Interview with Kenneth J. Stuber, July 22, 1992

Partial Transcript: This is Ken Stuber being interviewed by Zack Lewton on July 22, 1992 for the Christian Appalachian Project Oral History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Kenneth J. Stuber is introduced. He talks about his childhood in Louisville, Kentucky, his education at the University of Louisville, and his career at RCA before he quit his job to become a permanent volunteer at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) in 1990. He gives a brief overview of the various positions he has held at CAP since his arrival, including camp counselor, home repair, and outreach.

Keywords: Applications; Awareness; Camp counselors; Carpenters; Casey County (Ky.); Children; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Electronic engineering; Farms; Fathers; Home repair; Indianapolis (Ind.); Jackson County (Ky.); Jackson House; Martin (Ky.); Missionary work; Outreach; Permanent volunteers; RCA Corporation; Religious calling; University of Louisville

Subjects: Careers.; Childhood.; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Families.; Louisville (Ky.); Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Parents.; Professions.; Vocation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers; Work.

Partial Transcript: What year were you born?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about his siblings and discusses his family's level of religiosity during his childhood. He talks about how he became more religious after his mother's death, which deeply affected him.

Keywords: Bible; Brothers; Churches; Deaths; Depression; Family; Loss; Mothers; Prayers; Religious; Siblings; Sisters

Subjects: Catholics; Childhood.; Faith.; Families.; Parents.; Religion.; Spirituality.

Partial Transcript: How, how has your faith been--I don't know what the word is--active in, in your work in CAP?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about how his faith is intertwined with his service at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Communal living; Community living; Community service; Entwined; Helping; Living in community; Representatives

Subjects: Catholics; Community development.; Community involvement; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Faith.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Religion.; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Was it hard for you to, to adapt to living in community?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about how he adapted to living in community after living alone for several years. He talks about the differences between the various volunteer communities he has lived in at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Acculturation; Adaptation; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Co-educational; Communal living; Communication; Community living; Home repair; Living alone; Living conditions; Living in community; Martin (Ky.); Mixed genders; Stanford (Ky.); Summer camps

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

Partial Transcript: How do you feel you've changed as a person since you've been volunteering?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber how he has changed as a person since beginning his service at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Changes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Communication; Family; Home repair; Outward expression; Pace of life; Patience; Personal growth; Prayers; Reactions; Thoughts

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community life.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Religion.; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Is CAP what you thought it would be?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about his expectations of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) before arriving and how it has compared to what he has actually encountered. He talks about his impressions of Father Beiting.

Keywords: Awareness; Businesses; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christian atmosphere; Expectations; Father Beiting; Father Ralph W. Beiting; Misconceptions; Organization size; Personality; Preconceptions; Retreats; Staff

Subjects: Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Culture.; Faith.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Religion.; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me something--just, just sort of go through your average day, you know, during the week and just describe to me what you do from the time you get up to the time you go to bed.

Segment Synopsis: Stuber describes a typical day at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) from the time he wakes up until he goes to bed. He talks about his work with the house repair crew, his recreation, and prayer time. He discusses whether he has enough free time. He talks about how long he has committed to working for CAP.

Keywords: "Workaholic"; Breakfasts; Building; Burnout; Chores; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Construction; Cooking; Crews; Daily routines; Dinners; Fishing; Free time; Jackson County (Ky.); Jackson House; Jobs; Open-ended commitments; Playing banjo; Playing cards; Prayers; Recreation; Resources; Schedules; Teaching; Temporary volunteers; Tennis; Time commitments; Timelines; Training; Weekends; Work week

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

Partial Transcript: Was it hard for you to get used to telling people what to do or organizing a crew?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about his leadership role on the home repair crew and discusses his management style.

Keywords: Bosses; Building; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Construction; Crews; Jackson County (Ky.); Jackson House; Leadership roles; Management; Organization; Organizing; Personality; Problems; Teaching; Temporary volunteers; Training

Subjects: Careers.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers; Work.

Partial Transcript: What do you think you'll do when your commitment's up?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about his plans for the future after his current commitment with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) ends.

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Communal living; Community living; Home repair department; Jobs; Living in community; Louisville (Ky.); Salary

Subjects: Careers.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers; Work.

Partial Transcript: Have you ever tried to explain what you're doing to your friends?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about his friends' reactions to him quitting his job at RCA and joining Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Friends; Fulfillment; Jobs; Quitting; RCA Corporation; Reactions; Supportive

Subjects: Careers.; Communities.; Community; Community development.; Community involvement; Community life.; Community-based family services.; Community-based social services.; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Occupations.; Professions.; Vocation.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers; Work.

Partial Transcript: Had you had much experience with the mountains growing up in Louisville or any time before you came out here for CAP?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about his culture shock upon coming face-to-face with poverty in Appalachia. He talks about how he still does not fully understand the attitudes and living conditions of the local people.

Keywords: Acculturation; Adaptation; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Desensitized; Disrepair; Eastern Kentucky; Expectations; Finances; Home repair; Home visitation; Home visits; Hopelessness; Living conditions; Mountains; Outreach; Poor; Reality; Repulsed; Rural areas; Shocked; Smells; Understanding

Subjects: Appalachia.; 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 shock.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: How do you feel like you've been received by the people?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about how he has been treated by the local people he encounters through his service at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). He talks about the differences in attitudes depending on which program he is working with.

Keywords: "People person"; Attitudes; Business transactions; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Distrustful; Emergency assistance; Farming; Garden seed programs; Gardens; Knowledge; Local people; Openness; Outreach; Reception; Skills

Subjects: Appalachia.; 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.; Nonprofit organizations.; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, w-w-what advice or what--what--just what would you tell someone new that was thinking about volunteering for CAP?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about what advice he would give to someone considering becoming a volunteer at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Advice; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Expectations; Future volunteers; Religious calling; Visits

Subjects: Community development.; Community involvement; Kentucky.; Nonprofit organizations.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Um, i-i-if you would, I was just wondering if you could think of anything while you've been volunteering, just any--during the whole time, any stories or anything that really stands out in your mind...

Segment Synopsis: Stuber tells a story demonstrating his relationships with some of the temporary volunteers who came to Christian Appalachian Project's weeklong work fest. He talks about his relationships with CAP clients and some of the conversations they have had. He talks more about his culture shock upon coming face-to-face with poverty in Appalachia. He talks about the different attitudes in the various Kentucky counties CAP serves.

Keywords: Accents; Atmosphere; Attitudes; Canning; Casey County (Ky.); Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Clients; College students; Community spirit; Conversations; Counties; Dialects; Differences; Dogs; Elderly people; Friendships; Garden seed programs; Gardens; Helping one another; Lincoln County (Ky.); Living conditions; Locations; McCreary County (Ky.); Programs; Reactions; Relationships; Self-help; Smells; Temporary volunteers; Visiting; Visits; Walter Brooks; Work fest

Subjects: Appalachia.; 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 shock.; Culture.; Kentucky.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Poverty--Appalachian Region; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, I mean does it seem like people get along pretty well at all the different locations?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks more about the differences between the various volunteer communities he has lived in at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

Keywords: Berea (Ky.); Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Closeness; Co-educational; Comfortable; Communal living; Community living; Living in community; Martin (Ky.); Mixed genders; Mt. Vernon (Ky.); Personalities; Relationships; Separate; Stanford (Ky.); Volunteer communities

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

Partial Transcript: Well in some of the different prayer groups--you've been in several different prayer groups, too--is there ever any tension or anything?

Segment Synopsis: Stuber talks about the religious differences between some of the volunteers at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) and how some can be overcome but some cannot. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Attitudes; Christian Appalachian Project (CAP); Christianity; Conflicts; Denominations; Differences; Friendships; Issues; Jewish people; Leaders; Non-denominational; Prayer groups; Prayers; Problems; Protestants; Relationships; Tension

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Catholics; Communities.; Community; Community involvement; Community life.; Culture.; Faith.; Lifestyles.; Nonprofit organizations.; Religion.; Spirituality.; Voluntarism.; Volunteering; Volunteers