Perception

We recently passed the 50^th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson declaring his War on Poverty in Martin County, KY.  And surrounding this occasion, there has been a lot of media attention on Eastern KY, and if/ how it has changed in this 50 year period.  I have read many articles, the majority of which take the stance that although a lot has changed since that day, there is still a long way to go.  These articles point out how in these 50 years, the people of Appalachia no longer face issues like being without running water or electricity.  They also look at families still living below the poverty line- the unemployed coal miners, and the families living off of disability checks to name a few.  In the past few weeks, President Obama took a page out of President Johnson’s book, and chose to include Eastern Kentucky as one of his “Promise Zones.”  Obviously this area has fallen victim and suffered under an extractive industry for too long.  The entire country’s history would most likely be different if not for the coal mined from these very mountains.  So it does make me glad to see the country finally returning the favor, even in this small way.

However, this article was written as a reaction to the recent media attention:

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/18/263629452/in-appalachia-poverty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder

And I think it offers a very refreshing view of Appalachian poverty.  I do agree that for whatever reason, the nation sees Appalachia as one of the last groups that it is “politically correct” to make fun of.  Just a look some of the shows on television will make that clear.  Central Appalachia is just one of many poverty-stricken areas of the United States.  Yet for some reason, it is socially acceptable to target this poverty as a national “joke” when the same would never be done to, for example- the inner city of Detroit.

This is a difficult subject to write about, and not feel like I am repeating clichés or making broad generalizations.  But I am going to try.  I can compare the views on material possessions between here in Eastern KY and back home in suburban central North Carolina.  And I can honestly say that material things are not as important to people living here.  I would guess part of that comes from the much lower Area Median Income here.  But I would also like to think that there is a realization of how little having the newest car or the most expensive designer clothes or the biggest TV impacts how happy and content your life can be.  I feel like I can identify with this way of thinking.  Being in AmeriCorps means I receive a living stipend comparable to poverty level income.  I thought it would be a challenge living on these limited means while still paying rent, utilities, and various bills.  But in reality, after a year and a half living on this income, I have found it relatively easy to live within my means.  As long as I have a reliable car to get me around, a roof over my head, and a small amount of spending money, I really am pretty content.  I occasionally get frustrated that I can’t travel as much as I would like- things like hotels and flights are outside of my budget.  But I have made up for it by exploring the region close to my home.  There is so much natural beauty to see in just a 2 or 3 hour radius from Hazard, and I might as well spend my time here seeing as much of it as I can!  And I think my attitude is not all that different from other people living here in East Kentucky.  We live within our means, and we find ways to make it work.  Instead of dwelling on what we don’t have, we find joy in what we do.

Of all the people I have met that live here- doctors, lawyers, non-profit employees, and the low income population that I work with as my clients- none of them fit the “redneck” “hillbilly” stereotype.  When I do loan applications- one of the questions I have to ask is the highest level of education completed.  I hate asking this question.  I don’t want any of my clients to feel embarrassed or judged by their level of formal education.  I do have clients that didn’t go to school past the 8^th grade, but I also have clients in college.  Regardless of their education, none of my clients behave like the characters on “Honey Boo Boo” or “Buckwild.”  They are proud of what they do.  From working for minimum wage at a grocery store to working as a nurse’s aide to trying to raise not only your 3 children, but also the 3 of your brother’s that you recently adopted- people take pride in what they do.  And that is something to be admired.  The media portrays people from this region as uncultured and ignorant- but I have seen just the opposite.  I see talented musicians playing bluegrass music on a weekly basis.  I hear poetry at our local open mic nights every month.  And the local theater is rehearsing now to put on their yearly play. 

In conclusion, I want to challenge the stereotypes of the Appalachia people.  This group should not be any different than any other minority group when it comes to the nation’s stigmas and perceptions.  I am sick and tired of Eastern Kentucky being portrayed in the worst possible light.  The only positive stories I’ve seen in the media are about the people who try to “help” the people of Appalachia.  I’m ready for the uplifting stories I read in the local news and hear on the local radio, or even just positive stories of everyday life… for those stories about our local community to be the ones making it into the national media.  After 50 years, it’s about time!

Time to Change the Title Again

First it was one summer in Appalachia, then two, a third... and then I took the leap to move here (Eastern Kentucky) for a year.  And now, BIG SURPRISE I'm almost 2 months into my second year.  Everything about my work, or really I should say "service" is more or less the same.  I just renewed my agreement with AmeriCorps for another year.  And now is as good of a time as any to reflect.  On the year I spent here, the year to come, and what will come after my time as an AmeriCorps member comes to an end.

What I do at the Housing Development Alliance has been extremely rewarding, and I feel that I have continued to learn and grow.  Although I have at least some interaction with all of our clients that go through our homeownership program, I have yet to have a client that I had the initial contact with complete the process.  Many have started, and are now in one of the various stages.  Some of them are working on their credit to bring their scores up to the point where we consider them "eligible" and we think they will likely get approved for a mortgage loan from one of our lenders.  They are working diligently to get to that point, so they can start on the next step (where I also have many clients)- looking for land.  Clients may or may not like the land we have to offer as potential sites to build, and understandably, people can be picky about where they want to live for the next 30+ years.  Others (but not many) have cleared all of those hurdles and are in the construction stage!  A client that I helped start the process with is tentatively scheduled to close on her house sometime in late November or December.  That will be a very exciting milestone for me, and I glad that I stuck around long enough to see it!

Outside of what I do with the HDA, I have continued to get more involved in the community.  And I have met and be-friended so many of the lovely people in my corner of East Kentucky that it will be very difficult when the time comes to leave this place.  I've come to really love and appreciate small town life.

Well that's all for now, my current effort is to write shorter, more frequent posts.  So hopefully I'll be writing again very soon!

So What Do I Do?? (Outside of Work)

I am going to switch gears this post from my usual topics, which lately have been on the serious side to something more lighthearted!  Whenever I talk to my friends and family about living here in Eastern Kentucky, they always ask me what I do [in my free time].  The question makes sense; I don’t live in a big city or even a suburb with plenty of things to do all of the time.  It always stumps me too, because even though I feel like I am always busy, I usually have a hard time thinking of the concrete things I do to fill my time.

So this post is going to be an attempt to talk about what it is I do when I am not working.  One thing is that I do A LOT of hiking.  Unfortunately there are not many good hikes that are very close or convenient.  Most of the hikes I end up going on are an hour or more’s drive away from Hazard.  But once I get over the drive, the hikes are usually great.  Sometimes an adventure too, on ones that aren't as well marked or maintained.  Some hikes that I’ve done lately and really enjoyed are… Every hike I’ve done at the Red River Gorge.  Recently I hiked the Auxier Ridge Trail, with a spur to Double Arch, Gray’s Arch Trail, and Rock Bridge Trail.  I spent the weekend camping up there with some friends, and not only is there good hiking and beautiful scenery, but also some delicious places to eat.  Miguel’s Pizza and the Red River Rockhouse are both very tasty!  I started following the Rockhouse on Facebook, and sometimes when I see they pictures of food they post I am tempted to drive all the way up there just for a taste.

I have always loved food, but I think my obsession has grown since moving here.  Maybe it’s something to do with being deprived of restaurants or take out where I can get delicious food made for me.  Now, I just make it myself.  The majority of my roommates are vegetarian, so I’ve been mostly cooking meals without meat.  And since I have a garden, lately my cooking has included lots of fresh, homegrown veggies!  Which brings us to another thing I do with my time, gardening.  Watching and working with these plants since the beginning really has been an incredible experience.  And with the almost non-stop rain we’ve been getting lately, our garden has really exploded!

I also have a great network of young people here in Hazard.  There are 5 of us living in our house, divided up into 2 apartments.  And we are all AmeriCorps members, from elsewhere, but living in Hazard for a year or two for our terms of service.  Who knows, maybe some of us will wind up staying!  We try our best to network and befriend other young people in the area.  And even though I’ve only been here for a little over 10 months now, I’ve already seen young people come and go.  (Which leads to another tangent that I am going to get into another time- The STAY Project- Stay Together Appalachian Youth… google it!)  So we hold family dinners at our house about once a week where we take turns cooking and usually end up enjoying each other’s company as well as a few drinks.

And finally, what takes up another large portion of my time these days is Porch Sittin’.  The weather has been beautiful, and I like to take full advantage!  Maybe it’s a sign that I am becoming a true Appalachian.  One of the perks of living in Appalachia in the summer but not working for ASP is that I have my nights and weekends free to truly enjoy the mountains in the summer and do all of the things that I wanted to but didn’t have time for in my last 3 summers living here.

And apparently I wasn’t really done, but this is more of a side note anyways.  It has been different for me getting to see Appalachia in the other 3 seasons.  All of which are beautiful!  I have to confess that the summers still do hold a special place in my heart, and I might be dreading the time when the weather turns cold again.  What really amazed me though, was that as I was both watching everything turn green this spring and watching my calendar- things didn’t really and truly turn all the way green until about a week or two before ASP staff training started.  Every year when I would drive up to Jonesville and The Porch, I would just assume that it had been green forever; not even imagining what it was like when the kudzu was dead and the leaves had fallen off the trees.

Appalachian Studies

I spent last weekend at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference in Boone, NC.  Some of the sessions were more relevant than others, but overall I learned some new things about the region where I live.  The very first session I went to stuck with me the most- it was called Working in the Coalfields: Challenges and Rewards of Advocacy in the Face of the "War on Coal."  It also related to the book I've been reading- "Lost Mountain" by Erik Reece.  The book is based in Perry County (where I live) and centers around a mountain, actually named Lost Mountain, that was subject to the mountaintop removal style of coal mining.

Both the book and the session at the conference talked about the questions "Whose side are you on?"  This is in relation to the perceived "War On Coal."  There is a pro-Coal attitude that exists throughout Central Appalachia.  And the advertising (promoted by the coal companies) is everywhere.  Just down the road from my house is an office of Coal Mining Our Future.  And bumper stickers and signs in shop windows advertise the sentiment as well: Friends of Coal, If you don't like coal then don't use electricity, and more proclaim the opinions of the residents of Eastern Kentucky.  And driving through Virginia before the election last fall, the political billboards were out of control.  I think the ones I saw the most simply said YES COAL, NO OBAMA.  The issue of coal has become a very polarized issue- if you aren't FOR coal, then obviously you are AGAINST it.  They mentioned in the session how the term "tree-hugger" is one of the most offensive labels you can put on someone.

One of the points they made in the session was how in order to be a successful organization here in the Coalfields of Eastern Kentucky, you have to try to maintain a position of neutrality on the issue of coal. They talked about their respective organizations- all of which are located in Whitesburg, the next town East of Hazard on Hwy 15.

( And this is where I left off... over 2 months ago. *sorry* Now I will attempt to resume that train of thought )

As a semi-conclusion to above I have decided to adopt the philosophy I saw somewhere- maybe on a bumper sticker or T-shirt? Who knows.  But it said something like I (heart) Miners and Mountains.

Since I wrote the first half of this post, I have gained even more perspective on life in the coalfields.  Part of this came from 2 days that I spent on mountain top removal sites planting trees.  The way that mountain tops are "reclaimed" after they have been strip mined leaves the soil extremely compacted.  And the seed mixture that they spread, once it starts to grow, ends up looking like a meadow or a savannah.  Nothing like the rich diverse mountain ecology that existed previously.  So the group that organizes the plantings has a dozer come in and dig up the soil prior to the planting.  Then volunteers plant hundreds of sapling hardwoods, and hope that most of them grow!  One of the places that the HDA builds houses is a old MTR (mountain top removal) site that was reclaimed for the purpose of affordable housing.  So we have been able to build about 20-25 homes so far on that flat stretch of land.  Unfortunately, the wind can get very strong up there since there aren't any trees to slow it down.

Also, I finished reading Lost Mountain (by, Erik Reece).  This, by the way, is a book I would highly recommend!  Coincidentally, just as I finished reading in the book about Elaine Chao, former Secretary of Labor under President Bush and wife of our Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, she came to be the keynote speaker at our local Civic Night in Hazard!  Both Mitch and Elaine are very pro-coal, and the book sheds some interesting light on some of their political happenings... but I won't spoil the surprise.  And Civic Night turned interesting when the five AmeriCorps in Hazard (or AmeriFive, if you will) were all given awards for their "Caring Spirit and Outstanding Service" to Hazard and Perry County.  It was a great honor and very accepting and gracious of our local community to acknowledge us in that way.  So if any of you are reading this- Thank You!

Catching Up, A Few Words on a Few Things

I had a list going of things I wanted to post about...

The Kentucky Point In Time Count, where all over Kentucky the homeless and precariously housed population was counted.  The day is carefully chosen by the state government to fall in January, a time in the dead of winter when the friends and family of the homeless population would have pity and take them under their roof for a while.  That way there will conveniently be a small number of people counted as homeless, and the statistics would reflect better on the state.  The "precariously housed" component was added to help rectify that- the term includes people who are on the verge of homelessness.  This includes families that are doubled or tripled up in a home as well as families who live in truly substandard housing- without running water, electricity, etc.  As a member of Build Corps, I participated in the Perry County PIT Count.
For more information: http://www.usich.gov/member_agency/department_of_housing_and_urban_development/point_in_time_count/

The other was the FAHE Caucus I attended in February.  FAHE stands for the Federation for Appalachian Housing Enterprises.  The Kentucky faction consists of different affordable housing organizations.  The Caucus was a meeting of the Kentucky members, so that they could share information and work together on influencing issues and policies.  It's always refreshing to learn that there are other organizations working towards the same goal- safe, affordable, and decent housing for all (or at least more).  There was a time when everyone got to voice the biggest challenges for their organization at this time- and many people voiced concerns over the dwindling federal funds for rural housing.

The final item on my list is Hot Topic Cold Dish.  This is a monthly event held at the First Presbyterian Church, just a short walk away from our house.  There is usually a speaker, an expert on an interesting or controversial topic, and people are supposed to bring brown bag lunches.  The February topic was prisons in Central Appalachia.  The gist of the discussion was that here, prisons are seen as an opportunity for job creation and economic growth.  But often times, they don't meet those expectations.
This article provides a good summary:
http://www.dailyyonder.com/speak-your-piece-prison-progress/2013/02/12/5651

... But this all leads up to that I actually had something different I wanted to post about this time!  But I'm breaking it up into two posts.  And the second, I hope, will follow promptly

I hope you all are getting used to the liks in the blog, I've been doing a lot of reading lately, so somethimes it's easier to refer to something already written rather that re-write the same things in my own words.  But the next entry will be link free!

Perry County in the News, continued...

In the last post I had shared a New York Times opinion article about the perceived lengths a family will go to to make sure their child continues to receive Supplemental Security Income.  Today, I am posting a response to that article that I found interesting:

http://www.dailyyonder.com/speak-your-piece-why-regions-fail/2013/01/08/5574

(I know the article gets a little long, so even if you don't feel like reading it I would highly recommend scrolling through just for the pictures)

The Daily Yonder is an online publication that I try and keep up with, now that I live in a rural area.  The articles are usually interesting and relevant to the politics and culture of Appalachia.  What I find especially interesting is the main question of the article- Why do regions fail?  I've been thinking a lot lately about the cycle of poverty and if there really is a solution.  I would like to think that providing safe and decent housing is one solution.  It is something I obviously feel passionately about, that's what I'm doing with my life at the moment. I have a list going of books I've been meaning to read on the subject, especially in Appalachia, so I'm sure I'll write another post or two about that eventually.  Here is an excerpt from The Daily Yonder's article:

"They characterize nations’ economic and political institutions as either inclusive or extractive. Inclusive institutions create a fair environment for competition, provide education and encourage innovation, distribute political power widely and encourage public participation, and have an accountable and responsive government. Extractive institutions are designed to benefit the few at the expense of the many. They discourage democratic participation, fail to enforce the rule of law or promote new economic activity, and are characterized by corruption and cronyism."

...

"Although Breathitt County is not now one of the region’s major coal producers, it has been part of eastern Kentucky’s coalfields throughout its history. Coal exemplifies the kinds of challenges Acemoglu and Robinson identify. Its dominance in the region politically, economically and physically has limited economic diversification. The rule of law and protection of private property, two attributes of inclusive institutions according to Why Nations Fail, often haven’t applied to coal. Laws to address the impacts of coal on land, water and worker safety have often been missing or simply unenforced. Just one example: In 2009 flooding along Quicksand and Cane Creeks, exacerbated by poor reclamation of surface mines in the area, destroyed hundreds of homes – in Breathitt County."

And again, somehow I have circled back to the issue of coal.  And it really is a many-sided issue.  But I can vouch for the impact of the flood in Breathitt County- the HDA was involved in the Long Term Disaster Recovery from that flood and I've driven through that area.


The other article I was going to talk about is about a little town in Perry County and it's mayor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/us/vicco-kentucky-passes-ban-on-gay-bias.html?pagewanted=all

This article made national news, and I am happy to say that I have been to Vicco, and drive by it often whenever I leave Perry County headed South.  Now that Vicco is famous, my newest claim to fame is that I've had my hair done by THE Johnny Cummings.  And I will say that he did an excellent job.  It is a great thing that Vicco passed a ban on gay bias.  But I also think it's interesting how sensationalized the New York Times makes the whole thing seem.  Apparently Vicco passing this legislation means more than if it was some other, more "normal" place like Apex or Cary.  The article makes it seem like America is surprised that a small town in Appalachia could make such a progressive move.  And lastly, I would like to note that there were other articles written by more local newspapers, all much less dramatic.

The New York Times Loves Eastern Kentucky

So this blog post may be a little bit of a cop out, because I'm really just going to talk about articles written by other people.  But maybe one of these days I'll fulfill my aspirations of writing more regularly.

The first article I want to point out is this opinion article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/opinion/sunday/kristof-profiting-from-a-childs-illiteracy.html?pagewanted=all

The county he talks about is Breathitt County, which borders me (here in Perry County) to the North.  And, Breathitt Co. is one of the 4 counties we work in at the HDA.  As I have talked with clients over the course of my (almost) 5 months here, many of them draw benefits.  Most of the elderly population draws Social Security, some adults draw disability and some families receive their children's supplemental security income.  For some of these families, government benefits are their only source of income.  However, with the economy and job market here, we sometimes joke at the office that our clients receiving benefits have the most stable form of income.   The lingo surrounding benefits I've learning since being here is also interesting.  At the beginning of 2013, most people on benefits got what's called a "cost of living increase."  People getting $698 a month started receiving $710 instead.  But instead of calling it a cost of living increase, here it's called "getting a raise."

I've seen benefits frequently discussed on social media, and people seem to feel very strongly about them one way or another.  This blog post is not me taking a stand or anything like that.  In fact, I'm still figuring out how I feel about the issue.  I'm just writing about what I've observed.  But I can say that I wish people would think a little bit about the people they judge from afar before voicing their opinions on social media.

This article from The Daily Yonder offers a contradicting view to the NYT's one:
... actually I can't find that article at the moment.  But this is one of the responses written:

http://www.dailyyonder.com/weekend-roundup-kristof-complaints/2013/01/27/5609

This post is TO BE CONTINUED.  With the other article from The Daily Yonder

AND (a teaser...)

And on a totally different note, a town in Perry County was recently made famous by being the smallest town in Kentucky... and maybe even the USA to pass a Fairness Ordinance.  This means they are banning discrimination against anyone based on sexual orientation or gender identity... (to be continued)