Interview with Mary Leavell, March 7, 1991

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Mary Leavell of the Christian Appalachian Project done as part of the CAP Oral History Project done under the University of Kentucky Oral History Program.

Segment Synopsis: Mary Leavell is introduced. She talks about her family's history in Garrard County, Kentucky. She talks about her two children, Tammy and Cedric and their careers.

Keywords: Cedric Leavell; Children; Employment; Family history; Fathers; Jeanette Lewis; Jobs; Mothers; Ohio; R.T. Leavell; Tammy Leavell; Unmarried

Subjects: Careers.; Childhood.; Families.; Garrard County (Ky.); Genealogy; Occupations.; Parents.; Professions.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Uh, let's switch on to, uh, CAP part.

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about when she first heard of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She talks about a friend telling her about an open position at CAP and her decision to apply.

Keywords: Awareness; Chandra Perkins; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Connections; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Friends; Jobs; Lancaster Elementary School; Teachers' aides; The Attic

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: So in August '71, where did you go to apply for a job with them?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about her application for a position at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She gives a brief overview of her career prior to working at CAP. She talks about taking a test during her application at CAP.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Factories; Hired; Hiring; Job applications; John Hollway; John Wertzler; License plate factories; Mail departments; Manual labor; Night shifts; Offices; Teachers' aides; Tests; Yellow House

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so where was that set up? Where was that mail room set up?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell describes the structure of the Christian Appalachian Project mail department when she arrived in 1971. She talks about how Chandra Perkins was the unofficial supervisor for the department and they also worked with CAP's bookkeepers June Lynn and Dorothy Blankenship. She talks about the lack of training she received when she arrived. She talks about the number of employees in the department and describes an average day of sorting mail and donations. She talks briefly about how the department has changed over time.

Keywords: Average day; Backlogs; Bookkeepers; Bookkeeping; Chandra Perkins; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Computers; Donations; Dorothy Blankenship; Down time; Duties; Employees; Fundraising; Guidance; High schoolers; Hiring; Information; Jobs; June Lynn; Leadership; Learning; Letters; Mail departments; Minimum wage; Money; Opening mail; Overtime; Quitting; Record-keeping; Records; Replacements; Responsibilities; Roles; Salary; Seniority; Staff; Summers; Supervision; Supervisors; Support; Training; Volunteers; Wages; Working conditions; Yellow House

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: When you opened--were opening the mail, did you find you liked that or were you getting bored with that, or?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about why she was chosen to be promoted to supervisor of the mail department after Chandra Perkins and others left. She talks about the difficulties she encountered in being a supervisor.

Keywords: Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Differences; Difficult; Enjoyment; John Hollway; Leaving; Mail departments; Promotions; Quitting; Raises; Relationships; Salary; Supervision; Supervisors; Training; Uncomfortable; Wages

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: The, uh--then you referred to the move.

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about how she heard rumors about Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) moving their main offices from the Yellow House to their current location. She talks about not being involved in that decision nor the design of the building they would be working in. She talks about the leadership of Mike McLaughlin and Father Beiting.

Keywords: Awareness; Buildings; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Construction; Contact; Decisions; Dorothy Blankenship; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Founders; June Lynn; Leadership; Mail departments; Michael McLaughlin; Mike McLaughlin; Moving; Rumors; Working conditions; Yellow House

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Now once you got here was it more like just the same you were doing over there or--

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about some of the changes that occurred, specifically in the mail department, after the move to CAP's current location. She talks about her new supervisor, Bill Begley, and his management style. She says the operations at the new office were more organized and more efficient. She talks about hiring new employees, new technology, the pace of their work, and turnover rates of their employees.

Keywords: Bill Begley; Buildings; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Donations; Efficiency; Employees; Facilities; Fundraising; Goals; Growth; Hiring; Machines; Mail departments; Moving; Organized; Overtime; Pace; Staff; Summers; Supervision; Supervisors; Support; Technology; Turnover rates

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Now, you said Bill Begley is your supervisor.

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about some of the problems she encountered as supervisor of the mail department. She talks about her lack of training to be a supervisor. She talks about worries over paychecks not clearing due to budget issues. She talks about whether theft of donations by employees was ever an issue.

Keywords: Bank balances; Bill Begley; Bookkeeping; Budgets; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Donations; Duties; Employees; Fired; Firing; Fundraising; Hiring; Issues; Jokes; Mail departments; Management; Money; Paychecks; Payroll; Problems; Punishments; Responsibilities; Staff; Stealing; Supervision; Supervisors; Theft; Training

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: You said girls, has it always been girls?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about how most of the staff of the mail department are women. She talks about how their hiring practices have changed since the personnel department was established.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Demographics; Employees; Friends; Hiring; Job applications; Job interviews; Mail departments; Men; Personnel departments; Referrals; Staff; Women; Yellow House

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: You mentioned that back in the Yellow House's--the days you got the, the word that maybe to, to cash the check right away.

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks more about worries over paychecks not clearing due to budget issues and how that changed after CAP's move. She talks more about how the operations at the new office were more organized and more efficient. She talks about the records they keep in regard to donations and donor letters. She talks about her new supervisor, Mr. Hamm. She talks about the production goals for the department.

Keywords: Bank balances; Budgets; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Clerks; Decisions; Donations; Efficiency; Employees; Expectations; Fundraising; Goals; Jack Hamm; Mail; Mail departments; Money; Moving; Opening mail; Organized; Paychecks; Payroll; Production; Record-keeping; Reports; Staff; Tracking; Wages; Yellow House

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Now Mr. Ham, when he come in to be your supervisor, how'd that all--

Segment Synopsis: Leavell compares her current supervisor Mr. Hamm to her previous supervisor Bill Begley.

Keywords: Bill Begley; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Direct mail campaigns; Jack Hamm; Mail departments; Management styles; Seminars; Supervision; Supervisors; Training

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: What about, uh, your exposure to other parts of CAP and seeing people in CAP?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell discusses a break-in that occurred when the mailing department was still located at the Yellow House.

Keywords: Awareness; Break-ins; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Exposure; Issues; Mail departments; Problems; Restricted areas; Stealing; Thefts; Yellow House

Subjects: Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Nonprofit organizations.

Partial Transcript: You talked a little bit about, uh, the work, uh, there. It seems to be monotonous.

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about how the workers deal with the monotony of working in the mail department by talking to one another and sharing the contents of interesting letters they come across.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christmas wreaths; Coworkers; Donations; Donors; Employees; Entertainment; Fundraising; Information; Letters; Mail departments; Monotonous; Monotony; Relationships; Sharing; Staff; Talking; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine)

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: We talked about there's no production incentives.

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about her ideas for improving the working conditions in the mail department.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Computers; Data entry; Efficiency; Improvements; Mail departments; Production incentives; Technology; Updates; Working conditions

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Well, talking about--little bit about--you know, talking about CAP and such, they all would know who Mike McLaughlin is?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks more about the leadership of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). She talks about future plans for her own career. She talks about how she was impacted by changes in CAP's management structure.

Keywords: Awareness; Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Contact; Departments; Donors; Effects; Employees; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Fundraising; Future; Mail departments; Mail room; Management; Michael McLaughlin; Mike McLaughlin; Opening letters; Pace; Roles; Staff; The Mountain Spirit (Magazine); Visits

Subjects: Careers.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.

Partial Transcript: I, I think I missed something in the beginning. Grandchildren?

Segment Synopsis: Leavell talks about her granddaughter. She talks about her children, Tammy and Cedric, and their involvement in Christian Appalachian Project programs. She talks about the relationship between CAP and St. Williams Catholic Church. She talks about the reputation of CAP as "the Catholic place" or "the Catholic people." She talks about explaining her career to her friends. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Attitudes; Awareness; Cedric Leavell; Changes; Children; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Friends; Grandchildren; Granddaughters; Inter-connected; Labels; Mail departments; Relationships; Reputations; Separation; Sierra Leavell; Social groups; St. Williams; St. Williams Catholic Church; Summer camps; Sunshine Center; Tammy Leavell; Teenagers; The Bishops; Yellow House

Subjects: Careers.; Childhood.; Community development.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Families.; Financials; Fund raising.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Personnel management.; Professions.; Vocation.; Women--Employment.; Work.