Documentary Blog #27 – Good-bye Booneville, Hello Orlando

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Seth

Well, it’s time to say good-bye to my friends in Booneville, KY. I had a great time getting to know some wonderful people and had some experiences I will never forget. More importantly, I was able to capture some incredible footage and interviews for the documentary. I was somewhat reluctant to come to Booneville initially but my fears quickly dissipated when Kaleb and I started to immerse ourselves into this culture. I am really going to miss the people here but have vowed to return within the year for the documentary premiere or just to help deliver meals. The only thing that will be different from this trip is I am bringing my wife with me. She has heard all of the stories about this place and wants to experience for herself and she will make the trip with me whenever I return.

In the center of town is the Owsley County Court House. I can tell you stories about what goes on around this building that will have your mouth agape (a-gape and not a-ga-pay).

I did fail to mention that Kaleb and I had ZERO internet connectivity and extremely limited cell phone reception while in the area. When we returned to our house/hotel and walked into the front door we would immediately lose reception of any kind. We had to stand on the front porch most of the time to talk with our significant others. Most nights were rainy, windy and cold so it didn’t make it any easier trying to talk with someone on the phone. One night we got locked inside the house/hotel when the handle on the door was stuck and the door wouldn’t open. Neither Kaleb or I couldn’t get cell service to call Linda and have her come and save us. We couldn’t escape through the back door because it was completely boarded up. We were trapped. Finally I put my phone as close to my bedroom window as I could and was able to get ONE bar. I used that good fortune to call Linda and have her come and free us from our time in purgatory. Kaleb and I have several little stories and experiences like this one that will gladly share over drinks with any of you reading this some day. As we drove away from Booneville I was somewhat sad in knowing that a part of me will always be in this city and these people but I have to move on because I have four interesting, personable and caring women waiting for me in Orlando at Seniors First.

This is one of the last pictures I made before leaving Booneville. Here Kaleb is posing on the highway and some random guy rides by on a four-wheeler... SCORE!

While working in Booneville I used my phone to check my email whenever I had a signal. During that time I was alerted that I was given permission to film the Ms. Florida Senior America pageant while in Orlando and can use it in my documentary. Not only does Seniors First kick some serious ass they also we helpful in lining up this opportunity to share a story with American most people don’t get the chance to see. So now it’s off to Orlando!

Miss Senior Florida 2010. If you think she's HOT it's because she is! We can only hope to look at good and be that nimble when we're seniors.

By the way, I finally got 3G service on my iPhone about an hour after leaving Booneville. Praise Tom Cruise!

Documentary Blog #26 – Senior Center and The Hollan Family

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Seth

It’s been almost a week since we’ve arrived in Booneville, Ky and considering it’s such a small town we have started to become locals. People are no longer curious about us and just accept that we are running around all over town shooting video and taking pictures. We have spent time gathering B-Roll and interviews and people getting food. All in all, it’s been an incredible experience and I don’t regret choosing to come here and meet with these amazing people; but we’re not done yet. We were scheduled to make our way to the Senior Citizen Center to share a meal with a lot of seniors in the area who use this center for camaraderie, socialization and lunch. We had stopped in early in the week to meet with the seniors here but they told us we needed to come back at the end of the week because they were serving a special meal and all the seniors in the area would be in attendance so we obliged them and agreed to come back at the end of the week. The senior center is a great community center and while we were filming they were in the process of constructing a new gathering area so all the seniors were in a smaller area of the center. Even though it was a smaller space it was still full of great, jovial seniors who, like the rest of the people I have met, were just as friendly and welcoming as most everyone I had met in Booneville.

Owsley County Senior Center where great people get together everyday for food, fun and socialization.

One couple in particular, Henrietta and Clyde, was so much fun to be around and just had me laughing. Clyde is 86 and Henrietta is 81. We first met Henrietta on Saturday night when we went to Dooley’s Diner to listen to Bluegrass music and go Clogging with the townsfolk. Yes, I just used the word townsfolk. And, we met Clyde at the “Table of Truth and Knowledge” earlier in the week at Dooley’s Diner. I hope I am as active, sharp and spunky at 81 as Henrietta is; she’s someone I really enjoyed getting to know and talking with whenever I saw her. She is, as I have heard people say before, a “firecracker.” I hope I get back to Booneville soon enough just to spend time with her and Clyde.

Some seniors enjoying lunch and Easter flowers at the Owsley County Senior Center.

We spent time with the seniors while they had lunch and they were gracious enough to allow Kaleb and me join them for a great meal. Prior to the meal they wanted me to call Bingo so I, once again, obliged them and called several Bingo games (which has become a recurring theme whenever I would travel to a senior center) and I had more fun than I expected I would calling Bingo. I attribute that to the company of people more than the act of calling Bingo. The people made it so much more enjoyable for me and truly enjoyed making them laugh and, at time, entertaining them.

Henrietta. She looks great for 81 and the smile you see here is how I will always remember her.

I was feeling very benevolent that day. I don’t know what it was or why but the people of Booneville had affected me in a way that I had never experienced. So, I wanted to do something nice for some of the people we had met. Whether is was buying lunch, dinner or dessert I wanted to spend my own money and give back to the people who have given Kaleb and me so much. One family in particular, the Hollan family, really resonated with me. I don’t know if it was my first meeting with Stormy who is originally from San Diego but now lives with her husband Simon Hollan in Booneville (Simon is originally from Booneville and they moved back to help take care of the family), or the first time I met the matriarch of the family Nannie Hollan or just talking with all of the members of the family that made me really like and connect with these people but something happened and I hold a special place in heart for them. So I wanted to do something nice for them and I wanted to take their photo. Since I was going to their home to ask to take their photo I had the manners enough to go there with something in return. Kaleb and I went to the local Dollar General Store (there are two in Booneville – The Family Dollar and The Dollar General Store) and I bought two gallons of milk and I bought Nannie some “comfy” clothes. When I first met Nannie she was wearing some fleece-type pants and a matching shirt. I don’t know if it was her pajamas or her “lounging-around” clothes but they were bright, colorful and looked really comfortable.

Kaleb and Nannie. As always, Nannie is in her comfy clothes. I wish I could walk around every day in my comfy clothes. You go, Nannie!

After stopping at the dollar store we made our way to their house and went up to say hi. When we approached the house, I noticed the front door open but couldn’t see inside so I just started calling out for Stormy or Nannie or Simon to come out. When I did I saw more of the Hollan family than I had met so far. Not only was there Nannie, Simon and Stormy but they all paraded out of the house and onto the porch. Here I met Stormy and Simon’s two children, Patrick who is Simon’s other child and Simon’s Sister Better who is dating Shawn (pictured with the buzz cut – I had met Shawn a couple of times before this photo was taken). I was expecting to see a few people but now there were eight. We presented them with their goodies and they were, as I expected, thankful and grateful for their gifts and I asked if I could take their photo. They agreed and we took a few pictures. Some are good and others are not so good. That last statement has nothing to do with the Hollan family but the fact I was only traveling with my camera and a couple of speed lights and no light modifiers or softboxes. Could I have taken better photos if I had my studio equipment? Well, um, YES! But I made the most with what I had and tried to take really nice snapshots and not award-winning photos.

My friends, the Hollan Family of Booneville Kentucky.

We chatted for a while and went on our way. I think of the Hollan family as my friends and hope to see them again someday. Once again, they are a prime example of people who may not have a lot in terms of money or fancy, designer clothes or a house full of frivolous items but they make the most of what they do have. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is not a way of life for most people in Booneville and that’s OK with them. They are happy to have their lives and try to make the most of what they do have while living in one of the most beautiful areas of the country.

The Hollan Family in Black and White.

Tomorrow we say good-bye to Booneville and start to make our way to Orlando.

See you then,
Seth

Documentary Blog #25 – A little something about the people of Booneville, KY

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Seth

The last couple of blogs have been about my experience in Booneville, KY and what I have observed. Yes, I have seen some people being treated badly and I note it here because I want you, the reader, to understand everything I am seeing and experiencing. Just as I was open about my initial feelings about making this type of documentary I need to be honest about the experiences, where we stayed, who we have met and how those people have affected me (good or bad). I have an opinion and observations and need to point them out so that you can get an idea of what’s going on in my mind since this documentary is about my journey and experiences.

This is one of my new friends, Dave. He just loved the fact we paid attention to him. He is just a good 'ole boy with a great personality.

That said, I DO NOT want you to get the wrong impression about my experience with the people of Booneville. These people are the nicest, friendliest, most caring, benevolent, gracious, curious, sweet, endearing, charming, genuine and most wonderful people I have ever known. Many of these people don’t have the proverbial “pot” in which to piss but they are happy, simple (in life but not in mind) and content. I can’t tell you how many times people wanted to have us over for dinner. It touched me in ways I have never experienced. I couldn’t imagine not having a lot of money or food and then asking someone to come and share what little I do have. To me that is unfathomable but to people we met it is their way of life. Sure, many of these people moved away to get work because they had to but ultimately returned here to enjoy life. It is one of the most beautiful areas of the country. And, while the restaurants don’t cater to my (mostly) vegetarian diet I still enjoyed eating there and sitting at a table never knowing who will come up to the table and site down with Kaleb and me for lunch, dinner or just to talk about life. The people like Linda Marcum (owned the place where we stayed) and Cleda Turner are some of the most colorful and interesting people I have met and others like some of the people I will talk about in my post tomorrow are those I genuinely care about and want to know what happens in their lives.

The Hometown Cafe. If you ever make here make sure you order dessert and ask for "gobs" if you want a lot or "a smidgeon" if you just want a little.

My trip to Booneville has been the most eye-opening and life-changing trip I have ever taken and all of these people have a very special place in my heart. Sure, some people said some things to make someone cry or weren’t as friendly as other people in the community but we all have different personalities and styles and you find that behavior no matter where you live. I am not judging these people for their style but think there may be better ways to solve a problem and I merely point that out in my observations. I will always have a piece of Booneville in my heart, have some wonderful memories and am happy to call many of the people Kaleb and I met my friends. I would encourage anyone and everyone to get to Booneville for hiking, bike riding or just wonderful company at the local greasy spoons! I know you will walk away with a different outlook on life and could possibly make a new friend or two.

This woman and her family own The Hometown Cafe. She got to know Kaleb and me pretty well.

Tomorrow I share out time at the Senior Center and our gift to the Hollan Family.

See you then,
Seth

Docuementary Blog #24 – Monthly food program with Susie Lacefield

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Seth

Tuesday morning came quickly and Kaleb and I were excited about what the day had in store. We were heading to Susie Lacfield’s place called “The Food Place” where she distributes food and commodities and, as we learned, furniture to those in need in Booneville once a month. Fortunately we happened to be in town when this occurred. Ok, it wasn’t fortunate. I planned the trip to make certain we were able to film this process. Susie is the wife of Pastor Jerry Lacefield and as you can imagine their work is like many of the others in the area…. mission work. Susie receives donations from a variety of organizations and people to distribute to the people of Booneville. She has two buildings that house all of her items. The first is a converted motel that houses a lot of the food getting distributed and still serves as a hotel for the missionaries coming to the area (this is where the people from North Carolina stayed while in town distributing furniture). Thee second is the old jail with houses loads and loads of clothing. Apparently there are some really nice items there but I never went into the two-story jailhouse to see for myself but had heard from several people including the people from North Carolina so I will have to take their word for it. Back that “The Food Place” there is an area of the property where Susie keeps clothes available for people to just come and take or sort through. She also allows people to bring their old clothes and exchange them for other items within those boxes. The boxes are underneath a patio type structure and are available 24/7 for people to come and rummage through.

This is the area in Booneville known as "The Food Place." It also serves as a motel for missionaries traveling to the area.

So we arrived at the location about four hours early to conduct our interview with Susie, have lunch with her and her volunteers and get the food boxes put together and ready for distribution. We wanted to talk with her about the programs and assistance she offers, how she got her start and how important this food program means to the people of Booneville. Susie works directly with God’s Pantry (which is a program of Feeding America) in Lexington, KY and has to drive up to Lexington to get the food and bring it back to Booneville to distribute it. As you can imagine, it’s a challenge to drive 1.5 hours each way to get whatever food is available and pass it out to the people of Booneville. Here she feeds whoever she can with whatever she gets. It’s also interesting for me to see the differences between Meals on Wheels and Feeding America since I have seen Meals on Wheels in action in Los Angeles, San Francisco. Marin County and Orlando thus far and this is my first exposure to Feeding America programs. We conducted our interview with Susie and then went to her home to have lunch. Waiting for us at Susie’s home were several people who work directly with her as volunteers. It was a great spread of homemade delights such as chicken salad, corn casserole, potatoes, croissants and tea. It was all very tasty and Kaleb seemed to enjoy it a little more than me since I don’t anything with mayonnaise and almost everything there had mayo in it. I stuck with potatoes and croissants. One of the women also brought a great chocolate cake so I made up for the lack of lunch food with dessert!

Susie Lacefield - Legally blind she runs the food distribution with the help of God's Pantry and Feeding America.

After lunch we ventured back to “The Food Place” and started getting the boxes put together for distribution. Susie has a system where people have to fill out forms to get their food. I know it’s something she has to do since she receives federal commodities and has to keep track of all food going in and out of her organization. People get one box of food and anything else Susie has around her place to help these people out with their food or clothing needs. But before all that can happen we have to food in boxes. We have about 1.5 hours to all the boxes together. I think there something like 60+ boxes of food that had to be assembled that day so we all took a product and using Susie’s checklist we went through and began loading boxes with the canned food for the people of Booneville. The boxes consisted of the following items:

Box of cereal
Bag of beans (Pinto, I recall)
Canned sweet or creamed corn (2)
Crackers
Peanut Butter
Potatoes (Bag of potatoes)
Canned Green Beans (2)
Canned Cranberry Sauce (1)
And a choice of meat (“Cooking Meat” – that’s what they called it – or Canned Tuna Fish)

The most interesting part of the food boxes that day was the “Floor Cabbage.” When we arrived at this location on Saturday to film the furniture distribution I noticed some plastic palettes (the kind you see bread being stored in) sitting on the floor. These palettes were filled with heads of cabbage and I wondered when those would be getting to people and today I learned they would be going in the food boxes. Susie asked me and the other volunteers (one of which was Melanie Thomas who I had met on our first day and had seen several times throughout our stay) to put the cabbage in the boxes. When I went to grab the first head of cabbage I placed my hand underneath the head to pick it up. When I did I felt this grotesque, gelatinous goo seeping onto my hand. It was disgusting! It was clearly the head of cabbage beginning to decay and the pieces of cabbage were turning into liquid. It smelled worse that anything I could imagine. But we all put them in the boxes because these people can still use this cabbage and just cut off the bad end. I hated having to see people eating this way but that’s the reality of hunger in America – you get what you can and make the most of it. Furthermore, we all know canned vegetables have ZERO nutritional value with the exception of canned tomatoes but canned corn, green beans and cranberry sauce have little to no nutritional value and are loaded with sodium but it’s what they have to eat and what they are getting that day for better or worse.

This was shot before the food distribution took place. Most of the food you see here was given away a few hours later.

Now, I didn’t take any photos that day outside of the ones you see here. The area was completely cramped with food, boxes and people as well as the volunteers helping to take the food out the vehicles of the people receiving the items. I wanted to stay out of the way and just observe that day. It is an incredibly small area so I would have been in way and I just enjoyed talking with the people about the program and what it means to them. We did get some good interviews and video of the process so that will be included in the final project. All in all, I think it was a good day for everyone involved.

One of Susie's volunteers, Melanie Thomas

OBSERVATION
Susie Lacefield is a nice woman and completely different from Cleda Turner. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying one is better, more effective than the other. They are both trying to do good things for the people of Booneville and have completely different approaches. Susie is more of a micro-manager who seems completely disorganized and frazzled at times while Cleda is more laid back and seems more about the personal relationship and connecting with people. Susie cannot operate without her list (again, THE LIST) and likes to boss people around and yell at them including her volunteers. It comes across that everything could go completely wrong at any given moment. But that’s what makes this world great. We are all different people with different approaches and styles. I have experienced many people who operate in the same manner as Susie and are quite effective – they just get everyone else around them freaking out and running around in a crazy manner but it all works out in the end. I just hope these two women can continue to make progress and help the people of Booneville while inspiring others to make a difference.

SIDE STORY
The distribution starts at 3:00pm and lasts for about an hour or until when everyone has their food boxes. Around 2:20pm a woman pulls up in her car to drop off clothes in the clothes boxes and look for new clothes for her children. She is between 25-30 years old. About 2:30pm one of the volunteers comes out and tells her she is going to have to move her car. The woman acknowledges this and says she’ll be done shortly. About five minutes later Susie Lacefiled comes out and yells at the woman to move her car. The woman, now in tears, comes over to me and starts talking to me wondering why people are yelling at her. She said, “All I am trying to do is drop off some nice clothes my children have grown out of and get some new ones for them. Don’t they want these nice clothes for kids?” Again, this was all said while she was in tears because she had been yelled at for trying to do something nice and take advantage of the generosity of free clothes. So the woman wiped away her tears and went back to looking through the boxes of clothes. 10 minutes later at 2:45pm another volunteer (not Melanie but another woman whose name escapes me at the moment) came out and yelled at this woman to move her car again (keep in mind the food distribution doesn’t start for another 15 minutes and there are no other vehicles trying to get into that parking area). At that point I had to say something. I turned to volunteer and asked, “Don’t you want people coming here and taking advantage of the clothes while dropping off come really nice children’s clothing for others to use? Why do you have to keep yelling at her?” The volunteer turned to me and said, “Well, I have told her three times to move her car. {The volunteer then came closer to me and in a loud whisper said) Yeah, but she’s on drugs!” It was said like a third grade student telling the teacher on a fellow student for cheating on a test or not using the right color crayon in a art assignment. It was completely silly.

Now, I don’t know if the woman dropping off clothes was on drugs. At times she seemed to talk fast but that could be contributed to the tears and emotions but I don’t know about the drugs thing. Needless to say, when the volunteer said this I was appalled! Aren’t they supposed to be Christians helping their fellow man and not judging? The woman exchanging clothes left long before any other cars we directed into the parking area and had done her business. But she, along with me, were left with a lasting impression of “Christians” judging and condemning people. I guess this begs the question, “Wouldn’t this world be a better place if we all stopped judging people and just tried to live our lives while helping and caring for our fellow man? It’s up to us to make changes and make this world a better place.

More tomorrow.
Seth

Documentary Blog #23 – Hangin’ with Cleda Turner

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Seth

Monday came around and Kaleb and I were looking forward to hanging out with Cleda Turner. We spent a little part of Sunday with her when we attended her church but today was different. We were driving around with her and going to visit some “shut ins.” Now, I had never heard that term before but it’s what they call people who live in their homes and cannot get out or around to get a lot of food; either they are in wheelchairs, old and frail, have no transportation or, in one case, blind. They rely on people like Cleda to bring them food and anything else they can get. I shutter to think what would happen to or what life would be like for these people if someone like Cleda (and many others around this world) didn’t help or care.

Owsley County Outreach

We started off by gathering some food at Cleda’s place of work (The Owsley County Outreach Center) commonly known as the Booneville Thrift Store. Here Cleda not only sells clothes but she also keep food for seniors AND children. Cleda provides clothing and food to the people of the area and her primary focus is feeding the children of the area through her “Backpack Program.” This is similar to what you see in other cities where children are given backpacks of food on Fridays so they have enough to eat on the weekends. Unfortunately, some of this food doesn’t get to the children because their parents or parent’s friends or rats get to the food before the children do. But, that’s another story I can share if you are interested in knowing – just send me an email or personal note on Facebook. She sells clothes at the thrift store and every $7 of goods sold provides one backpack for a child in the area. So you know Kaleb and I had to buy something from the thrift store. I bought an Owsely County shirt (as seen below) and I still have it and wear it with pride.

Cleda Turner and me hanging out at The Outreach

Once the car was loaded with food for the seniors we went out to meet people and distribute the food. Our first stop was at some rent controlled apartments in Booneville just down the street from Cleda’s store. Then again, EVERYTHING is just down the street from Cleda’s store. Here we were visiting two people. The first is Frank and as you can see in the picture below he lost his hands but had his two big two surgically placed where his thumbs would normally be located. He lost his hands in a factory accident in Ohio. Originally from Booneville, Frank moved to Ohio to get work and then moved back to his hometown. This is not uncommon as there is really no work to be had in the area. It was great to get to know Frank and like many people in Booneville Frank finds his strength in Jesus and seeking the glory of the kingdom of heaven.

Frank sitting in his chair in his rent controlled apartment in Booneville, KY.

Our second stop in the apartments was to a man named Pat. Pat is in a wheelchair and has been for a number of years. He is married to a sweet, wonderful woman named Ruby. Pat is just a good ‘ole boy who has a gravelly voice combined with a southern accent. At times it was hard to completely understand everything he was saying but he always said it with a smile. In fact, his wife Ruby never finished a sentence without a smile on her face. You know, it’s meeting people like Pat and Ruby that help to make this trip and my journey of discovery worthwhile. It would be easy for me to get down, saddened or depressed with everything I am experiencing in Booneville but meeting people like Pat and Ruby or Cleda or the Hollan Family or Melanie Thomas (more about Melanie in the next blog) or the people clogging their way into my heart at Dooley’s Diner makes it so much easier for me to tell this story. It’s amazing what a simple smile or laugh can do to a person’s psychological and emotional well being.

Pat and Ruby.

We left the apartment complex to visit a woman named Alfa. Alfa is blind, rents a house and (at the time we were taping) is taking care of her grandson, his wife and their baby. There is so much I could say here about Alfa, Frank and Pat. I think I could devote a blog to these people but I have to keep it as an overview and you will get to know all of them a little better in the finished documentary. We talked with Alfa for about a half hour and also spoke with her granddaughter-in-law about the situation in Booneville and what it’s like for a young person growing up in that area. But the one thing that concerned me more than any other at Alfa’s was how much people were smoking and around a newborn. Don’t get me wrong. I have absolutely NOTHING against smokers and completely support your right to do whatever you want to your body. However, when we went into Alfa’s house we were greeted by a massive cloud of smoke and all three adults (Alfa, her grandson and her granddaughter-in-law) had cigarettes in their mouths. The two younger adults had cigarettes hanging out of their mouths while holding the baby. I’m no doctor but I can guess that’s not completely healthy for that baby and its developing lungs and respiratory system.

Alfa sitting at her table with some food we just brought her positioned in front of her.

Alfa's granddaughter-in-law and her new baby sitting on a couch in Alfa's house.

We left Alfa’s house and went to visit Martha. Before I go any further I have to note here that, once again, I could devote an entire blog posting about Martha, her current situation, her past situations and her lack of hope. I have to stay on target here and talk about what we were there to do that day and that was to make her life a little better by bringing her some food. If you want to know more about Martha and her life just send me an email or a note on Facebook. But, as my friend Cleda has said, “Martha can make you laugh and cry in the same visit.” When we walked into her house I couldn’t help but note the smell of cat urine and how completely dark and depressing her place was. We talked with her for about an hour and learned some horrific things about her life, the death of her youngest son and how she takes care of 5 grandchildren (they actually live with her). It saddens me that she is not getting food because she has many other mouths to feed. Did I mention she lives on about $700/month!

Martha sitting on her porch. She just looks so sad.

But what really weighed on my emotions/thoughts about these great people of Booneville was something Martha said when we were leaving. I started asking all my interviewees “What gives you hope knowing you are in situation where people have to bring you food and your not in a financial or physical condition to improve your circumstance?” with the hopes I would get some great answers that I could sprinkle throughout the film. Martha’s answer was (and still is) the only one of it’s kind when she replied to my question by saying, “Well, I guess when I die I will get to meet Jesus.” It’s a short reply but a very powerful one and she conveyed to me that her only hope is meeting her maker. That makes me sad that people of this world and in this country of overwhelming wealth and decadence have the thought that death is their only hope for a better life.

On Monday I will share with you our time with Susie Lacefield and her weekly food distribution program. See you then.
Seth