Mother and Daughter Participants Become Volunteers

CAP not only looks for ways to serve the people of the Appalachian region, but also to involve them in our work. By fostering good relationships with our participants, we give them the chance to contribute and be involved in their growth and rebuilding. In the end, we receive so much more from our participants than they receive from us.

When Amanda was originally referred to CAP’s Child Development Center (CDC) in the 1990s by her pediatrician, she needed a little help. She was barely out of high school and had two children under the age of five. Since then, three of her children have participated in programming at the CDC, and she has continued to volunteer at the center. Amanda often felt isolated from peers and even from her community, but getting to know the staff at the CDC gave her the support she needed to persevere. She felt immediately accepted as the staff worked with her, empowering her to solve problems on her own. She remembers, “I didn’t need someone to feel sorry for me; I just needed the right tools.”

Amanda and her husband have now raised five children, and over the years the family has participated in several programs, including Adult Education (by which Amanda was aided in acquiring her G.E.D.), Job Readiness, a parenting program, and the Family Advocacy program. But the gifts Amanda’s family has given to CAP are even greater. Amanda and her daughter, Sarah, a college student in Tennessee, attended the Women’s Retreat held at Camp Andrew Jackson last year. After the retreat, Sarah volunteered as a camp counselor — at the same camp she attended as a child each summer. Her childhood experience gave her an advantage in relating to the campers.

Mike O’Brien, Camp Coordinator, recalls how she worked with a first-time camper who was going through some difficulties at home. Sarah helped the girl feel comfortable and valued. O’Brien says that by the end of the week, the camper “had a completely new outlook on life, but more importantly herself.” Amanda and Sarah volunteer almost daily at our Grateful Threadz Thrift Store. Sherri Barnett, Coordinator at Grateful Threadz, praises Sarah for her great attitude and how much she cares about the store and the people it serves. When asked what inspires her service, Amanda responds, “I can’t make large donations like some, but I can give kindness, and I have good organizational skills!”

Amanda is passionate about CAP and the work we are able to do thanks to your support. She wishes everyone could live by CAP’s mission and wants people in similarly tough circumstances to realize they can work to break the cycle of poverty, just as she did. She says she wanted a different life, “... to raise good kids who would be grateful for what they have and be content.” Amanda remembers what it felt like as a teen mom to not be taken seriously and is thankful that CAP gave her the tools she needed to make positive choices and become a responsible parent. Amanda reminds us, “You have to look at each person individually — not just where they’re from — and give them a chance.”