The Elderly Program is a very special focus of the Christian Appalachian Project.  As our population ages, it becomes ever more important to care for our elders.  Elderly like Florence and Lois cannot imagine life without CAP, and we cannot imagine life without them.  They have been in the program for several years, but they aren’t simply elderly participants, they are blessings to all who meet them.

Florence and Lois are sisters.  Lois is 82 and is still able to drive short distances, usually to the grocery or pharmacy to pick up the basic essentials for herself and Florence.  Though Lois has a difficult time with her hearing, she is able to get around just fine to take care of Florence, who is 89.  Florence moved in with Lois a couple years ago, when she became unable to take care of herself.  Florence has suffered from multiple strokes and is now confined to a wheelchair.  She is mostly paralyzed on one side, but uses the other hand to power her chair.  Florence grew up right handed, but has trained her left hand to become her dominant hand. After one of her strokes, she taught herself to write with her left hand so she could keep writing her poetry and motivational stories inspired by past experiences. She has written four volumes of poetry which she has published and distributed to friends and family.

Both Lois and Florence have a very strong Christian faith that influences others around them. Amongst hardship and grief, their faith in God is a beautiful witness to His providence.  Lois spends free time gardening her flowers and vegetables.  She takes great pride in her work and keeps her home neat and tidy.  CAP employees and volunteers provide elderly visitation as a simple way to remind seniors that they are not alone.  We also have helped in home improvement projects, building three different ramps to provide wheelchair access, as well as replacing wood on the front porch due to decay and the danger of Lois or Florence falling through the rotted wood.  They also participate in the Food Pantry program when money is tight and food is slim.

Lois says, “I don’t know what we would do without CAP.”  She often repeats how much she and Florence have benefited from CAP over the years and just how much she loves the Christian Appalachian Project.