Orientation is over. We are all at our assigned roles, and the new volunteer year is in full swing.
It should be business as usual, but the rains have arrived, and not stopped. In Elderly Housing, the jobs have proceeded, but there had to be a day or two set aside to help with Disaster Relief. Walls have collapsed, floors ruined, porches destroyed, and families in Johnson and Floyd county are cleaning up from muddy messes.
The flooding spots are hidden, much like the poverty here. As you drive down the streets of Paintsville or Prestonsburg, or even up and down Hwy 23, you would not see the flooding; however, once you get off the main roads and drive up into the hollers, where so many of our people live, the problems become apparent. CAP does not always get a call from someone in need themselves, but they are referred to us by other residents, or churches, etc. As always, these participants are proud people who want to take care of their own problems, but just do not have the resources. It takes more than money to dig out the mud, clean up a floor, find replacement furniture, and food to replace what was lost when the power failed. It takes groups like CAP who are willing to step up. We have been blessed to have some volunteers come to the Foley Center to help with the flooding mess and to cook for those who are in the field.
This weekend is also a special weekend at our church in Mint Hill, NC. Every month we have one Sunday where some time is set aside to highlight one of the volunteer groups that are active at St. Luke. This week we will be honored to have Sr. Robbie Pentecost, manager of CAP's Christian Partners program, visit and help to promote CAP. The long-term volunteers that are available will be at church to support Sr. Robbie. We will also be able to recognize all the church members that have made trips to CAP on mission trips. Of course, we have a place available for anyone wanting more information to talk to our group.
When we address the needs of CAP, it is a different message than most mission groups describe. At CAP, we do not need large quantities of shampoo, toiletries, or even clothes. We have a wonderful relationships with many companies that send us shipments several times a year. What we need most is people to serve. We look for help as long- and short-term volunteers to fill needs in many programs. We also need energetic people to serve as summer camp counselors. Of course, we always need funds to run the programs. There are some very special programs each year to supply Christmas gifts and school backpacks. Everything thing we do at CAP is funded by donor funds and we recognize the donors as such important part of our ministries.
If you have not read any of books by Reverend Ralph Beiting--CAP's founder, contact the Volunteer Program at volunteer@chrisapp.org. He wrote many small books, easy to read, with stories of the original days of this program. They help you to get a better feel for why we do this work.
Prayers go out to all the flooding victims and to those who are there to help them in true CAP fashion.
Debra and her husband Jim are second-year long-term volunteers, serving as Independent Living volunteers. Debra serves as the Mission Group Facilitator/Housekeeper for CAP’s Foley Mission Center. Opinions expressed in volunteer blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAP or the Volunteer Program.
