Getting Out There

What a wonderful week this has been. I have been involved in getting jobs set up for Workfest, which starts in March. Donnie, the crew leader, Angie, the housing coordinator, and I have been driving around Clay and Owsley counties making home visits and checking on the feasibility of these sites to be included in Workfest. It has been amazing! First of all, I am not driving so I can just relax and look at the beauty of Kentucky. Donnie and Angie are both from Clay County so I felt very comfortable in the hands of someone who grew up driving these roads.

Let me take a moment to explain Workfest. College students come in groups to work on houses in the Appalachia area. It is an alternative Spring break other than going to Daytona beach or some other party place. We have crew leaders that take them out to the houses and then guide them through such things as replacing roofs, putting on siding, adding underpinning, replacing doors and windows, building a new porch and steps or perhaps putting on a much needed ramp. It is awesome to see the amount of work that gets done and the changes to these homes and the families that live there. It is a gift to see the relationships that grow between the participants and the work crews. I am looking forward to being a part of all this.

Anyway, some of the jobs we looked at were on major roads, not that interesting. But, most of the jobs were way down the hollers, which was awesome. Hearing some of the directions given to our office is a treat in itself. Example: Drive down the road until you see a pair of tennis shoes hanging over the power lines, then turn left. In another county a participant told the CAP employee: drive down the road until you see the McDonalds bag in the road and then turn left. Apparently, that bag had been there long enough to become a landmark. What a hoot!

Anywho, there is much more involved in picking a Workfest job than I had realized. We need to consider how much work needs to be done. We do not want a crew at a site and there is not enough work to keep everyone busy for at least a week or two. Is the road passable in bad weather. Can't have people getting stuck out in a holler somewhere. Will there be too much mud. If there is wet weather we don't want people working in mud or getting stuck in mud. Are there a lot of dogs and are they friendly. Will the family interact with the crews and enjoy having that many people there. Is the drive too long from Camp AJ and then too much of the day is on the road. Angie also takes a look at if the families fit into our income guidelines and are they capable of making a payback for some of the funding. It is much to look at and take into consideration.

It was a treat to be able to drive down these hollers and completely take in the beauty of the area. There was one home that was at the end of the holler. I just stood there drinking it all in: the calling of the birds, the river running by on the other side of the road, the horses near the barn, the colors of the bushes and trees, and the smell of autumn. There were two kittens playing at my feet as I stood and took pictures of the job. I could have stayed there all day. The family was very nice and we visited with them for awhile. Not all of the homes were this beautiful, but I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of them.

I hope that when my friends come in April I will have the opportunity to take them to such a magical place. Kentucky is surely one of the most beautiful states I have visited.

On a different note, Monday night dinner had 12 of us at the table. I just love it when there is such a good group to share a meal. Tom and Dorothy came up and then Lucas' brother and father joined us also. It was a great time for fellowship and Janet made a delicious dinner for all.

Hope you are all well. Until we meet again, God Bless
Jane