Walking 8 miles for GED classes l Hidden America: Children of the Mountains PART 2/6
Summary
TLDRIn Kentucky, 12-year-old Courtney and her family struggle with poverty and addiction. Her mother, Angel, is determined to secure a better future for her children by obtaining her GED despite the challenges of drug abuse and lack of transportation. The family of 12 shares a cramped living space, and Courtney dreams of simple luxuries like boots like Hannah Montana's. Angel's journey to education is fraught with obstacles, but her determination, supported by her mother's faith, brings hope for a brighter day.
Takeaways
- 🏡 Courtney and her family live in a crowded house with 12 people, including her mom, her mom's boyfriend, and her grandparents.
- 😢 Courtney's mom, Angel, is struggling with drug addiction, which has caused emotional distress and instability for the family.
- 🚶♀️ The family lacks transportation, which prevents them from getting jobs and accessing essential services.
- 📚 Courtney has a dream of owning boots like Hannah Montana's and is focused on her education despite the hardships.
- 🥶 The family often faces food scarcity, with their food stamps barely covering their needs, and fresh produce being a luxury.
- 🏢 Angel is determined to improve her situation by attending a GED class, walking long distances to attend despite the harsh conditions.
- 🎓 Angel successfully obtains her GED, opening up potential job opportunities and a chance to move off welfare.
- 🏠 Angel and her boyfriend manage to rent a rundown house, which they fix up, providing a more stable home environment for the family.
- 🙏 Courtney's grandmother, Dinah, is the family's spiritual pillar, offering strength and hope through her faith and prayers.
- 🎵 The community's resilience is evident in their participation in church activities and the shared hope for a better future.
Q & A
What is the main issue faced by Courtney and her family?
-Courtney and her family are dealing with drug addiction, as her mother is hooked on drugs, which has led to financial instability and a lack of a stable home.
How many people are living together in Courtney's grandparents' house?
-There are 12 people living together in Courtney's grandparents' house, including Courtney, her sister, her mother's boyfriend, two uncles, and other family members.
What are Courtney's two simple wishes?
-Courtney wishes to have a home for her, her mother, and her sisters, and she also wishes to own boots with little fake fur on the top like the ones Hannah Montana wears on TV.
What is the financial situation of Courtney's family regarding food?
-Courtney's family struggles with affording food, sometimes running out of essentials like bread and meat, and having to rely on butter and ranch dressing when they are out of other options.
Why is it difficult for Bill to get a job?
-Bill, Courtney's mother's boyfriend, has difficulty getting a job because they do not have a car to commute to and from work.
What is the prescription drug abuse rate in Eastern Kentucky compared to major cities?
-Eastern Kentucky has a prescription drug abuse rate that is twice that of major cities like New York or Miami.
What is the significance of the GED class for Angel, Courtney's mother?
-The GED class is significant for Angel because obtaining her GED could increase her chances of getting a job, which would help her get off welfare and provide a better future for her children.
What is the role of Dinah, Angel's mother, in the family?
-Dinah, Angel's mother, is the rock of the family, providing strength and faith, and praying for her family's success and well-being.
What is the condition of the house Angel and her boyfriend found to rent?
-Angel and her boyfriend found a rundown house to rent for $400 a month, with the condition that they fix it up themselves.
What does the Sunday offering at the church amount to?
-The Sunday offering at the church amounts to a dollar and 85 cents.
What is the emotional state of the children and adults in the family, as depicted in the script?
-The children, including Courtney, show signs of worry and wariness, while the adults, including Angel, appear ravaged by exhaustion and defeat, indicative of the struggles they face.
Outlines
🏠 Struggles of a Family in Kentucky
This paragraph introduces the living conditions of a family in Kentucky, where Courtney, a 12-year-old girl, and her 11-year-old sister Mary, along with their mother Angel, live in a crowded house with 12 people including grandparents, uncles, and a boyfriend. Angel is depicted as being addicted to drugs, which has led to a challenging life for the family, moving from place to place and currently residing with extended family. The family's financial situation is dire, with Angel's drug addiction and lack of a car preventing them from finding stable employment. Courtney expresses her wishes for a better life, including owning a home and having basic necessities like food and proper clothing. The paragraph also highlights the broader issue of prescription drug abuse in Eastern Kentucky, which has a rate twice as high as major cities. The family's struggle is further emphasized by their reliance on food stamps and the scarcity of food at times, with the last resort being butter and ranch dressing when they run out of other options.
🎓 A Mother's Journey to Change Her Family's Future
The second paragraph follows Angel, Courtney's mother, as she works towards obtaining her GED, which she achieves after a long journey of walking miles to attend classes. The accomplishment is a significant milestone for Angel, who expresses her happiness and relief upon receiving her diploma. This achievement opens up the possibility of finding a job and improving her family's situation, including the hope of getting new teeth. Angel and her boyfriend manage to rent a rundown house for $400 a month, which they fix up, providing a step towards stability. The paragraph concludes with a scene of Angel's mother, Dinah, praying for the family's success and singing an old song, symbolizing the hope for a better future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Drug Addiction
💡Homelessness
💡Welfare
💡GED
💡Poverty
💡Food Stamps
💡Overcrowding
💡Drug Abuse
💡GED Class
💡Hope
💡Family Struggles
Highlights
Children in Kentucky sing songs of Jesus, reflecting their religious upbringing.
Courtney, 12, and her sister Mary, 11, reveal their mother's drug addiction and its impact on their lives.
The family's unstable living situation, moving from place to place, is described.
Courtney expresses gratitude for having a place to sleep at her grandparents' home.
A large household of 12 people, including extended family, live together in a tight-knit community.
Courtney wishes for a home for her family but acknowledges financial constraints.
Bill, the mother's boyfriend, struggles to find employment due to lack of transportation.
Courtney's report card shows her academic achievements despite her difficult home life.
Courtney's simple wish for boots like Hannah Montana's highlights her childhood desires.
The family's financial struggles are evident as they can barely afford food.
Food scarcity leads to creative solutions, like using butter and ranch as a meal.
Angel, Courtney's mother, discusses her drug addiction and its toll on her health and family.
Angel's determination to provide a better future for her children is shown through her efforts to obtain a GED.
The family's daily struggle is exemplified by the long walk to a GED class in freezing conditions.
Dinah, Angel's mother, is portrayed as the family's rock, providing strength through faith.
The community's support is shown through the church's choir practice and Sunday offerings.
Angel achieves her GED, a significant milestone in her journey towards self-improvement.
Angel and her boyfriend rent a rundown house, symbolizing a step towards stability and independence.
Dinah's prayers and old songs reflect the family's hope for a better future.
Transcripts
[Music]
up in calf Creek Kentucky ask a little
kid to sing you a song and they'll sing
you a song of Jesus 12 Courtney her
sister 11 year old Mary tell us a secret
about their mom now be honest
hooked on drugs and way to not like it
won't be it Courtney says she used to
lock herself in the bathroom and cry
when her mom got high they bounced from
place to place and her grateful they now
have a place to sleep her grandparents
where her two uncle's one at 3 sisters
at her mom's boyfriend bill also live
there's 12 people living together
honestly I would love for me my mom bill
and as girls to have our own home but we
don't have the money to do that
bill is one to get a job but we can't
because we ain't got a car to get him
back and forth
Courtney shows us an a on her report
card and tells us about her two simple
wishes at home and she says someday
she'd like to have boots with little
fake fur on the top like the ones Hannah
Montana wears on TV Courtney's clothes
are stuffed in a suitcase under the bed
honestly we can barely afford food
whenever things are all going we run our
food we don't have bread we don't have
meat last time we was out of food only
thing we had in our fridge with butter
and ranch well off by the people we
can't afford food after food after food
fruits and vegetables a rare luxury
because of the expense their mother's
food stamps are 523 dollars a month milk
runs out fast
Courtney's uncle called Uncle duck puts
Pepsi and two-year-old sable sippy cup
Courtney is one of those children whose
face seems to reach right back across
the centuries to the famous portraits by
Walker Evans Doris Allman Earl Palmer
we're worried and wariness are in the
faces of the children and the adults are
ravaged by exhaustion
defeat angel is ravaged by something
modern
she is Courtney's mother she lost her
teeth years ago she's 30 years old I
would have to have ten paintings just to
get started to not be sick and I would
do the 30 to 40 a day easy you know
there were days I'd go into account
sleep but as soon as I left I'd sit in
the parking lot store to pill she's part
of an epidemic in these mountains
Eastern Kentucky has a prescription drug
abuse rate twice that of major cities
like New York or Miami Courtney and her
sisters remember when their mother would
disappear for days on end Mary does not
go anywhere
Mary will make me pinky promise no angel
says she's now trying to give her
children the future they deserve and
before dawn gets them on the 6:15 school
bus then she and her boyfriend Bill
start the trek to the welfare mandated
GED class in the center of town walk
eight miles one way it takes nearly two
hours after the class another two hours
and eight miles in the freezing cold to
go home it starts to rain I just lays
you down angel says if she can get that
GED into much he has a chance of a job
getting off welfare
[Music]
angels mother 49 year old Dinah is the
rock of the family no I'm not
well-educated but if you take that time
sit down talk to me then you're gonna
see how she thought so stupid after all
her strength comes from faith praying to
Jesus that angel will succeed we meet
her at choir practice at the homecoming
church two miles up the hills on frozen
roads
[Music]
in this church we see the Sunday
offering of a dollar 85 cents churches
public
I pray God seems of my ilk to forward
[Music]
it's a dark night out here back home at
the end of the day a hymn from the hills
[Music]
[Music]
as for the 12 year old Courtney and her
mom angel well after all the miles angel
walked to class for that diploma this is
my GED but I worked my butt off for I
was so happy did a happy dance you know
all that and now maybe the possibility
of a job maybe some new teeth and even
though from time to time food is still
scarce angel and her boyfriend found a
rundown house to rent for $400 a month
if they'll fix it up this is my kitchen
where I cook for my family you know
while on a porch angels mother Dinah
still prays for her family to make it
singing an old song dreaming of a new
day
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