"Do you have a cigarette that I can borrow," 11 year-old boy asked

Sunday, February 29, 2004 I drove a 78 year-old widow (husband died in his 60's with lung cancer from his long time smoking addiction), over 110 miles east of Lexington, Kentucky into the Appalachian Mountains to visit her dying sister-in-law.

While in the living room of this super nice Owsley County, Kentucky family, that lived in the mouth of a holler, we heard someone knocking on the backdoor of this house. The 18 year-old son went and answered the backdoor knock, then he came back and sort of softy told his dad it was the 11 year-old neighbor boy wanting to borrow a cigarette. This 18 year-old that answered the door told me that this neighbor-boy and his little brother both smoke.

I truly love Appalachian "mountain people" Kentucky people and would compassionately to go door to door seeking pledges for "I Will Never Use Tobacco." I think that in home setting the commitment might be more meaningful than in a public setting. I think the adults in Eastern Kentucky would be very supportive of this mission. So many youth groups have visited this Appalachian depressed area over the years to, but not with an anti-tobacco outreach. Please share this need with your church or faith-based, corporation, civic group, and college school of public health.

The mission of Kentucky Appalachian Ministry defined below:
From: http://www.ccinky.net/minkyapp.html

Kentucky Appalachian Ministry began in January 1986 as the successor ministry to the Hazel Green Academy, a denominational high school in Eastern Kentucky that closed August 1983 after 103 years of service.

To continue the mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to the people of Kentucky Appalachia through its 49 Eastern Kentucky congregations. This ministry is directed toward meeting social, economic, educational, and spiritual needs.
To develop specific ways the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) can join with other denominations in regional ecumenical ministry.
To discover ways to relate to the special social and economic needs of Kentucky Appalachian people as they work together in their own congregations and community-based organizations.
To serve the wider Church by sharing distinctive gifts and experiences from the people and congregations of Kentucky Appalachia.

KAM works with 49 congregations and 6,948 participating members in parts of District 6, the Cane Ridge District (8), and District 9; and all of the Hazel Green District (10) and Boone’s Trace District (11) of the Christian Church In Kentucky.