For Erica we received many items and support. Many of you understand her fragile position with her mother. She is in a difficult place, but has a lot of support. Erica is a strong young woman, one we hope is not likely to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She is being looked after and her needs are being met. We are praying for her and her mother everyday.

CAP helps so many; children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Without your support we could not possibly have the same impact on the lives of those we serve. Appalachia is a special place, with a lot of wonderful, hard-working and deserving people. Thank you for supporting us, and letting us continue our work. There is so much more to be done….With you, hope and determination we can make a difference…..

During the last week of January, Kentucky was hit by a very severe ice storm that caused thousands of power outages, water losses, car wrecks, tree damages, home damages, and people to be trapped indoors for a week or more. This was not the first time Kentucky has been hit by such a storm, but this one was more severe than expected. As a result, eastern Kentucky in particular was greatly affected. CAP’s Disaster Relief was there to aid those in need of repairs, food, clothing, shelter, and more.

Disaster Relief volunteers came from places such as Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina, and many parts of Kentucky. Sherry Buresh, Assistant Director of the Disaster Relief Program, was pleased by the great response. Work crews included chainsaw crews, home repair crews, and case work volunteers in addition to all the CAP employees and volunteers who cooked for the Relief workers.

During the week of response, CAP assisted about forty households with debris clean-up, chainsaw work, roof jobs, or other home repair (some major). One of the homes with major destruction will become a WorkFest site in the spring.

At the request of the Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs), CAPs Disaster Relief provided cots, blankets, and supplies to shelters. CAP also opened the new Jean White Respite Center as a shelter from the devastating ice storm. CAP plans to continue using the Respite Center as an official shelter for any future disasters.

Not only did CAP perform home repairs and aid shelters, but we also supplied water to those who were without. A 10-unit shower trailer was taken to western Kentucky. The effects of the storm were compounded in Letcher County by contamination to their water supply. CAP responded immediately to their request for water by delivering a semi-truck load that very same day.

Almost every county in Kentucky was impacted by the destructive storm. Fortunately, CAP was there to help. The effort to help those severely affected by the ice storm was definitely a CAP wide effort.

If you say the name “Raul Rodriguez” to the kids of Jackson and Martin counties you might be met with a blank stare, “Who?” Describe Raul as tall, with dark hair and eyes and dramatic, expressive eyebrows and you could hear “Rolo!”

Raul’s first experience with the Christian Appalachian Project came at WorkFest 2005, an alternative spring break experience for college students. Raul, 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, Raul decided on long-term volunteer service with CAP. 

“I had been thinking about joining the Jesuit Volunteer Corps,” Raul said. But after his WorkFest experience, and reading about the work of CAP and its founder, Reverend Ralph Beiting, Raul 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, Raul 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, Raul 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. 

Raul, 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, Raul 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 Raul 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, Raul 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 Raul’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.” 

Raul 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.”

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