All of the volunteers at Christian Appalachian Project have a passion for CAP’s mission and the people of Appalachia. Occasionally, volunteers decide to turn their passion into a career and stay in Appalachia to continue to serve the children, their families, and seniors in need.
Sarah Smith is one of those volunteers who chose to stay in Appalachia to help the people in need she cares so much about. Sarah is originally from Minnesota, but a friend introduced her to Kentucky and the Appalachian region. They had just graduated college and decided they wanted to do mission work. During her first visit to Appalachia, Sarah knew she wanted to return.
She later learned about CAP’s Volunteer Program and the services it provided to the people in need in Appalachia. She felt called to volunteer in the Elderly Services program. Sarah has always had a special passion for helping seniors. She knew that this program and CAP would be the perfect fit for her. She was excited to start her yearlong adventure as a CAP volunteer in Jackson County, Kentucky.
CAP’s Volunteer Program is animated by three pillars: Service, Community, and Spirituality. Sarah enjoyed seeing all three of the pillars come together during her time as a volunteer. She loved the community that the volunteer program provides. She said, “ e dinners were my favorite. Everyone would come home and share stories from the various programs where they volunteered. ere were people from the housing program, camps, schools, and elderly services. rough cooking and our nightly devotions we were able to serve each other.”
As her year-long commitment came to a close, Sarah faced a tough decision — should she stay and continue to volunteer with CAP? After much thought and consideration, she decided to sign on for another year with CAP’s Volunteer Department. This time she decided to volunteer as a Cumberland Valley Volunteer Group’s host. She would serve in this capacity for another year and a half.
During her time as the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Group’s host, she learned of an employment opportunity at the Grateful Bread Food Pantry. Sarah knew that this would be the perfect job for her.
Sarah has been an employee at CAP for eight months now. She said, “I love to see how God provides for people.” Early this year, there was a snowstorm in Kentucky. Sarah, being from Minnesota, was not intimidated by the snow and drove to work. When she got to work there was a lady there. The lady told Sarah that she did not have any heat. Sarah helped provide the woman with warm blankets and nutritious food, too. Sarah also noticed that the woman had very thin shoes on. So she went to Grateful Threadz and found the woman a sturdy pair of boots that would keep her feet warm and dry. Sara said that God gave her the opportunity to help and it is easy to see God at work at Christian Appalachian Project and in Appalachia. She really enjoys being a part of His plan.
If you are interested in volunteering, or if you know someone who is, please email volunteer@chrisapp.org or call 1-800-755-5322.
