Interview with Lorraine Corsale, April 10, 1986

Partial Transcript: There we go. I thought we might start by talking about your own life before you got to Kentucky. Just give me, you know, a little biographical information so we can place you.

Segment Synopsis: Corsale is from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and is a graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. After she graduated she stayed in the city and worked as a photo researcher at a magazine company. She also worked at Rockefeller University for a while as a medical photographer. Corsale said she wanted to do volunteer work but she was hesitant because she didn't want to leave everything behind. Eventually, she applied for Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), went to Kentucky for an interview, and then made the decision to move there as a permanent volunteer. Corsale said she chose CAP because she was interested in the Appalachian Mountains and the mixture of people seemed appealing to her. Once she came to CAP, she knew she wanted to work with elderly people.

Keywords: Appalachian Mountains; Applications; Bergen County (N.J.); Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Franklin Lakes (N.J.); Interviews; Magazines; Mountains; Moving; Non-denominational; Programs; Volunteer organizations

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.); Catholics; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Kentucky.; Letters.; New Jersey; Nonprofit organizations.; Older people.; Pratt Institute.; Rockefeller University.; Travel.; Universities and colleges.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What were your impressions of Kentucky before you went there?

Segment Synopsis: Corsale talks about what her impressions were of Kentucky and the people of Appalachia before she came to work for Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She explains that she always had a fascination with Kentucky because of the horses and the rolling hills. She perceived the people of Kentucky as poor, helpless people and she felt overwhelmed at first because she didn't know how she was going to help them. She says after volunteering with CAP she realized that even though some people are experiencing poverty, they're still proud people that will accept help and will work to improve their conditions.

Keywords: Bluegrass; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Expectations; Horses; Impressions; Literature; Mountains; Perceptions; Photographs; Photography; Programs; War on Poverty

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Mountains; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Kentucky--Social life and customs; Kentucky.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Poverty.; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions.; Social work.; Travel.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And did you work at any of the other programs, or did you have much contact, I guess, with any of the other programs?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Corsale talks about her involvement and connections with different Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) programs. She says that she was the head volunteer in Lancaster, Kentucky and the head of the elderly program in Garrard County, Kentucky which kept her pretty busy, but she did have connections with the deaf services programs and enjoyed working with them. Corsale also talks about how many volunteers where living in Lancaster while she was there.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Cliffview Lodge; Connections; Deaf people; Deaf services program; Head volunteer; Jobs; Lancaster (Ky.); Programs; Sign language

Subjects: American Sign Language.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communication.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Nonprofit organizations.; Older people.; Summer camps; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: In the different programs, which, if you had to say one that you thought was the most successful in terms of working with the local people, could you pick one that you might think?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Corsale talks about what she thought was the most effective Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) program. Corsale explains that the garden program was great for the community because it provided people with seeds and allowed people to do work for themselves. She explains that, for the most part, the people in the community responded well to CAP and accepted and appreciated their help.

Keywords: Acceptance; Attitudes; Catholics; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Garden program; Gardening; Home visits; Local people; Mail; Maps; Programs; Resentment; Resources; Responses; Seeds; Sponsorships; Spouse abuse; Success; Working

Subjects: Agriculture.; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Berea (Ky.); Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lancaster (Ky.); Nonprofit organizations.; Older people; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Poverty.; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions.; Social work.; Travel.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers; Workshops

Partial Transcript: Was it mostly, um, home visits that you did with the elderly or taking them places or companionship type things?

Segment Synopsis: Corsale talks about what kind of work she did for the elderly program. She explains that it was a mixture of home visits, companionship, transportation, and providing accommodations for them. Most of the time, the volunteers tried not to do all the work for them but to point them in the direction of people that can help them with things such as transportation. They did some recreational things with them such as taking them shopping, having bingo events, and having pot luck dinners. Corsale also explains that from doing home visits they were able to figure out if they needed certain things done to their home such as new wallpaper, wheelchair ramps, or even having bathrooms put in. She explains that she had to be careful not to become too attached to these people because she wasn't going to be there forever.

Keywords: Attachment; Bathrooms; Bingo; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Delegate; Dependence; Difficult; Dinners; Disability accommodations; Doctors; Driving; Elderly people; Elderly program; Events; Grants; Home visits; Letters; Resources; Senior citizens; Services; Shopping; Wallpaper

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Health.; Home repair and improvement; Kentucky.; Medical care; Nonprofit organizations.; Older people; Older people.; Recreation.; Relationships.; Social work.; Transportation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteerism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What were some of the other, um, projects that you liked visiting?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Corsale talks about other Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) programs she enjoyed working with. She says she picked kids up and took them to and from summer camp, and that she also enjoyed the Christmas basket program, and The Attic thrift store. Corsale talks about the volunteer spirit at CAP and how it wouldn't be the same if volunteers were replaced by employees. She says that even though volunteering was very tiring and could cause burnout, she enjoyed it and remembered to take time for herself.

Keywords: Age; Benefits; Burnout factor; Camp AJ; Camp Andrew Jackson; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christmas baskets; Dedication; Difficulties; Draining; Employees; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Projects; Spirit; The Attic; Tolerance; Visiting

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Berea (Ky.); Children.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Kentucky.; Lancaster (Ky.); Nonprofit organization.; Nonprofit organizations.; Social work.; Summer camps; Transportation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteerism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Did you travel around much in Eastern Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: In this brief section, Corsale talks about whether she did much traveling away from Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) territory or if she traveled further into Eastern Kentucky. Corsale says she didn't do a lot of traveling unless she was going somewhere for CAP work. However, she says that if she was going to a meeting somewhere they would take backroads and stop and take pictures with another volunteer who was a photographer.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Eastern Kentucky; Martin (Ky.); Photography; Pictures; Rural; Unemployment; Volunteer centers

Subjects: Agriculture; Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Floyd County (Ky.); Kentucky.; Rural conditions.; Travel.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What about, um, state services for the elderly?

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Corsale talks about whether the elderly people she worked with through Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) benefitted from welfare programs provided by the state. She explains that most of them did, but CAP also provided some extra help with things they couldn't do themselves such as filling out food stamp applications and connecting them with resources they had no idea about. Corsale also talks about meeting Father Beiting and what her relationship with him was like. She says she took a lot of pictures for him and loved listening to him speak. Corsale thinks CAP will be able to continue on after Father Beiting leaves because CAP is very logical and intellectual and didn't have an overzealous missionary approach.

Keywords: Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Department of Human Resources; Elderly people; Home visits; Limitations; Photographs; Photography; Pictures; Purpose; Religious organizations; Retirement; Senior citizens

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Beiting, Ralph W.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Food stamps; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organization.; Nonprofit organizations.; Older people; Poverty.; Priests.; Public welfare; Social work.; Spirituality.; Transportation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Um, it was nice that you were able to use your photography skills.

Segment Synopsis: Corsale was grateful that she was able to use her photography skills while working with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She says this was because Father Beiting loved photography and she used it often for recruitment of volunteers. Corsale says one of her main problems during her time as a volunteer was she had so much to do and she wanted to work with a variety of different programs such as "The Mountain Spirit" magazine and working with the elderly.

Keywords: Art; Books; Brochures; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Deaf people; Deaf services; Elderly people; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Flyers; Jobs; Kentucky School for the Deaf; Photographers; Photography; Programs; Recruiting; Recruitment; Representation; Skills; Slide presentations; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine)

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communication.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Older people.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What brought you to decide to leave CAP or to, you know, return to the New York area?

Segment Synopsis: Corsale talks about leaving Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) after two years of volunteer work. She says she decided to come home because she felt like she fulfilled her purpose at CAP and she wanted to go back home to spend time with her family and relax. After going back home, she got a new job where she is able to use her photography skills. Corsale says she isn't opposed to going back to Eastern Kentucky one day and living there because she benefitted from her experiences at CAP.

Keywords: Apartments; Benefits; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Creative outlets; Darkrooms; Experience; Isolation; Pottery; Relocation; School loans; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine); Understanding; Volunteerism; Working

Subjects: Appalachia.; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Community; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Poverty.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers