Interview with Dorothy Blankenship, October 24, 1984

Partial Transcript: The following is a unrehearsed, taped interview with Dorothy Blankenship from Lancaster, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Blankenship says that she began working for the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) in Danville, Kentucky after losing her job at Ford Motor Company. Blankenship explains that she was hired as a bookkeeper for CAP and that she has seen a lot of changes in the program throughout her career.

Keywords: Bookkeepers; Books; Business; Careers; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Home; Jobs; Managers; Moving; Relocation

Subjects: Careers.; Christian Appalachian Project; Danville (Ky.); Ford Motor Company.; Lancaster (Ky.); Ludlow (Ky.); Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: That's what I want to get into is sort of the, uh--lets--I'd like to trace the, uh, growth of CAP maybe...

Segment Synopsis: Blankenship discusses what the finances at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) were like when she arrived in 1972 and how often Father Beiting relied on faith that the bills would be paid.

Keywords: 1964; 1972; Accounting; Bank balances; Budgets; Buying; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Father Ralph W. Beiting; Finances; Financial records; Funding; Incorporated; Land; Money; Organization; Payroll; Purpose

Subjects: Appalachia.; Catholics; Christian Appalachian Project; Community organization.; Faith; Financials; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.

Partial Transcript: Did they have a dairy farm then?

Segment Synopsis: Blankenship talks about the dairy farm once owned by Christian Appalachian Project and when it was sold.

Keywords: 1977; Accounting; Budgets; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Employees; Financial records; George Purcell; Gray Hawk, Jackson County (Ky.); Money; Organization; Paychecks; Payroll; Profits; Projects; Sold; Volunteers

Subjects: Agriculture; Appalachia.; Christian Appalachian Project; Dairy farms; Financials; Growth.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.

Partial Transcript: Um, when did, did the first change in the way you all were kee--uh, keeping financial records take place?

Segment Synopsis: Blankenship talks about two occasions during her career that the accounting system at Christian Appalachian Project dramatically changed, including their transition to computerized records beginning in 1976.

Keywords: 1973; 1976; Accounting; Accounting systems; Budgets; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Computers; Data systems; Financial records; General ledgers; Gradual processes; Money; Organization; Payroll; Payroll systems; Profits; Reports; Safeguard systems; Specific ledgers; System 34

Subjects: Appalachia.; Christian Appalachian Project; Financials; Growth.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.

Partial Transcript: Why did, uh--what circumstances arose to, uh, cause the necessity for a computer?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Blankenship explains that CAP was always changing as far as what projects they were doing, and that this made budget planning difficult. Blankenship says that CAP has shifted to a focus on human development projects in Appalachia.

Keywords: Accounting; Boys' homes; Budgets; Changes; Child development centers; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Comparisons; Computers; Constant change; Daycare centers; Development; Economic development; Employment; Financial records; Human development; Merchandising; Money; Organization; Profits; Programs; Projects; Purpose; Retail; The Attic

Subjects: Appalachia.; Christian Appalachian Project; Community; Community organization.; Financials; Growth.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.

Partial Transcript: Uh, and some people have a problem with that kind of image those products convey.

Segment Synopsis: Blankenship talks about people in the community who objected to some of Christian Appalachian Project's actions, either because they felt like CAP was perpetuating stereotypes about Appalachia or because CAP was led by a Catholic priest in a primarily Southern Baptist region.

Keywords: Acceptance; Antagonism; Catholicism; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Development; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Image; Objections; Organization; Photographs; Post offices; Priests; Products; Programs; Projects; Purpose; Reactions; Southern Baptists; Stereotypes; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine)

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Catholics; Christian Appalachian Project; Christianity.; Community; Community organization.; Faith; Kentucky--Religion; Kentucky.; Lancaster (Ky.); Nonprofit organizations.; Religion; Rural conditions.

Partial Transcript: Uh, when you changed to the computer in '76, was, was there also more money coming in than when you first came?

Segment Synopsis: Blankenship talks about when Christian Appalachian Project began sending out its own mailings rather than paying an outside service to do the work. She talks about how CAP has always done their own printing.

Keywords: Accounting; Bill Begley; Budgets; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Computers; Costs; Data processing; Development; Employment; Financial records; Fund raising; Fundraising; Income; Labeling; Leases; Literature; Mail; Mailing; Money; Organization; Outgoing mail; Outside services; Print shops; Printing; Printing presses; Processing; Profits; Programs; Projects; Saving money; Services; Shipping

Subjects: Agriculture; Appalachia.; Camps.; Catholics; Christian Appalachian Project; Christianity.; Community; Community organization.; Faith; Financials; Growth.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Rural conditions.

Partial Transcript: Was, uh, Camp Nelson started when you, uh, came or after you came?

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Blankenship talks about the goals of the Camp Nelson project and what the vision was for the camp. She explains that this was a community development project that was supposed to bring more recreational activities for families in the area. Blankenship talks about the management of the project and explains that this project failed but was still a great idea for the community. She also briefly mentions a lumber and hardware company that brought in money for the organization but was eventually sold.

Keywords: Building; Camping; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Donors; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Golf courses; Hardware; Lumber; Management; Michael McLaughlin; Mike McLaughlin; Movie theaters; Museums; Pools; Profits; Projects; Stores

Subjects: Appalachia.; Beiting, Ralph W.; Berea (Ky.); Camps.; Children.; Christian Appalachian Project; Community; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Factories.; Families.; Financials; Growth.; Kentucky.; Lancaster (Ky.); Nonprofit organizations.; Recreation.

Partial Transcript: When you first came to Danville, had you heard anything about, uh, Father Beiting at all?

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Blankenship talks about working with Father Ralph Beiting. She says that he was a workaholic who was always working on new projects for CAP. Blankenship says that Father Beiting was very close to God and he always kept his faith throughout every situation or problem they encountered, such as dealing with financial instability. Blankenship says that a major goal of CAP for Beiting was to help impoverished Appalachians get on their feet and gain social mobility.

Keywords: Ambition; Changes; Charisma; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Community; Experiences; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Hardships; Money; Operation; Opposition; Patience; Perception; Perseverance; Projects; Working

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian region--Economic conditions.; Beiting, Ralph W.; Catholics; Community based social services.; Community development.; Faith; Growth.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Poverty.; Priests.; Religion.; Rural conditions; Spirituality

Partial Transcript: Uh, so when you were growing u--had you heard about Appalachia when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: In this final section, Blankenship talks about her perceptions of the Appalachian Region and how working for Christian Appalachian Project changed her outlook on the region. She explains that growing up, she had no conception of Appalachia and how different the conditions of rural life were from the rest of the state. She recalls driving through parts of Appalachia and the things she saw that really opened her eyes. At the end of the interview, Blankenship talks about how she is glad to see these people getting help through CAP.

Keywords: "Hillbillies"; Back roads; Child development centers; Children; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Circumstances; Experiences; Farms; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Perceptions; Personal impact; Pictures; Stereotypes; Utilities

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Communities.; Community based social services.; Community development.; Culture shock.; Families.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Poverty.; Rural conditions.; Travel.; Volunteers.