Christian Appalachian Project - With the exodus of the young from Appalachia in seeking employment, many elderly find themselves without family and with limited support systems in place. For the elderly living in rural areas, isolation becomes a real factor and lack of transportation makes even the simple tasks of running errands or picking up groceries a hurdle to be overcome. Poverty and illness only compounds the problem.  
CAP has long been concerned over the state of the elderly in Appalachia and a visitation program was one of the earliest programs offered. Today CAP operates two Elderly Services programs, which combines visitation with other support activities, and Rejoice Respite, which provides periodic respite to families who are caring for home-bound and ill elderly family members. All of these programs are geared toward providing the extra support needed to assist the elderly in remaining in their homes as long as feasible. With the growing elderly population in Appalachia, and the reduction in other public assistance programs, the needs of this population can only be on the increase.