Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published Aug. 10, 2005

Rural Cumberland Resources will be missed

It was in late June the letter arrived and as I read the first sentence I felt I had been hit in my mid section. It stated, "In advance of a public announcement, the RCR board of directors and staff want to inform you that the Rural Cumberland Resources organization will end this year." Those words hit me so hard because I had been closely involved with RCA in years past and I had a deep respect for the work they did.

When the official announcement was published in the paper last week, I felt free to add my thanks for the many accomplishments of RCR. Although it took the involvement of dedicated staff and scores of volunteers to achieve the goals, it was the vision of a young couple that gave birth to RCR.

She was a New Yorker and he was a New Jersey native. They met while students at Vassar and she graduated with a degree in history and he with a degree in political science. Louise Gorenflo and Dennis Gregg became one and moved to Knoxville where each worked for a master's degree in ecology because that was the only university offering the degree at that time.

In 1978, when they completed that phase of their education, they learned of a project in Crossville that was trying to solve marketing problems of small farmers in the state. Called Agricultural Marketing Project, AMP was administered by Vanderbilt University. The couple moved to Crossville when Dennis began work on the project. A new baby daughter kept Louise busy.

In 1983, the focus of AMP changed and a reorganization resulted in a new name, Rural Cumberland Resources, RCR. Dennis became administrative director and Louise was program director. As they began writing proposals for grant money, they needed letters of support from community leaders. The Cumberland County Ministerial Association had already established a food pantry and thrift shop to meet the needs of the community's economically disadvantaged. After several meetings it was clear the goals of the two groups meshed. The ministers promised support if RCR would take responsibility for the existing two programs.

The thrift shop became Good Samaritans and Louise guided the work for RCR for the first six years. In 1989, it became a separate entity. Louise heard many stories of abused women during her time working there, and in 1984 RCR operated a service for battered women. In a short two years that service was strong enough to become independent. In 1992, RCR focused on public housing areas and began the Family Place, offering an after-school program for the youth living there. By 1995, Family Place became an independent group.

This is the beauty of RCR programs. A need is recognized and a program is developed. As soon as a program is strong, it becomes independent with RCR's blessing.

Louise has been responsible for many more programs so important in our community. With no fanfare, when she saw a need she did something about it. She knew how important volunteers were and she drew on them to fill specific needs while also finding the funds to bring positive change. Oh yes, by this time a baby son completed the family.

That is why I felt such a loss when I learned RCR was going to be history. Knowing Louise I am sure her good work will continue outside the umbrella of RCR. Scores of citizens who are accustomed to being ignored can be thankful that Louise Gorenflo knew they were there. I thank the couple who gave life to their vision of what could happen with hard work and belief. Dennis may have been the silent partner, but he shared every success.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.