Henry Brady graduated in May with a natural resources degree. He left almost immediately to work with Christian Appalachian Project in Kentucky. Henry, or "Hank" as he’s known to the folks in Kentucky, is from Germantown. He first visited CAP as part of a Newman Spring Break trip.  CAP was founded by Father Ralph Beiding in 1957. Volunteers, ranging in age from post-college to senior citizens, work in 12 counties in Eastern Kentucky offering housing, adult education, elderly, child and family development, and disability services.

What has your experience entailed?
My experience with CAP has been very exciting. Having volunteers from all over the country gives a great opportunity to interact and to grow together in faith. During the week, we take turns preparing dinner and leading devotion. On weekends, we’ll engage in a variety of activities from hiking and camping, or just lay back and watch a movie.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work in two different programs with CAP. During the summer, I worked as a counselor and lifeguard at a summer camp. The camp was held for eight weeks with an average of 80 kids a week. The age range of the children was 8 through 17. As a counselor, we would be up at the crack of dawn and hit the bed as late as mid-night. Throughout the day, kids would participate in a variety of activities ranging from swimming, hiking, sports, and a skit night. At the end of the week, we would have an award ceremony for the kids by giving each kid an award.

I’m currently working in the housing program. For this program, crews work on home repairs or, in some cases, construction of a new house. My crew recently finished construction of a new house. During the construction of the house, we would spend time talking to the homeowners and getting to know about their life. The homeowners would assist our crews with small projects.

You also spent some time doing hurricane recovery work.  What did you do and what were your impressions of what you saw and experienced?
Following Hurricane Katrina, I spent many weeks in Mississippi assisting in the relief work. CAP was stationed at a church in Ocean Spring, Miss., just outside of Biloxi. The church served as a warehouse, distribution center, and outreach center. The main program I served in was in home clean up. Many of the houses that we worked on had their entire first floors flooded up to the ceiling. As a result of the water being in the house, our crews would remove everything in the affected areas of the house. This included pulling out drywall, pulling up carpet, removing appliances, and removing windows. After the house had been cleaned out, only the basic foundation remained. The house would then be sprayed with chemicals to prevent mold buildup.

Having the opportunity to work in the relief effort was an experience like no other. I was on the first crew that CAP sent down to Mississippi, not long after Katrina hit. It is nearly impossibly to describe the destruction. It was like a bomb had exploded. To see it in a picture or on television gives people only a small fraction of the experience. To drive down a street with mounds of debris along either side and only a concrete foundation for evidence of a house or to see enormous trees uprooted and branches lined with garbage and clothing is beyond description. Emotions varied greatly among the people I encountered. For some people, there was anger for not receiving help. For other people, there was a sadness due to the loss of a loved one or property. The biggest emotion that was seen was love. It was unbelievable to see how much people reached out to one another following the devastation. While working in the distribution line, people would refuse to take anything extra in case someone else needed it more. While working in a house, people would always lend a helping hand. The biggest showing of love was the thank you’s that we would receive from people for coming to help. Although the hurricane destroyed many houses and property, it built up the community to help out each other and rebuild.

Why would you encourage students to consider this kind of experience after graduation.
If a person would ever consider taking a year of their life and dedicate it to volunteering with a program like CAP, the year after graduation is the perfect time. Down the road, many commitments in life, such as family or a full-time job, can make it hard to volunteer for a year. Volunteering for a year or any length of time after graduation can be a great way to recover from a busy college life and to enjoy life before entering into the busy job world. In some volunteer programs, such as CAP, college loan payments can be delayed. I was very thankful and blessed that I had the opportunity to get a college degree. By volunteering for a year, I hoped to give something to others and to serve God.