Raul Rodriguez

If you say the name “Raúl Rodriguez” to the kids of Jackson and Martin counties you might be met with a blank stare, “Who?” Describe Raúl as tall, with dark hair and eyes and dramatic, expressive eyebrows and you could hear “Rolo!”
Raúl’s first experience with the Christian Appalachian Project came at WorkFest 2005, an alternative spring break experience for college students. Raúl, a native of Miami, enjoyed WorkFest so much as a sophomore that he returned to Kentucky to work in the housing project in 2006 and 2007. After graduating from the University of Florida, Raúl decided on long-term volunteer service with CAP.
“I had been thinking about joining the Jesuit Volunteer Corps,” Raúl said. But after his WorkFest experience, and reading about the work of CAP and its founder, Reverend Ralph Beiting, Raúl decided to apply to CAP.
After learning about CAP’s services to children, he expressed an interest in camps and child and family development centers. He worked at Camp Andrew Jackson in Jackson County during the summers of 2007 and 2008 and during the school year, works at the Martin County Family and Child Development Center.
In the mornings, Raúl tutors first and second graders at Inez Elementary School. He focuses on the subject matter that they’re studying and has made presentations in science, music and anatomy. In addition to his degree in Classics, Raúl completed general course work to continue pursuing a Nursing degree. His experience in the classroom, however, is making him seriously consider the pursuit of a degree in Education.
Raúl, 23, was born and lived Cuba until the age of nine, when he moved to Florida with his family. He believes that the diversity of that community has given him the flexibility to adapt to the culture he has discovered in Martin County. “I see people for what they are and I respect the way people grow. But I’ve never traveled much outside of Florida, so there are new things here. I had never seen mountains or snow until I came to Kentucky.”
In the afternoons, Raúl works in the after-school program, which offers activities to kids in kindergarten through third grade two days a week and fourth through sixth grade on two different days. The young people come after school, complete their homework and participate in activities that Raúl plans. Some come for the extra help with homework, others just like the structure they wouldn’t get without the program. About 30 children are enrolled in the program. Some, Raúl said, have been abused or come from dysfunctional families. “I like to know something about the kids because it helps me to understand their behavior.”
He describes volunteer life as “challenging, but it’s all part of learning about yourself. Our house has become what each person is willing to contribute.” Service as a counselor at Camp Andrew Jackson has been Raúl’s favorite part of his volunteer experience and he plans to spend another summer at camp before completing his volunteer service. He has enjoyed meeting other volunteers who have spent many summers at camp and looks forward to seeing them again. “We can all have an influence on these kids, when they have fun and you show that you’re interested in them.”
Raúl realized the influence he was having several times over the course of the summer, he said. “It was cool to have a kid come to camp and know who I was because his brother or sister had been talking about me at home.”