Thousands of children, their families, and seniors in Eastern Kentucky lost their homes, belongings, and in some cases their communities to the July flooding. The road to recovery is a marathon, not a sprint, and CAP’s programs are in it for the long haul. 

Recovery for families in Eastern Kentucky could take months, if not years. Despite this tragedy, CAP’s Family Advocacy program was able to help make Christmas possible for 458 families (823 children and 724 adults) in 2022. 

Around the time of the flood, Family Advocacy opened applications for the annual Christmas Baskets program. The program helps make Christmas possible for families in need in Appalachia and provides them with gifts, household items, and a ham for Christmas dinner.  

In response to the flood, Family Advocacy saw an increase in the number of families who signed up for Christmas services in Johnson, Martin, and Floyd Counties. All three of the counties in addition to 10 others in Kentucky were declared disaster areas after the flood.  

To help bring joy to families for Christmas, CAP staff and volunteers work on preparations for Christmas Baskets year-round. Beginning in September, employees and volunteers set out clothing on tables by size, as well as donations of toys, movies, sporting goods, and more to ensure there are age-appropriate gifts for families. Using gift requests on the applications, employees and volunteers sort through the donations and box up Christmas gifts. The generosity of sponsors and donors have provided comfort and relief to children, their families, and seniors in Appalachia through services like Christmas distribution.