Well, as promised, I wanted to write a follow-up (finally!) about the 20/20 special on the "Children of the Mountains." However, since this is my blog, I wanted to share more of my impressions and experiences. These may not be the same as a native Kentuckian or even another volunteer from another part of the country. That being said, I thought that overall the piece on Appalachian life accurately portrayed many of the everyday battles for those in poverty in this part of the country. I hope you were able to see how the cycle of poverty is just that....a cycle. It affects so many different aspects of living and is very hard to break. As my fellow volunteers and I talked about what we had viewed, we kept coming up with solutions, but there was always a "but" at the end of them. I hope that those of you who are familiar with poverty in a more urban setting were able to identify with how similar it is in Appalachia and yet how many people throughout the country are not aware of the depth of the problem in this area. And for bringing awareness to this problem and those working to fight it, I am grateful to ABC for putting together this piece. According to the Lexington Herald, this segment produced the largest audience since 2004. Here are a few things we, as volunteers, picked up on:
1. Mountain Dew--this was by far my favorite part of the show, because it was something we'd all noticed but failed to realize was a prevalent problem...and it's so true! People here drink so much Mountain Dew (as noted in the show, it has more caffeine and sugar than other sodas). And it's really bad for you. Enough said.
2. Large houses/mansions beside trailers/shacks. Also an accurate portrayal and perhaps one thing that makes this area different from other areas with poverty. The "rich" live right next to the poor. Often, they go to school and church together. And they probably get along. They may even help each other out. And maybe some cross the invisible boundary separating them. Hopefully, a child from poverty is able to escape the cycle. Hopefully.
3. The unique culture of Appalachia....hopefully, you recognized the beauty, pride, and values that are so pervasive to its people. I wished they had shown more of this....how religion, land, family, and natural resources are such an important part of everyday life here. I love how there are tiny little churches everywhere from denominations I have never heard of and how they worship and pray charismatically. I love their resourcefulness. I love that everyone knows everyone and how many of them are related...somehow. I love the hills, cliffs, rocks, narrow roads, winding creeks, blue skies, flowers....and the list could go on and on. I love how they can put trailers anywhere....even though I can't imagine how they got that trailer up that mountain or down in the holler, and I certainly don't know how I'll get out! I love their bluegrass. I love that every member of the family will live together in a 2-room trailer and make it work.

The 20/20 piece got some criticism, mostly from people native to Appalachia, that they picked out stereotypes and just reinforced them. They did. And I understand why they're upset. Wouldn't you be if someone picked out the problems in your hometown and put them on national television? But also understand that these pictures are accurate to many of the problems in Appalachia...including rampant drug use and addiction, poor dental care and other health problems, vast poverty, low education attainment, and the inability to break these cycles. But hopefully, people (like you) look past these negative images and seek to understand the rare beauty of Kentucky and Appalachia, and to help change those negative images to good.

In closing, ABC placed CAP at the top of their donor list. Donations have flooded in for the children featured in this piece. I am so proud to be a part of an organization that is seeking to give children, families, and elderly like those in this piece a "hand up" as they seek to succeed in the face of poverty. I hope that, if nothing else, awareness was brought to the poverty of the area and that people will look past the negative stereotypes to the faces of the people and their land and culture. And that we will all seek to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."-Matthew 25:40, CEV