Blog/Latest News

WVPA: WV Hive gets a big boost for business support services in Southern WV

01.13.20

WV Hive Director Judy Moore (via WV Hive’s Facebook page)

BY THE WEST VIRGINIA PRESS ASSOCIATION

…The grant will support the expansion of the WV Hive entrepreneur and business assistance program to promote business development, job creation, job retention, and private investment in Southern West Virginia.

WV Hive Network director Judy Moore said the federal grant will greatly expand entrepreneur and business assistance programs it offers. “We are so excited about this new award and are looking forward to continuing and enhancing our services provided to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Hive service area. It will also allow us to expand services, including the opening of a business hub in downtown Beckley.” Moore added that the project is in a federal Opportunity Zone and is expected to generate $3 million in private investment and matched with $177,367 in local funds…

Read the full story on the WV Press Association website »

West Virginia communities are preparing for new and renewed investment

01.13.20

Applications are now open for the regional initiative Opportunity Appalachia. At the Bridgeport Conference Center on January 13, 2020, economic development leaders gathered with West Virginia residents interested in leveraging investments in Opportunity Zones to learn more about this initiative set to position communities to attract new and renewed interest in projects critical to the growth of their towns.

Opportunity Appalachia is a three-state program (WV, OH, and VA) that will provide technical assistance resources averaging $50,000 (each) to up to 5 West Virginia-based communities, projects, and/or developers located in Opportunity Zones. There are 55 areas located across West Virginia designated as Opportunity Zones.

For more information about the Opportunity Appalachia initiative, to view an interactive map of designated Opportunity Zones in West Virginia, and to access the program application, visit: http://appalachiancommunitycapitalcdfi.org/oa-program/.

Applications are due March 2, 2020 at 5:00 pm.

Support is available for West Virginians who are interested in applying to the Opportunity Appalachia program. Any interested parties are encouraged to reach out to the WV Community Development Hub’s special projects coordinator Andrew Davis at a.davis@wvhub.org for more information.

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The Opportunity Appalachia initiative is recognized by Forbes as one of the top 20 catalysts in the nation for “sparking the equitable revitalization of distressed communities identified as Opportunity Zones.”

Attendees at the Opportunity Appalachia Summit in Bridgeport learned about challenges and strategies for Opportunity Zone projects. U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin shared remarks emphasizing the unique potential for Opportunity Zone investments to spark economic growth in West Virginia communities.

“Opportunity Appalachia will help to level the playing field for rural communities in West Virginia so that they are better positioned to attract the level of investment that is critical for sustained economic growth and job creation,” said Joseph Brouse, executive director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.

Through Opportunity Appalachia, up to 5 Opportunity Zone communities located in West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop community strategies and structure investable transactions, create prospectus and pitch decks targeting Opportunity Fund investors, and other services.

Investment priorities include projects focusing on downtown development, manufacturing, IT, healthcare, education, food systems, clean energy, heritage tourism, and recreation.

“We have a team of coaches available for West Virginians who are interested in putting together an application for the Opportunity Appalachia initiative. Anyone who has a question or an idea for a project is welcome to reach out to me to find out more about the support that is available,” said Andrew Davis, special projects coordinator for the WV Community Development Hub.

Appalachian Community Capital is the Opportunity Appalachia program manager. The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and West Virginia Community Development Hub are the lead state partners administering the program in West Virginia.

College seniors: Are you looking for an answer to the question, “What’s next?”

01.06.20

Author Erin McGrath at WorkForce West Virginia’s OneStop, recruiting students for Literacy Volunteers of Kanawha County during her VISTA year of service

BY ERIN MCGRATH, OPERATIONS AND VISTA PROGRAM MANAGER, THE HUB

Alright, college seniors… You survived the holidays!

Sure, the home-cooked food, the hustle and bustle, and time with those you hold dear are things that I look forward to all year, But the holidays can also be a stressful time when you are a senior in college.

If your family is anything like mine, your holidays were accented by the dreaded “What are your plans for after graduation?” question from many well-meaning family members. In turn, they send you into an existential tailspin leaving you with the question, “What’s next?”

This was the question that I had on the front of my mind when I started my final semester of college. I had no idea what would be next. But, through a twist of fate, I ended up on an email list that was promoting National Service. Doing a program like AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) had never crossed my mind, but sure enough, I soon found myself searching the service opportunity postings for hours on end. I found the service opportunity that was right for me, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Maybe you don’t yet have a clear cut path for what you want to do with your life. Or, maybe you do have a clear cut path, like grad school, but you’d like a change of pace for a while.

Regardless of what your image of the future may be right now, VISTA is a great springboard to build your resume and improve your professional skills, all while serving your community. Plus, ending your service with a Segal Education Award is a great way to further your education, or pay off some student loans.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without VISTA (working in a field I am passionate about while also pursuing a Masters in Social Work), and other VISTA alumni feel the same way.

Take a look at the opportunities that are currently open to serve as a VISTA with The Hub and see yourself doing something greater than just wondering, “What’s next?”

Questions? Contact me, The Hub’s VISTA Program Manager, Erin McGrath at e.mcgrath@wvhub.org!

New historic revitalization grant program through the State Historic Preservation Office

01.06.20

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Applications are now available for a new grant program for rural resources in West Virginia through the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Arts, Culture and History, the West Virginia Legislature and the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The goal of the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program is to assist resources in rural communities across West Virginia. Eligible projects include the restoration, rehabilitation or archaeological development of historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2020.

Read the complete announcement, including a link to more details about how to apply on the WV Department of Arts, Culture and History site »

West Virginia Folklife opens applications for statewide folklife apprenticeship program

01.06.20

2018 Folklife Apprenticeship Team: master salt rising bread bakers Susan Brown & Jenny Bardwell with apprentice Amy Dawson

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The West Virginia Folklife Program is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 statewide Folklife Apprenticeship Program. The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program offers up to a $3,000 award to West Virginia master traditional artists or tradition bearers working with qualified apprentices on a year-long in-depth apprenticeship in their cultural expression or traditional art form. These apprenticeships, offered to masters of traditional music, dance, craft, foodways, storytelling, and more—in any cultural community in the Mountain State—facilitate the transmission of techniques and artistry of the forms as well as their histories and traditions.

Applications for the 2020-2021 apprenticeships are due January 31, 2020.

Find more information and apply to the program »

The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program will support up to eight pairs of master traditional artists and their apprentices, culminating in a final free public showcase in Charleston in early 2021. Master/apprentice pairs will also hold a free public presentation in their home communities.

The 2020-2021 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeships will begin on March 1, 2020 and run through March 1, 2021. The next apprenticeship program cycle will be 2022-2023, depending on funding.

The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program is supported in part by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Find more information and apply to the program »

Southern West Virginians honored for efforts to change lives, create jobs, and build communities

01.06.20

Pictured from left: Bishop Charles Shaw, Cabell County; Jessie Spaulding, of Fresh Start in Mingo County; Julie Greenlee, STEM teacher in Clay County; Jocelyn Shepherd of Appalachian Botanical Company in Boone County; Michelle Martin of Trash your Kayak in Kanawha County; Billy Strasser and Kim Maxwell of New River Gorge Trail Authority in Fayette County; and Chuck Toussing of Richwood Scientific in Nicholas County all received Power of Performance Awards at the Small Communities, Big Solutions Conference in South Charleston.

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Late last year, West Virginians were honored with Power of Performance Awards for their efforts to change lives, put people to work or revitalize their communities in southern West Virginia. The awards presentation was held at the second annual Small Communities, BIG Solutions Conference, which showcased West Virginia successes and highlighted projects, people, and ideas that are building up the state’s 21 southernmost counties.

The conference, which is organized by the Alliance for Economic Development of Southern West Virginia, West Virginia Community Development Hub and Coalfield Development, took place at BridgeValley’s Advanced Technology Center in South Charleston.

Award Categories and Recipients

Changing Lives

Jesse Spaulding, of Mingo County, was recognized with a Changing Lives award for using his personal experience with substance use disorder to encourage those participating in the Fresh Start program, as well as advocating for assistance from various organizations to support the development of positive life skills for those in recovery.

Also recognized in the Changing Lives category was Julie Greenlee, Business Marketing and STEM Teacher at Clay County High School. Greenlee teaches her students leadership skills, strategic planning, marketing and workplace skills as they operate a food truck and catering service for various events in the community.

Putting People to Work

Jocelyn Sheppard, president and founder of Appalachian Botanical Company (ABCo) in Boone County, was recognized in the Putting People to Work award category. With a seven-person crew, ABCo started a commercial lavender farm on reclaimed mining land in Boone County in April 2019. Today, more than 30 people work for ABCo, and nearly all of them are from Boone County.

Chuck Toussieng of Richwood Scientific, Inc., was also recognized for his organization’s efforts in the Putting People to Work category. The non-profit organization in Nicholas County, which is funded by Toussieng’s company, West Virginia Silicon Holler, has trained more than 300 students in a free 12-week coding camp that prepares them for entry-level computer programmer and developer positions.

Revitalizing Communities

The New River Gorge Trail Alliance in Fayette County was recognized in the Revitalizing Communities category. The Alliance builds and maintains a regional trail network to spur economic growth and promote active and healthy lifestyles. The NRGTA clears and maintains 250 to 300 miles of trail annually with a large network of volunteers.

Also recognized in this category was the Trash Your Kayak River Cleanup Crew from Kanawha County. Formed in 2016 to clean up rivers throughout Boone, Lincoln and Kanawha Counties, the volunteer group has removed more than 3,000 tires and 3.5 tons of trash from the Little and Big Coal Rivers and the Elk River.

“These awards are to honor the unsung heroes that don’t often get recognized for their efforts to improve their communities,” The Hub’s executive director Stephanie Tyree said. “By lifting these POWER performers up, we hope to encourage the conference participants to continue the good work they do, and perhaps inspire others to start projects in their own communities.”

Small Communities, Big Solutions 2020 Advocate

The seventh award, the Small Communities, Big Solutions 2020 Advocate Award was presented to Bishop Charles D. Shaw, pastor and founder of Real Life Christian Church Center in Cabell County. The award recognizes Bishop Shaw for his life-long dedication to connecting low income individuals with job training and educational opportunities. His life’s mission is to help people find purpose and maximize success in all areas of life. He is dedicated to serving his community by volunteering as a board of directors of several organizations, including Recovery Point WV, President of Huntington Black Pastors Ministerial Association, Region 2 Workforce WV, United Way Of The River Cities, Recovered Solutions, Fairfield Community Development Corporation and Faith Coordinator of the Quick Response Team (QRT) in Huntington.

These are some of West Virginia’s best and we are showing our thanks and encouraging them to never stop doing what they are doing,” Sara Payne Scarbro, Operations Council Chair for the Alliance for Economic Development of Southern West Virginia, said. “There is a power performer in every community and we had an amazing opportunity today to highlight seven of them.”

“I had no plans to look back” – Welcoming Stacy Raffo to The Hub

12.14.19

BY STACY RAFFO, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ASSOCIATE, THE HUB

Growing up in Richwood, I couldn’t wait to leave. I had no plans to look back. After college, I married my college sweetheart (a Maryland native), and we left West Virginia for other opportunities. We lived in Georgia, the Washington, DC area, and other parts of West Virginia, but I never found the sense of community I had grown to love in Richwood.

I returned to the Richwood area ten years ago and became involved in several different community development projects and initiatives. Recently, I joined forces with members of The Hub team and my fellow Richwood residents as we worked through the Blueprint and HubCAP community development programs.

I truly fell in love with the work involved in making communities better places to live, work, and visit.

Through our team’s work in Richwood, we saw several new businesses open, greater community involvement and community improvement projects taking place. Two years ago, my husband and I got involved first-hand in Richwood’s redevelopment when we purchased a 97-year-old building on Richwood’s Main Street. After one year of DIY renovations, in June of 2018, we opened the local restaurant Whistle Punk Grill and Taphouse.

Growing up in 4-H, I have always tried to embody the motto: To Make the Best Better.

There is so much we all already love about our communities. I hope to utilize the skills and knowledge that I have acquired through my work in Richwood, as well as throughout my career, to help communities make the best better.

We made Forbes Top 20 OZ Catalysts!

12.14.19

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

You may have seen our notes this year about the new Opportunity Appalachia program to support rural communities located in Opportunity Zones prepare to attract investors. The Hub is part of a network of partners behind this program – and Forbes recently included the initiative in their Top 20 Opportunity Zone Catalysts list.

Read the story on the Forbes site »

The new Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax program has the potential to provide billions of dollars of new investment to OZ-designated communities throughout the nation. We are anticipating that substantial investments will be put into urban communities across the nation. Partners in West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia are working to support rural communities so that they are better positioned to take advantage of this opportunity.

If you are interested in finding out more about Opportunity Appalachia, visit the program’s web page and email Andrew Davis at a.davis@wvhub.org to get plugged in in West Virginia.

WV Nonprofit Assoc. and Philanthropy WV to hold annual advocacy training

11.25.19

Join the WV Nonprofit Association and Philanthropy WV for their annual Policy Institute to educate and connect foundations and nonprofits on the best ways to work with West Virginia’s government leaders to improve quality of life for West Virginians.

This year’s program includes a meeting of the Impact Commission, how to develop a policy framework at your organization, and a discussion of current issues including NIP tax credit funding.

Representatives from the following offices plan to attend: Senator Capito’s office, Senator Manchin’s office, the Governor’s office, the WV Secretary of State’s office, the WV Treasurer’s office, the WV Attorney General’s office, and more.

The Policy Institute will take place:

December 6, 2019
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Charleston Capitol Complex
WVNPA/Philanthropy Members: $40
Nonmembers: $25

Find more information and register today »

Registration closes Wednesday, November 27!

New Martinsville creates unique way to support shopping local

11.25.19

BY ARIN SHATTO, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AMERICORPS VISTA, THE HUB

New Martinsville is in the heart of Wetzel County, and their local Chamber of Commerce has partnered to create a unique strategy, called Chamber Cash, that encourages community members to support local businesses and foster a more connected business community.

For their initiative, Chamber Cash works similarly to a gift certificate, holding a value of $25 that can be used at 27 participating local businesses in the area to date. Holders of the certificate can then choose to re-sell Chamber Cash to customers through raffles or prizes, spend it at another local business, or turn it into the Chamber and receive $23.75 in cash. The remaining $1.75 is used to cover program fees so that the initiative can continue.

The Wetzel County Chamber Marketing Director and Administrative Aid Brian Rogers said that this endeavor has gained significant momentum in recent months. He attributes this to building community awareness about the Chamber Cash program, getting buy-in from local merchants, and engaging local restaurants.

The day following Thanksgiving, there will be a $300 giveaway of Wetzel County Chamber Cash for community members to engage in the annual Black Friday excitement! Participants who return six receipts back to the Chamber will be entered into a drawing to receive an additional $150 in Chamber Cash.

It is clear that New Martinsville and Wetzel County are making strides to cultivate a stronger community through local business support and investment.

They have outlined business support and collaboration as a goal they are focusing on through their participation in the Blueprint Communities program, hosted by The Hub and Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.

If this story has inspired you and you’d like to learn more, or adapt this initiative to work in your community, click here to find out more.