Tomorrow afternoon (weather permitting - Will winter ever end??) I will be driving home to Hopkins County with Sr. Robbie Pentecost and Jenny. We'll be speaking at CTK school and church and may also swing by Brescia to distribute some materials. Last week I was asked to write something for the church bulletin and here is what I came up with:
Dear Christ the King Family,
I can hardly believe it, but I’m about to celebrate my seventh month of service with the Christian Appalachian Project. For seven months I’ve been volunteering as the Family Advocacy caseworker in Rockcastle County in southeastern Kentucky (about 20 minutes south of Berea). I primarily provide emergency material and financial assistance to low-income families, with long-term emotional support through financial education, home visits, and referral to other CAP programs. However, I also oversee several seasonal programs (Small Farms and Gardens, Women’s Retreat, School Readiness, and Christmas Baskets) and have the opportunity to help out with other CAP programs from time to time, particularly in Housing.
What drew me to CAP is the fact that these are our fellow Kentuckians. Sometimes it’s as if an unseen barrier divides the eastern and western parts of the state. Being one of the very few native Kentuckians at CAP, I have had a much easier time adjusting to the language (The partiality toward the word “you’uns” rather than “y’all” being the only major difference.) and culture than my (mostly Northern and Midwestern) housemates. During my first week at CAP, one of my mentors from college told me in an email that no experience worth having is easy. This has certainly been the case with CAP.
There have been days when everything feels disarrayed and full of chaos. It’s not always easy dealing with people in a crisis. Some people take their anger out on you while others weep and tell you their life story. A woman called me once for help on her utility bill. For various reasons I was unable to assist her and she told me that I probably didn’t know what it was like to not have electricity or to go to bed without heat. Another time a woman I was helping cried and told me that she’d prayed they would shut off her electric while her toddler was out of the house because she didn’t know how to explain it to him. She’d taken all her perishable food out of her refrigerator and given it to a neighbor to store, but the neighbor wouldn’t give any of it back to her. When I handed her the check for fifty dollars, she hugged me and said “God bless you.” But I didn’t feel like any sort of a hero. I felt like throwing up.
There have also been days full of joy – like the week I watched a group of college students give up their break to help build a porch and ramp for an elderly couple particularly close to my heart. The lady stood on her porch and cried. That same lady often tells me that she loves me and all the CAP volunteers; that she considers us all her children. Another participant always ends a phone conversation or visit by telling me that she loves me. I didn’t ever expect this kind of reaction when I pictured my year with CAP.
I also didn’t imagine how close I’d become to the other volunteers serving Appalachia. I’ve met some of my best friends here, and I wouldn’t trade my experiences with them for the world. I’ve learned skills I never expected to have. I’m now certified to use a chainsaw, and have used more power tools in the past seven months than I have in the past seven years. I drive a truck daily – something I thought I’d never do. I’ve learned job skills that I know will benefit me no matter what I go on to do after CAP.
In closing, I have to thank my family, and my greater CTK family, for instilling the values that have led me to this service. During our fall retreat we were all asked to make road maps of our life, indicating experiences and people that led us to CAP. One of the very first things I wrote down was my involvement at CTK church and school. I think it’s crucial that the youth of CTK continue to be involved in awareness, advocacy, and service to all manner of poverty (i.e. ignorance, financial poverty, social injustice, loneliness), and that you as the parents and leaders seek out opportunities to introduce our children and teens serving the needs of the community.
Lynn Hardesty
Christ the King School ‘02
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