These siblings from Boston, Massachusetts, have dedicated their time to serving families in need in Appalachia. Suin started her journey with CAP by volunteering with WorkFest in 2013. WorkFest is an alternative spring break for college students held annually in
March. The event attracts more than 400 students from 40 different colleges and universities each year. At WorkFest, students serve in teams to repair distressed housing and build new homes for low-income families in eastern Kentucky.
Suin had such an amazing and positive experience that she encouraged her brother to follow her lead. Suin explains that, “My CAP experience has made me realize and appreciate what I have. I was talking to Yujin yesterday about how lucky we are to have nice things that we do not think about.”
At 19, Yujin is taking a year off between high school and college, and he has chosen to make a yearlong commitment to volunteer his time to CAP. When asked how his parents feel about this decision, Yujin replies, “My parents are very supportive and feel that I can grow while working for CAP and learning about society.”
WorkFest is designed with service-learning in mind. During WorkFest, evening programming exposes students to Appalachian music and culture, informs students of Appalachian history, and explores the root causes of poverty in Appalachia.
As a housing volunteer in the Sandy Valley region of Kentucky, Yujin states that he feels good about serving other people who are in need. “I have learned to appreciate my family and sister more. I have also learned about work ethics. It has been a good experience.” This year during WorkFest, Suin returned to volunteer on her brother’s project team. Yujin jokes that he had fun bossing his sister around.
This is an amazing story of how one sibling’s experience at WorkFest led to her brother’s journey of becoming a full-time volunteer. Full-time volunteers are critical to CAP’s mission. CAP will soon be acknowledging 50 years of service, and the volunteer program is a large part of and a great attribute to this success. CAP thanks the Lee family for their commitment to our core values of service, community and spirituality.
