The Heart of a CAP Volunteer: Jenny King

The latest name that Rockcastle County native, Ruby Alcorn, has added to her long list of “CAP people that I love” is that of volunteer Jenny King, who is enveloped in a bear hug when she mounts the steps to Ruby’s porch. The porch, constructed by Ruby and her husband from the wood of the house the couple lived in when they were first married, also features comfortable outdoor furniture. For over 40 years, CAP volunteers have spent many an hour rocking and listening to stories of Ruby’s days as a young mother raising children without electricity and running water, the volunteers she remembers, and CAP founder Reverand Ralph Beiting, for whom she has a special place in her heart. Jenny is the latest in a very long line of volunteers to enjoy Ruby’s stories.

A native of Paris, Tennessee, Jenny is a graduate of Union University in Jackson, TN, and earned a Master’s Degree in counseling from Vanderbilt University. She worked as high school counselor for three years before coming to CAP as a Family Advocacy volunteer in August 2008.

“I hadn’t planned on staying with CAP for the second year, but Family Advocacy is such a seasonal program,” Jenny says. “Now that I’m in my second year, I know more about what’s going on and I can give more to the community.”

Jenny has had experience with international service trips and when she began considering long-term volunteer service, she thought about going overseas. But CAP intrigued her when she found information about the organization during an Internet search. After three years in her counseling position, Jenny was becoming more involved in school leadership and administration and found that she was becoming disconnected from the students that had first attracted her to the job. She was also making a long commute from her home.

“I was uncertain about the direction that some of those things were going, but after I visited CAP, I was certain that it was the place where I wanted to do volunteer work.”

With the certainty that she and CAP were “a good fit,” Jenny began reviewing the programs for which she might work and interviewed with managers at Family Advocacy, Camp Andrew Jackson, Family Life Counseling and the Family Life Abuse Center. Family Advocacy was the most comfortable fit for Jenny with her background of caring and concern for students and their families. The skills needed for working with, and befriending families in crisis was a perfect match for Jenny’s personality and background, according to Robyn Renner, Manager of Family Advocacy and Housing and Kathleen Leavell, Director of CAP’s Christian Partners and Volunteer programs.

Jenny’s talent for planning and organization also made her the perfect candidate for managing the food service at the women’s retreat that Family Advocacy hosts each spring. She was a terrific addition to the annual women’s retreat, according to Robyn and Ruby.

“Jenny has a gentle, respectful approach to people and when people see that respect, they know they can trust her,” Kathleen says. That respect for the people she meets leads Jenny to see herself as a team player, someone that people will see as a resource.

“I think her most important quality is that she doesn’t intimidate people,” Kathleen says. “She’s just so friendly!”