Each January, Christian Appalachian Project offers a smaller long-term volunteer orientation for December college graduates and other applicants who would prefer a January start state over our traditional August/September admissions period. We’re so happy to have several volunteers starting their new year with CAP and dedicating 2012 to serving the poor and marginalized in Appalachia.

We cap off orientation week with a Commissioning Service. The new volunteers hear reflections on the Volunteer Program’s core values of Service, Community and Spirituality, and then sign a covenant symbolizing their commitment to those values. Commissioning also gives CAP staff and “veteran” volunteers the opportunity to formally welcome new volunteers into the CAP family. You can view pictures from Commissioning at our Facebook page.

Take a minute to learn more about some of our new volunteers below. If you would like to join them in service to Appalachia, consider applying for our next orientation in September.

Janet T.
Janet, whose background is in Human Resources, came to CAP from Virginia to volunteer in the Elderly Housing program. “I want to make an immediate, tangible difference in someone else’s life and to grow in my faith as a Christian,” Janet says. She lives in Johnson Volunteer House and found out about CAP through an internet search.

Josh L.
Stonehill College strikes again! Josh is the fifth Stonehill College grad to serve with CAP since 2009, and we’re so glad he’s here. He serves at Grateful Bread Food Pantry. Josh hopes to learn “how to build relationships and impact people’s lives through loving others.” He would also like to grow in his faith, and chose CAP in part because of the emphasis on daily devotions. Josh is originally from Massachusetts and now lives in Rockcastle Volunteer House. He learned about CAP through Stonehill College.

Tricia B.
Tricia came to CAP from Texarkana, Texas. “I am called to missions, and I prayed to God about what I should do with that calling,” Tricia says. “He directed me to volunteer for this program, because people tend to overlook the poor in their own country.” Tricia serves in Eagle Child and Family Development Center and lives in McCreary Volunteer House. Tricia learned about CAP through an internet search.

Daniel L.
Daniel came to CAP from Salinas, California. He is a recent graduate of Occidental College and now serves in the Housing Program. Daniel lives in Magoffin Volunteer House, and he learned about CAP through an internet search.

Greg S.
“It’s where I feel I am called to be right now,” says Greg of his service with CAP. Greg is a Louisville, Kentucky native, though he is very clear that he “bleeds” Kentucky Wildcat Blue. He serves in Housing and lives in Magoffin Volunteer House. Greg learned about CAP from a friend he worked with at a summer camp.

Don P.
Don is a retired school administrator and pastor.  From Apalachin, New York, Don now lives in Magoffin Volunteer House and serves in Elderly Services as a caseworker. Don hopes to “grow closer to Christ and better serve His people.” Don has been a CAP donor and is excited to now be volunteering.

Each summer, the CAP Volunteer Program invites all summer camp, short-term and long-term volunteers out for summer activity. This event is often the only opportunity our short- and long-term volunteers have to meet the volunteers serving at Camp AJ and Camp Shawnee, and is the only opportunity the two camp staffs have to get together. This year’s event, held at Buckhorn State Park near Hazard, Kentucky, was held in conjunction with our summer Commissioning service, where we officially welcomed all the long-term volunteers who have joined CAP since April.

This new crop of volunteers is particularly experienced, with three of the eleven having previously participated in long-term service with other organizations. You can learn more about our newly commissioned volunteers in their profiles below. You can also view photos from the event at our Facebook page.

Joey Vredenburg
“I want to serve,” says Joey when asked why he chose to volunteer with CAP. The New Yorker turned North Carolinian was attracted to CAP primarily because of his interest in serving with a domestic organization. Joey ran his own t-shirt company before coming to CAP in May 2011. Joey serves at the Jean White Respite Center and lives in Johnson Volunteer House.

Shannon Kison
Shannon came to CAP and the Floyd Volunteer House from Everett, Washington. She arrived in April 2011 to serve in the Martin Child and Family Development Center. Shannon worked at a medical center before volunteering, but she says she felt a calling to put her “faith and trust in the Lord into action. God provided the map; I am learning to follow.”

Jason Skodak
Jason, a Michigander, came to CAP in April 2011. Jason serves in the Grateful Bread Food pantry, a change of pace from his former occupation as a home health aid. His faith led him to leave Michigan for his new home in the Rockcastle Volunteer House: “God has predestined for me to be here for such a time as this.”

Linda Rudderforth
Volunteering full-time is not new to Linda. Before coming to CAP in April 2011, Linda had lived in rural Romania as a missionary. She now lives in Rockcastle Volunteer House and serves at CAP’s Healing Rain Substance Abuse Recovery Center. When asked why she is volunteering with CAP, the Maryland native echoes the sentiments of many CAP volunteers: “I want to follow what the Lord wants me to do. I don’t have any fancy reasons, I know this is where God wants me, there were no doubts or hesitation.”

Frank Liccardo
Frank came to CAP in June 2011 from Evanston, Illinois. Before joining CAP’s Human Resources department, Frank volunteered with God’s Child Project in Guatemala. He wasn’t done with volunteering yet, and is serving with CAP to “give back and be of service to others less fortunate” than himself. Frank lives independent of a volunteer house.

Debe Polich
Debe joined CAP in April 2011 from Phoenix.  She switched things up from her previous work as a legal secretary to volunteer full-time as an Elderly Services caseworker, providing visitation and transportation to homebound senior citizens. For Debe, moving to Johnson Volunteer House and serving in eastern Kentucky was a long time coming. “I have wanted to serve in the Appalachian region since I was a child,” she says. “The information I obtained showed CAP to be fiscally responsible, as well as totally interested in serving the poor of Appalachia.”

Kaye Anderson
Kaye joined CAP in April 2011 from Poolesville, Maryland. Though Kaye was already working in the nonprofit sector as a data analyst and computer programmer for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, she decided to trade in the “corporate lifestyle” for one of direct service at CAP’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry. ”After Christ called and saved me in the fall of 2009, I became more and more dissatisfied with a worldly life and felt a strong need to start living my convictions in a very sacrificial and meaningful way,” says Kaye. “CAP gave me the opportunity to give up what I had, pick up my cross and follow my Savior in service.” Kaye lives in Rockcastle Volunteer House.

Lisa Pade
Lisa is a Wisconsin native and a recent graduate of UW-Madison. She joined CAP in June 2011 because she wanted to volunteer after college and CAP allowed her to do so in a Christian community. Lisa lives in Jackson Volunteer House and serves in Elderly Services as a caseworker.

Judy Summers
Originally from Indianapolis, Judy has also called Tennessee and Texas home before moving to Kentucky in July 2011. She lives independent of a volunteer house and serves in Family Advocacy.

Laura Truman
Laura, originally from New Hampshire, describes her life before CAP as “bumming around” Montana and Europe after graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 2010. CAP was a great match for Laura because she has “always wanted to learn how to build houses” and was particularly attracted to rural service. She lives in Jackson Volunteer House and serves in Housing.

Tim Hubbard
Tim is an Alabama native who likes Auburn football just a little too much. The Faulkner University grad joined CAP in April 2011 after serving a term in AmeriCorps NCCC. Tim chose CAP for its Christian atmosphere and because he wanted to continue his calling to serve others. He lives in Floyd Volunteer House and serves in Housing.

Our new volunteers (not pictured: Nancy Tabor)

On Thursday, February 11, 2010, Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) Volunteer Program officially welcomed 13 new long-term volunteers at its winter Commissioning Service. Although some have been serving since October, many are just beginning their CAP journey.

One of those new arrivals is Ed Riehl, 64, from New York City. Ed is experienced in both long-term service and non-profit administration: before joining CAP he volunteered for Peace Corps in Ukraine and then worked for the organization as a recruiter. Because Ed was looking for a domestic program with a spiritual component, he joined CAP in February to volunteer in the President’s Office. His administrative role in CAP makes him one of several nontraditional volunteers: retirees or baby boomers who are using their extensive work experience to benefit Appalachia. When asked why he chose to volunteer again, Ed explained, “I believe everyone should use his or her time responsibly serving the human community.” Ed lives in Johnson Volunteer House.

New volunteer Nancy Tabor

Ed is joined in Johnson House by Molly and Kyle Lueken, 25 and 26, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Kyle and Molly began their journey at CAP in October 2009, taking a break from their careers to serve Appalachia. Kyle volunteers in Housing while Molly teaches G.E.D. classes at on of CAP’s partner agencies in West Virginia.

Though some married volunteers choose CAP’s Independent Living option, Molly and Kyle jumped at the opportunity to live at the Johnson House. “I wanted to live in a Christian community and experience that with my husband,” Molly said. “God led us here!”

Living in Christian community was also a deciding factor for new volunteer Bridget McCormack, 22, from Islandia, New York. “I chose CAP over AmeriCorp NCCC because of the spirituality component,” Bridget explains. “Only CAP could surround me with a community of prayerful support as I went on my personal journey.” The 2009 St. Joseph’s College grad lives in Jackson Volunteer House and volunteers in Elderly Services.

After a week of orientation to learn about CAP, Appalachian culture, and to grow together as an orientation class, this diverse group of volunteers was formally welcomed in a Commissioning Service at Mountain Community Fellowship in Paintsville, Kentucky.

To learn more about Ed, Molly and Kyle and Bridget, visit our Meet Our Volunteers page.