Emmazell "Trigger" Gerken
Meet Emmazell "Trigger" Gerken.
Trigger, a 78-year-old resident of Knott County, is no stranger to hard work. As a child, she often missed school to care for her younger siblings. As an adult, she took jobs working in restaurants, cleaning houses, and driving trucks to raise her children on her own.
Today, Trigger is legally blind and can't work anymore, but she still loves to laugh and enjoy life.
And thanks to gifts from generous people like you, Trigger receives help from Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Elderly Services Program:
"Thank God for CAP. They are my friends and are fantastic," she says. "I am so thankful they are in this part of the country to help me and others far worse than me. They've given me a new refrigerator and mattress, brought me dinners, and taken me to doctor's appointments."
While Trigger has had her fair share of hard times, her faith never wavers.
She knows that she has family and the support from loving friends like you to help her through.
Thank you for supporting people in need in Appalachia — and for helping us honor special women like Trigger during a month when we honor all mothers.
Hannah Thomas
Hannah joined the CAP community as a young camper at Camp AJ, our summer camp for girls and boys. She eventually made her way to becoming a junior counselor at the camp. Working with children in our after-school program, Hannah realized she could have a lasting impact on children's lives.
"The time I've spent here has just made my passion for helping Appalachian youth grow into so much more," she says. "I want to pour my everything into the kids and teens that I interact with."
Today, Hannah is a community volunteer and intern at CAP while she finishes her last semester of college before graduation. She will be the first person in her family to graduate from college, and she thanks CAP - and friends like you - for supporting her through the years.
"My life was changed for the greater good when CAP stepped into my life. They helped me with my education and have supported me the entire way through," Hannah says.
Your generosity supports young people like Hannah, who is making history in her family and changing the lives of children and teens in Appalachia every day.
Thank you for supporting people in need in Appalachia, and for helping us honor incredible women like Hannah.
Emma Estep
Emma grew up in a holler in Floyd County, Kentucky. She joined our Camp Shawnee staff in 2018 and has been working to transform lives and share Christ's love ever since.
Today, Emma is a Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Program community educator. As part of the YES program, she works with kids from head start to high school, providing services like summer camp, in-school tutoring, and a teen leadership program.
"If I hadn't come to Camp Shawnee, I don't know what I would be doing right now... I get to work with children every day and see them succeed, and when I am at camp, I get to be part of their safe space," she says.
Emma says that her commitment to serving others comes from her family. Her grandmothers lived lives of service, like so many others in Appalachia.
"One of the things I love about Appalachia is the people here persevere," she says. "It's the people who have the least who give the most. There is a whole other story to Appalachia than the stereotypes or the bleak parts portrayed. We are innovators, storytellers, and helpers. That is Appalachia."
Caring gifts from friends like you make it possible for a young lady like Emma to share her love across Appalachia. Thank you.
