Can anyone help me find towns/people in need? (Logan: homes, elementary school)

[SharonShoe]

My mother recently told me about a missionary-type trip she made to the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky/West Virginia with her church group more than 40 years ago. She mentioned how destitute these tiny towns were and the very poor quality of life the people there had.

I know times have changed but from what I've read these areas still exist to some extent. I was talking this over with my Sunday school class and everyone agreed that we would love to do something to help, so next weekend we're organizing a canned food and clothing drive. I think we're going to have a great turnout and we were hoping to find one or two of these villages to take out donations too. I asked my mom, but she doesn't remember at all what the places were, aside from "way up in the mountains", so I thought I'd register here and post.

Can anyone lend me a hand or direct me to where I can find more information?

Thanks so much,

Sharon

[Threerun]

Try the United Way of Southern WV. The Loaves and Fishes ministries usually have a good network of making sure food is distributed to pantries in need.

Welcome to the United Way of Southern WV!

My old Scout Troop always went through the local CCS chapter in Jefferson county and also frequently helped to organize and rotate the stock in the pantries.

God bless you.

[David Kennedy]

The food pantries do a very good job and I'll bet the denomination of your church has a connection to a food pantry in Wv. We help out with ours one Wednesday a month and it is a saver to a lot of folks in need...The Presbertarians have a mission progran into Wv in the summer for their youth...see them painting and sprucing up the homes of the elderly...know nothing about getting into the network though...

[vec101]

There are pockets of people needing help everywhere - remember seeing on the news a while back that the cupboards were bare at a food pantry in Putnam County (this county has a pretty high average income).

However, sounds like you want to help those in more remote and mountainous areas with less resources nearby (jobs, etc). I'd look to the southern part of the state - counties of McDowell, Wyoming, Logan, Mingo, maybe even Mercer, Summers, or Monroe.

For towns in those counties, goto Hatfield-McCoy Mountains and New River/Greenbrier Valley or Official Website for the State of West Virginia and click on the map on the left.

I'd contact a local church or something for a reference to a local food pantry.

The town of Matewan (Mingo County) is one that you may want to check out. I'm sure there are many people in the hollers outside Matewan which can use your help. Also, Matewan has historical significance which you may find very interesting - the Matewan Massacre/ Battle between the coal company and mine workers struggling to join a union as well as the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
http://www.matewan.com/History/legacy.htm or http://www.matewan.com/index.htm and http://visitmatewan.com/

There was a real good movie made about the union struggle. I'd suggest watching it but it's probably hard to find now. (Do see that Netflix has it available). http://www.matewan.com/History/movie.htm It did a wonderful job of showing how life was for the coal miners.

[SharonShoe]

Thank you all very much for the help. Right now, we're planning to visit and take donations to Matewan and Jolo. If anyone else has suggestions/ideas, I'm very open to them.

Again, many thanks!

[kookamus]

If anybody is starving around here you wouldn't know it. We have plenty of blubbers waddling about and they all seem to money for cigarettes ,booze and cell phones.

[vec101]

Originally Posted by kookamus

If anybody is starving around here you wouldn't know it. We have plenty of blubbers waddling about and they all seem to money for cigarettes ,booze and cell phones.

That has a LOT of truth to it. But there are a lot of kids and families who don't have enough food. Many are working poor.

Maybe they need things for the kids such as clothes, shoes, coats, books, etc. NOT toys - there are a lot of organizations at Christmas that does that.

[vec101]

There was a boy at my son's elementary school who was very poor (not in a remote rural area either). Every day, even in winter and no matter how cold it was, he wore a short sleeve hand-me-down scout shirt to school (he wasn't in Scouts). His teacher bought him a sweatshirt to wear to school. He never wore it. When she asked why, he said his mom liked the sweatshirt so she kept it and wore it. So glad the teacher shared this with some of us.

A group of us gathered up clothes our kids had outgrown and bought a couple new things. The teacher kept them at school. Each morning when the boy got to school, he would change into the clothes we had for him then change back to his scout shirt before going home. The teacher would take them home and wash them.

What is wrong with some parents? I just cannot understand it.

The really sad thing is - so many kids who have had people help them out then grow up to expect others to take care of them. Those generations after generations who live in poverty and do nothing to help themselves think nothing is wrong with it.

What we really need to do is figure out how to break the cycle.

[David Kennedy]

It can start with education...has always been the peaceful case...revolution is the other...Russian revolution, and their convicts took over the country...history has written their sad story too.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by vec101

What is wrong with some parents? I just cannot understand it.

The really sad thing is - so many kids who have had people help them out then grow up to expect others to take care of them. Those generations after generations who live in poverty and do nothing to help themselves think nothing is wrong with it.

What we really need to do is figure out how to break the cycle.

Sounds like these 'parents' weren't qualified to be parents. Very sad indeed! Curious what the standards for child welfare are in state/county dept social services because this does sound like a case of blatant neglect. Even the poorest people have access to goodwill stores where a child's wardrobe could run $40.