunteers at her alma mater, University of Dayton.

Because of your willingness to help other alumni and current volunteers, we now have a database of more than 250 alumni interested in serving as a networking contact for alumni/volunteers interested in a particular career field or graduate program. You can access this information by contact Amy at volunteer@chrisapp.org or 606-256-0973. We encourage all alumni on LinkedIn to join our alumni group.

Continuing to serve

More than 250 respondents volunteered to represent CAP in various ways. You also have been generous is your willingness to serve as spiritual adopters for our current volunteers. Thank you  for this as well as for your candor in responding to the survey. This is your alumni program, and we welcome all suggestions to make it more valuable to you, just as you are invaluable to CAP.

Where they are now?

They are a couple of firsts. Ken Kinley came to volunteer with CAP in 1990 after retiring from the military. After serving the in Christmas Basket program where he worked alongside Brenda Watts, Bev Potter and Odie Long, Ken became CAP’s volunteer recruiter. Headquartered at the old motel office in Lancaster, he dreamt of increasing the number of volunteers that CAP attracted. He visited universities and groups, spreading the news about what awaited the willing in Appalachia.

That work also led Ken to work with Carla Durand, ’90-’91, another volunteer turned employee. The two of them helped organize the first WorkFest 20 years ago. Students stayed at Camp AJ and worked on houses in Jackson County. “It was a wonderful experience,” he says.

Cathie Bailey arrived at CAP as a teacher. She took a leave of absence from her work to serve in the mountains where she helped expand the GED program. An innovation that garnered national attention was how she converted a bus into a traveling classroom that could reach students who might not have transportation to get to classes. Cathie also stayed on as an employee, serving in Mt. Vernon, Salyersville and Martin.

After meeting at CAP, the couple married and made a home in Ohio where Cathie returned to teaching and Ken returned to his work as a pastor, something he had done between stints in the military. Today he looks around at the ways he’s been involved in communities since his time at CAP and sees the ideas he carried from Appalachia to other locations.

Ken also looks back over the past 20 years with Cathie, which he calls marvelous, and says it was through CAP that God brought them together, something he’s still thankful for.

CAP Quicks

Grateful Threadz and Breads, CAP’s clothing store and food pantry in Rockcastle County, have moved to their new location. Manager Peggy Hancock, her volunteers and staff are grateful for the larger space and more prominent location on US 25. The programs celebrated an Open House and Grand Re-opening on March 27.

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The March 2 tornadoes devastated parts of Indiana and Kentucky, resulting in the deaths of 24 Kentuckians. In response, CAP quickly changed plans for this year’s 20th anniversary WorkFest. WorkFest students in the Sandy Valley region joined the emergency teams to work on disaster clean up. Students in the Cumberland Valley region, which experienced less damage,  primarily continued with the planned jobs.

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With our logo, designed by Ben Schutte, ’10-’11, we paid tribute to the original WorkFest t-shirt and a certain soda familiar to most CAP alumni. At Camp AJ, the new counselor dorm was broken in as the new sleeping quarters for WorkFest short-term volunteers and CAP staff. WorkFest project pictures can be viewed at christianapp.org/vol or facebook.com/ChrisAppProj.

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CAP’s Board of Directors approved a new strategic plan at their February board meeting.  The plan is the result of a collaborative effort among CAP senior staff, Board members, employees, volunteers and former participants. CAP will implement the plan in the coming year.

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The McCreary volunteers are settled into their new house. A dedication is being planned.

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Alumni who have participated in WorkFest in the Cumberland Valley region in recent years may remember the generous hospitality of Oneida Baptist Institute on Family Appreciation Night. Dr. W.F. and Mrs. Kay Underwood are retiring. The couple met there as students who graduated in 1963. Because of the special place it has in their hearts, they always wanted to return and were thankful when they received that opportunity in 1984. Dr. Underwood went to work as Dean Of Boys and Director of Student Work Program and Kay worked as Director of Admissions. In 1994, Dr. Underwood became president of the school. The couple was honored at Family Appreciation Night the final week of WorkFest for their contributions of letting CAP use their facility, and providing the Thursday night meals. CAP has been pleased to work with people who are such good examples of true servant leadership.

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The most recent volunteer orientation class includes: (front row) Don and Cheryl Prue (New York), Janet Tawil (Virginia), Marilyn Hull (Michigan), Josh Lantos (Massachusetts); (back row) Daniel Landesman (California), Bailey Bennett (Kansas), Tricia Bush (Texas), David Somogie (New Hampshire), Greg Smithson (Kentucky)

Thanks to The Fund for Theological Education, CAP volunteers have the opportunity to complete their volunteer experience with a better idea of what they want to do next. Harold Underwood has been working with The Fund for the past three years or so to provide volunteers with resources that help them strengthen their spirituality and volunteer experience while also exploring what God is calling them to next. Financial support from the fund has allowed networking with similar organizations, resource development in the form of literature, workshops and retreats. Harold says these resources have created a supportive atmosphere within the Volunteer Program for discernment.

1980s 

Julie St. John Dunlap, ’86-’88 started a poetry blog in March of 2011. Find it at dunlapsongsandpoems.blogspot.com.  Julie says she is learning to play the banjo. She’s sharing that talent church and at a restaurant twice a month with a small group.

Dr. Rob Weise, ’87-’87, visited Camp AJ during WorkFest to give a talk on Appalachian culture, drawing on his experience as a volunteer in Floyd County and from his academic work. Rob is an associate professor of history at Eastern Kentucky University.

1990s

Jeff, ’93-‘94 and Beth (Breitmayer), ’92-’94 Healander visited the volunteer office a visit with their daughters and niece in December. The family is pictured with Kathleen Leavell and Kathy Kluesener standing outside Jeff’s old room, now a Volunteer Program office.

2000s

Sue Funderburke, ’02-’03 stopped by the Mt. Vernon volunteer office this fall.  Her message to her CAP family “I just turned 80 years old and Lord, I’m tellin’ you I love it! I just sold my convertible and bought a new car!”  She would love for friends to connect with her at sufunder@gmail.com

Recent alums retruned to help with Teen Retreat at Camp Shawnee. They include: (front row): Staci Vanderpool (current volunteer), Caitlin "Turtle" Elsik, '09-'11, Vanessa Dubs, Summer Camp 2011, Moth Groth, Summer Camp 2011. Back row:: Brian Vanderpool, Patrick Kispert, Eric Wenning (all current volunteers), Paul Repuyan, Summer Camp 2011.

In Memoriam

Kathleen Gabriel of Louisville passed away on January 13. She and her late husband, Richard, volunteered with Fr. Beiting in the early years when he was building Cliffview Lodge as a summer camp. Little did they know that their daughter, Margaret (Peggy) Gabriel, ‘77-’79, would later become a “permanent” volunteer and then a CAP staff member for many years. We extend our sincere sympathy to her family.

We also extend our sympathy to the family of Betty Laukhuf, ‘00-’03, who passed away in February. Betty was 77 and lived in Pleasant Lake, Ind. She served in the McCreary County Elderly Services Program and shared with such excitement how when she came to CAP she knew it was exactly where God wanted her to be. We are grateful to her for answering that call to service. Our
thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

Thank you

Thanks to these former volunteers who represented CAP at a fair or provided hospitality to Amy when she was on the road:

Shannon Hoffman, ’08-’09
Gracie Pollicino, Summer Camp 2011 

Two weeks ago, I had my last classes at Tyner, my favorite school. (I know teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites, but I can’t help it. This was the school where I spent the most time, so I got to know the kids really well.) It was also my first time leading a lesson that I had planned by myself. Usually, we have a set curriculum that we follow, but since there were so few snow days this year, we finished everything we needed to with a couple weeks to spare, and I had the opportunity to do a lesson on whatever I wanted. I decided to focus on “Conscience and Character.”  One of the most nerve-racking things about making your own lesson is that you have no idea how it’s going to work when used with actual children. My lesson was a combination of various games that I had found online or in various resources at camp, but since I had never played the games myself, I wasn’t positive that they would work the way I wanted them to.

Luckily, my games worked really well, and one worked even better than I had hoped. There is no amount of planning that can prepare you for the individual personalities and dynamics that make up a classroom, a lesson that I relearn every week. The first game we played was a little like “Hot and Cold.” After giving the students definitions of “character” and “conscience” I sent one volunteer out of the room. I then told the other students that I was going to hide one of the dry-erase board erasers and asked for a few students to be the consciences. These students were to tell my volunteer where the eraser was – but they weren’t allowed to talk loudly or point. The rest of the class was allowed to talk as loud as they wanted and point in all different directions, but they had to try to mislead the volunteer. I then brought the volunteer back into the room, told him what he was doing, and then let the kids go. Naturally, the room erupted in noise, and the volunteer looked everywhere but where the eraser was actually hidden. Now comes the part I couldn’t have planned if I wanted to. In one class, one of the people who was a conscience got up and started following around the searcher, who ignored him for quite awhile before finally listening and finding the eraser. This perfectly illustrated the point of my game:  it can be really easy to ignore the quiet voice in your head that’s telling you the right thing to do.

The part of my lesson that I am most proud of was my creation of a Giving Tree. I decided that a story was a great way to end the school year, so I read the students Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. (If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. You can find it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TZCP6OqRlE) I then asked the students to think about something that they could give, and had them write their ideas on a leaf, which I used to create a tree. It was really wonderful reading all their ideas – some of them were very simple, like gum or old toys, but others were a little more creative, like a smile or a hug.

As the last class got ready to leave, one of the students announced that everyone in the class should give my a hug, so they had me stand at the door while they left, and everyone hugged me as they went by. I felt like I was in a receiving line at a wedding or something. I feel so lucky to have gotten to spend an entire year with those students, and I am definitely going to miss them. Thankfully, the after-school reading program continues for another couple weeks, so I still get to go into the school. Last week when I was there, one of the students saw me walk by and came running out of her classroom. She was immediately followed by half her class, and I had about 10 students mobbing me with hugs. It’s such a great feeling to have impacted them so much that they missed me after only a week.

I really think that the most important thing we offer the children is our presence. Sure we’re teaching them about budgets and bullying and peer pressure, but what they remember isn’t necessarily the information, but the stories we share and the games we play with them. I can tell that my presence is important by the way the after-school kids are excited to see me, even though I only see them once a week for a couple hours. And sometimes it’s the littlest things that mean the most to them. A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with some of the kids outside. The one little boy had a hula-hoop and was pretending he was driving a bus. I was sitting next to him, so I decided I was going to ride the bus. I got him to take me to Dairy Queen and Pizza Hut and the mall. I even got a couple other kids who were just sitting around to come “ride the bus” with me. I didn’t think much of it until the next week when that little boy wanted me to sit next to him at snack and asked me why I hadn’t been there since the week before. This kid had been coming to after-school since the beginning of the year, but I had never spent much time with him until we played bus driver. It was probably only five minutes of the day, but it stuck with him.

My time in the schools, and especially at Tyner, has taught me how valuable time and attention are. It’s really amazing how much difference a little special attention can make in the life of a child.

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa

Erin C. is a long-term volunteer in Educational and Recreational Programming. She is a member of Jackson Volunteer Community.

Christian Appalachian Project is seeking a long-term (12-month commitment) volunteers to serve in our domestic violence shelters in eastern Kentucky. These positions are available immediately and the usual admissions timeline and application dates for long-term volunteers do not apply. Volunteers may begin immediately after completing the application and admissions process (typically 1-2 months).

Christian Appalachian Project has been committed to helping families resolve varying degrees of crisis and domestic abuse for more than 25 years. Currently, CAP operates two centers that serve several Kentucky counties. With a staff of employees and CAP volunteers, they provide safe shelter to hundreds of survivors and their children each year.

Our abuse centers assist survivors of domestic abuse in obtaining housing, serve as an advocate for survivors in the court system and help survivors obtain any other resources they might require. Participants are also able to access counseling though CAP’s Counseling program. CAP staff and volunteers educate the public about domestic violence through community presentations and events.

Some volunteers in this program may perform community education and work with incarcerated women, while others serve children living in the shelter, so evening shifts are frequent. Volunteers may also perform other staff assistant duties as required.

Benefits of Long-term Volunteering

Long-term volunteers receive a multitude of benefits from their service time, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Immersion in a new culture
• Living in intentional Christian community
• Valuable job-related experience

Even though volunteers receive many intangible benefits, it is important to note that making a long-term commitment can be a significant financial sacrifice. We ask our volunteers to make sacrifices, but we also provide our volunteers the support they need to provide the best service they can. CAP offers the following benefits to long-term volunteers to help make volunteering more affordable and to ease the concerns that you or your family may have:

• Room and board
• Monthly stipend
• Health insurance
• Travel reimbursement
• Potential student loan deferment
• Time off to visit friends and family

Requirements

To become a long-term Domestic Violence Shelter volunteer, you must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum age of 18 years old
• Complete a volunteer application, including a complete driving records check, three personal references and a national background check
• Be personally interviewed by CAP Volunteer Program staff
• Pass a drug screening upon arrival at CAP

We are looking for volunteers who are dependable, flexible, emotionally mature, self-starting, sensitive to other cultures, religions, etc., able to live in community, have a sense of humor and have a desire to serve others. We can teach the particular skills needed to perform in your service position, what we can’t teach is a compassionate heart and a passion for our mission.

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information about long-term volunteering.

Pillars of CAP Volunteer Life

At Commissioning, long-term volunteers sigh a covenant representing their commitment to service, community and spirituality. Follow the links below to learn how each value contributes to the volunteer experience.

Service

CAP volunteers serve in various CAP and local programs that benefit children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Community

Whether a volunteer lives in one of CAP’s volunteer communities or independently, each volunteer makes a commitment to community life by sharing in the joys, challenges and growth that comes with being a short-term or long-term CAP volunteer.

Spirituality

CAP is an interdenominational organization that encourages people to share their faith and express it through their actions. Personal spiritual growth is an integral part of the CAP volunteer experience. To foster a spiritual environment, volunteers gather for prayer and reflection after weekday dinners.