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Family Life Child Development moves location
The laughter of children fills the building once known as the Community Center. It has also housed Job Start, Rockcastle Teen Center and reunions. Now, the building is the home of the Family Life Child and Family Development Center. After more than 25 years of serving families in their school at the top of the hill in Mount Vernon, the center has moved into the renovated building that was re-created to meet their specific needs. It also puts them in the area known to CAP as “the Valley” where several other CAP offices are located. “Our biggest issue up on the hill with the big classroom is that state licensing can only enroll 24 children in one room,” says Becky Kana, program manager. Becky has worked in child development with CAP for 31 years, starting her career at the former Sunshine Center in Lancaster. In the old space, the teachers modified the room so they could accept 34 students. At times it got very noisy. With a new building in the planning stage, Becky and staff went to the space to dream about what they would like to have. By dividing the center into two classrooms, they would be able to accept 40 students.
Becky Kana has worked with many children and volunteers during her 31 years in child development.
Some of the property changes are still in progress. Becky doesn’t presently have an office in the center. The foundation has been laid for an office building next to the classroom center. Playground construction is also continuing. “That’s what we’re really looking forward to—the playground,” Becky says. She’s excited about the new bike trail for the children, which will be larger than the previous one. In addition, the students will have a grassy area in which to play. With the indoor space additions, the program has one more long-term volunteer for a total of three. Becky values the contributions of volunteers she’s worked with over the years. “They leave their comfort zone and come here to the crazy place we have and give the program so much,” she says. Becky also recognizes the cultural and geographic diversity they bring to students and appreciates volunteers for, “their creativity, their enthusiasm, their excitement and their willingness to do whatever needs to be done for families.” Some of the needs of the families in the program have changed over the years. For example, Becky says that today, 25 to 30 percent of the children are in foster care or kinship care, because of challenges that the families are facing. Many parents, grandparents and other caregivers are also more aware of the importance of early childhood education. In Becky’s early days in the field, it was seen as a babysitting service. Today, it provides children with opportunities, through play, to learn academic and social skills that will help them when they begin school. “Early childhood education is now seen as being very important to a child’s life,” Becky says. 
So is family involvement in a child’s education. “CAP was the forerunner of family involvement,” Becky says with pride. That family involvement is also part of the Parents Are Teachers and Infant Toddler programs that are now included in the center’s umbrella of programs. Walk around the new classrooms and it’s evident by what you’ll see and experience that what Becky says is true. “We just have fun.” 
CAP Quicks
Robyn Renner, who has worked with many volunteers over the years as the manager of Family Advocacy and Housing in the Cumberland Valley Region, is now CAP’s Disaster Relief Director. Volunteer Alumni can sign up for CAP’s Disaster Relief response list and receive alerts when we’re forming a team by emailing disasterrelief@chrisapp.org.
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CAP welcomes Jennifer Zupicich, ’09-’12, as the new Child Advocate/Resident Assistant at Sandy Valley Abuse Center.
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Betsie Carroll is the newest member of the Volunteer Department, serving as the Coordinator of Alternative Volunteering. A CAP employee of seven years, Betsie will continue her role as CAP’s VISTA Coordinator and take on the role of CAP’s AmeriCorps Program Director. She also coordinates CAP’s Independent Living Volunteers and our Community Volunteer program.
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Grateful Bread had its second annual hunger walk in Mount Vernon on September 11. Two-hundred-and-thirteen participated in the walk and donated 595 pounds of food.
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Prescription Assistance received recognition from the KY Prescription Assistance Program (KPAP) for reaching the milestone of saving participants more than $1 million.
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Saint Paul Catholic Church in McKee, which was founded by Father Beiting, celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a Mass in October. Linda Scallon Rukavina, Summers ’71, ’73, ’74, Jim Fleming, ’65-’66, Karen Whitbread Weckman, ’71-’72, Bridget McCormack, ’10-’11, Chris Barnett, ’09-’11, Lynn Hardesty, ’10-’11, Greg Wagner, ’70-’71, Rich, Summer ’75, and Peggy Yaeger, ’74-’76 Dave and Teresa Riley, ’72-’73, Gloria (Kloos) Spindler, ’75-’76, Kerri (Weiseman) Mays, ’10-’12, Emily (Gerke) Roche, ’07-’08, and Claire Kaiser Kincaid, ’96-’98 all attended. Congrats to St. Paul on 50 years of service to the mountains!
Volunteer orientation welcomes 28
We welcomed 28 new volunteers in our September orientation class. One new volunteer, Greg Wagner (back row, far right), previously served short-term in 1968 and long-term in 1970-71. Will we be seeing more “boomerang” volunteers as alumni enter retirement?
Thank you
Thanks to these volunteer alumni who recently helped CAP through their recruiting, hospitality or both. Nick Galiardo, ’10-’11 Kathie Grant, ’10-’12 Mary McNamara, ’94-’96 Melinda Thompson, Summer Camp 2013 Bridget McCormack, ’10-’11 Carl Ford, ’10-’11 Josh, short-term 2012 and Kate (Turner) Hester, ’11-’12 Jennifer (Luoma) McCracken, ’06-’07 Megan (Kruse) Knapke, ’10-’11 Bailey Bennett, ’12-’13
(click any photo to see full size)
1970s-80s This summer, Carolyn Lambert, ’79-’82, celebrated 25 years as a Sister of St. Benedict. Alumni who celebrated with her include: (front) Kathy Kluesener, ’73-’80 and Sr. Kathleen Weigand ’79-’82; (back row) Kathleen Leavell, ’76-’78, Kathy Divaio, ’83-’84, Sr. Carolyn, Peggy Gabriel, ’77-’80 and Kathy Burke ’09-’10. 
1990s Sonja (Hoden) Gifford, ’98-’99, was thrilled to reunite with Pete and Sally (Stubbs) Fochtman, ’96-’98, when they visited Colorado in July. The three last spent time together at Pete’s and Sally’s wedding in 2001. 
2000s Paul Stage, ’08-’09, Jenny King, ’08-’10, Dana Nevins, ’08-’09, Kim Rice, ’08-’09, Jessica (Soule) and Allen Hodges, ’08-’09, and Jenna Boyd Garrett (pictured with baby Elisha), ’08-’09, held their summer mini-reunion in Mt. Vernon and Berea. 
Jennifer Luoma, ’06-’07, married Christopher McCracken, ’08-’09 on June 8 in Conway, New Hampshire. In attendance were Katherine Grimmett ’06-’07, Lindsey (Gasperic) Wilson ’06-’07, Jen, Chris, Erika Hajiantoni ’08-’09, and Fred Roback short-term ’08, ’09. Jen and Chris had a Cincinnati reception in July, at which they were joined by Lindsey and other CAP friends Amblyn Allen, ’05-’07, Emily (Gerke) Roche, ’07-’08, Jen Eich, ’01-’03, Amy Schill, ’03-’05, Don Schaeffer, ’06-’08, and Kevin and Dana (Brandt) DeMaria, ’06-’07. 
It was a CAP celebration when Pat, ’08-’09, and Laura Carruthers-Green, Summer Camp ’08, ’11, Short-term ’10 were married in July. Joining them were Anna (Paulus) and Curtis Horning, ’07-’08, Ross Peters, ’07-’08, Julia McStravog, ’09-’10, and Bridget McCormack, ’10-’11. 
Lynn Hardesty, ’10-’11, Shanna Rose, ’10-’11, Rachel DeKold, ’09-’10, Julia McStravog, ’09-’10, Bridget McCormack, ’10-’11, and Rachel Weiderman, ‘10 reunited in Kentucky this summer. The group gathered to wish farewell to Rachel Weiderman, who started work as an au pair in Chile this summer.
In memoriam
We extend our sympathy to the family of Linville Rose who passed away on October 15 after a brief battle with cancer. Linville, a former CAP employee, worked with countless volunteers through his involvement with Adult Education and Healing Rain. He will be remembered for his compassionate spirit, quick wit and his infectious laugh. Please keep his family in your prayers.
CAP Connection is published three times a year by the CAP Volunteer Program. If you have news to share or story ideas to suggest, please send them to one of the following:
Beth Dotson Brown, ’90 – ’91 Contributing Editor
Amy Schill, ’03-’05 Manager of Recruitment, Admissions, and Alumni
Kathy Kluesener, ’73 – ’80 Admissions Coordinator
Kathleen Leavell, ’76 – ’78 Director of Volunteers/Christian Partners
volunteer@chrisapp.org 1-800-755-5322 606-256-0973 fax 606-256-5942 www.christianapp.org/vol/alumni www.facebook.com/groups/capalums
