Interview with M. Lynne Jacoby, April 9, 1986

Partial Transcript: I thought we'd start--I can't stand that thing--just by you giving me a little bit about your own personal background before you got to Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: M. Lynne Jacoby talks about growing up in Oakridge, Tennessee. She talks about attending Marymount College, joining a convent, and teaching in New York. She talks briefly about becoming a volunteer at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Catholic education; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Family dynamics; Kentucky; Marymount College, Tarrytown; New York; Oakridge (Tenn.); Only children; Permanent volunteers; Schools; Teachers; Teaching; Vacations

Subjects: Catholics; Childhood.; Convents.; Faith.; Families.; Monastic and religious life of women.; Monasticism and religious orders for women.; Nuns.; Parents.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Um, how did you first hear about CAP and w-was your first visit to Kentucky connected with CAP?

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks briefly about how she became aware of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She talks about her experience living and teaching in Colombia, South America.

Keywords: Awareness; Bogota (Colombia); Children; Colombia; Family; Kentucky; Persona non-grata; Reception; Schools; Summer programs; Teachers; Teaching

Subjects: Catholics; Convents.; Faith.; Monastic and religious life of women.; Monasticism and religious orders for women.; Nuns.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.

Partial Transcript: Um, when you came to Kentucky--so you did not know about the CAP the first time you visited?

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about coming to Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) as a temporary volunteer in the summer program. She talks about her decision to become a permanent volunteer at CAP.

Keywords: Awareness; Berea (Ky.); Bible schools; Catholic churches; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Ellen Burke; Kentucky; Norton (Va.); Permanent volunteers; Summer camps; Summer programs; Temporary volunteers

Subjects: Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Religious communities; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Uh huh. One of the questions I like to ask people, b-but your response will be different because you grew up in Tennessee, but for a lot of CAP volunteers it was their first introduction to the South.

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby discusses her level of familiarity with Appalachia prior to arriving at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She discusses the differences between rural poverty and urban poverty.

Keywords: Attitudes; Beauty; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Cities; Differences; Economic poverty; Familiarity; Financial poverty; Nature; Northeast; Poor people; Rural poverty; South; Tennessee; Urban poverty

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Communities.; Community; Community life.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Religious communities

Partial Transcript: When you, um, went back to CAP for the two years, what, what type of work did you do then?

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about her responsibilities as a permanent volunteer at Christian Appalachian Project in McKee, Kentucky. She talks about being one of two permanent volunteers, their chores and living situation, and the community they lived and worked in. She talks more about poverty in the area.

Keywords: Berea (Ky.); Bible schools; Catholic churches; Catholic congregations; Children; Chores; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Coal mines; Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD); Cooking; Families; Finances; Gloria Close; Home visits; Houses; Laundry; McKee (Ky.); Permanent volunteers; Responsibilities; Rural life; Summer camps; Temporary volunteers; The Attic; Unemployment; Welfare

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Did you have much contact with any of the other CAP, uh, agencies or programs?

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about her contact with other Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) projects and communities. She talks about her projects and responsibilities as a permanent volunteer at Christian Appalachian Project in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. She talks about the differences between social services in Kentucky and places like New York.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Contact; Cumberland Comprehensive Care; Ellen Burke; Homelessness; Impact; Lancaster (Ky.); McKee (Ky.); Medical transportation; Moving; Mt. Vernon (Ky.); Permanent volunteers; Programs; Psychiatric hospitals; Responsibilities; Service; Social services; State governments

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Mental health.; Mental illness.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Religious communities; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: You know CAP is advertised as being non-denominational.

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about how Christian Appalachian Project tried to remain non-denominational in its programs. She talks about how CAP insisted on its programs being racially integrated and the reactions of the local people. She talks briefly about her contact with other religious organizations during her time at CAP.

Keywords: Acceptance; African American children; Bible schools; Black children; Camp Andrew Jackson; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Contact; Difficult; Jackson County (Ky.); Jesuit priests; Non-denominational; Opposition; Programs; Religions; Religious education; Virginia; West Virginia

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Faith.; Integration; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Um, over a period of two years you probably got to know some of the local people well if you visited their homes and had their children.

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby discusses the attitudes of the local people regarding Christian Appalachian Project, especially in regard to CAP being led by a Catholic priest. She talks about how she was treated poorly when she first began working with the medical transportation program and how she changed the minds and attitudes of the local people. She talks about whether the local middle class supported CAP.

Keywords: Acceptance; Attitudes; Berea College; Bureaucracy; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Contact; Cooperation; Donations; Evangelism; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Helping; Home visits; Kicked out; Local people; McKee (Ky.); Medical transportation; Merchants; Middle class; Proselytizing; Public assistance; Relationships; Resentment; Resistance; Sand Gap (Ky.); Street preaching; Support; Treatment

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Uh, you mentioned Father Beiting. Did you have much contact with him?

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about her personal relationship with Father Beiting. She talks about Father Beiting transferring her from one location to another within CAP. She talks about how, at the time she volunteered with CAP, all decisions were made by Father Beiting, although this was just beginning to change and become more decentralized.

Keywords: Berea (Ky.); Camp Nelson; Child development centers; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Conservative; Contact; Contention; Control; Cordial; Decentralized; Decisions; Direction; Ellen Burke; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Growth; Lancaster (Ky.); Logistics; Management; Mass; Michael McLaughlin; Mike McLaughlin; Mountain Christian Academy; Mt. Vernon (Ky.); Organization size; Personnel; Relationships; Religious beliefs; Representation; Requests; Roles; Separation; St. William Catholic Church; St. Williams; Staff; The Attic; Transfers

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: One of the reasons CAP's--has been so successful is its fundraising efforts.

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby discusses Christian Appalachian Project's use of stereotypes in its fundraising and the love/hate relationship between religious organizations and fundraising processes.

Keywords: Attitudes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Donations; Donors; Exploitative; Finances; Funding; Fundraising; Fundraising materials; Images; Media; Money; Representative; Stereotypes; Successful

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Financials; Fund raising.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Poverty--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: You mentioned Father Beiting's street preaching.

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about Father Beiting's street preaching in Eastern Kentucky. She talks about the few other nuns in the Eastern Kentucky area and their relationship with one another.

Keywords: Alone; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Days of reflection; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Jellico (Tenn.); Mt. Vernon (Ky.); Permanent volunteers; Seminarians; Singing; Somerset (Ky.); Street preaching; Temporary volunteers

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Monastic and religious life of women.; Monasticism and religious orders for women.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And you mentioned that your leaving was somewhat connected with your being alone there.

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby discusses some of her living situations as a nun, both in communal living situations and living alone. She talks about living in community at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Alone; Apartments; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Communal living; Community living; Contact; Leaving; Living alone; Living in community; Moving; Mt. Vernon (Ky.); New York; Preparation; Roommates; Young people

Subjects: Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Convents.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Monastic and religious life of women.; Monasticism and religious orders for women.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So your experience at CAP was really, um, probably a varied one but a good one--

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks about how her experiences at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) have influenced her personally. She talks about her continued relationships with her fellow volunteers and the local people.

Keywords: Accents; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Contact; Correspondence; Dialects; Friendships; Impact; Letters; Local people; Personal growth; Preparation; Relationships; Returning; Semi-cloistered; Training; Visits

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Convents.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Monastic and religious life of women.; Monasticism and religious orders for women.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Religion.; Religious communities; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: In--one part of me says, "I would give anything to go back."

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby talks more about the differences between rural poverty and urban poverty. She talks about the dangers she feels within the city that she did not encounter in Kentucky.

Keywords: Apartments; Atmosphere; Attitudes; Beauty; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Cities; Dangers; Environment; Fears; Housing projects; Impact; Manhattan (N.Y.); Rural poverty; Safety; Urban poverty

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Convents.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Monastic and religious life of women.; Monasticism and religious orders for women.; Nonprofit organizations.; Nuns.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Religious communities

Partial Transcript: C--are there any other people who you might suggest that I try to contact?

Segment Synopsis: Jacoby names some other people associated with Christian Appalachian Project who could be interviewed for this project. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Barbara Witty; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Conflicts; Disagreements; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Glen Taul; Margaret Dowd; Relationships; Students

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Communities.; Community; Community life.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Religious communities; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers