Amanda Gadd was given a rousing standing ovation after sharing her story at CAP Day of Prayer. Amanda’s powerful story about overcoming difficult odds brought many to tears.
AMANDA GADD: A TRANSFORMED LIFE I have often said – give me a soap box and I will sing the praises of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), so here I am. I am from Mt. Vernon in Rockcastle County. I am the mother of three wonderful children and recently became a grandmother. My oldest son Jeremy is 28 and retired from the United States Marine Corps. He is married and lives in Kentucky. He is the father of my 2-year-old grandson. My daughter Sarah is 26 and also married. She lives in Tennessee, and is a self-employed business woman. My youngest son James Allen is a growing 8-year-old, who is full of life.
years. But I got my start many years ago in 1993, when my son Jeremy was enrolled in CAP’s Child Development Center (CDC). Parents served as volunteers to help around the center with cleaning, supervising children in the classroom and on the bus. I helped with whatever needed to be done. During this same time, my daughter Sarah was enrolled in the Infant/Toddler Program. The teacher came to our house for one hour a week to interact with Sarah and prepare her for preschool. When she became old enough, she also attended the CDC. During these years of preschool, I attended parenting classes and job readiness training – any activity or program I felt would help me better myself.
ing skills to Judy Bruner. I watched her for hours at a time interact with my son, who was very emotional and very needy. He would cry and have tantrums when I left him at school. I remember she would get on her knees, down to his level, to console him. She would talk calmly to him, reassure him that everything was okay. I wanted to be like her – loving, patient, and kind. I wanted to have that kind of influence over his negative behavior. I knew and felt she cared and loved him, just as I did. I trusted her with my babies fully. Judy Bruner was the first CAP relationship that I formed in what I call my “CAP Family.”
I have been a CAP volunteer and participant for 25 years and counting. I currently do my volunteer work at I was a young mother who did not I do not have a formal family supCAP’s food pantry and thrift store have a role model for how to parent port system, such as parents or siband have been there for the past five my children. I owe my early parent- lings. For most of my teen years and SPRING / SUMMER 2018 | christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive
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