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Regional recreation economy initiative gains new ground – congratulations to Mon Forest Towns!

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Ribbon cutting for new welcome signage in Petersburg, WV
BY TALIA SCHWELLING, NORTH ZONE RESOURCE ASSISTANT, US FOREST SERVICE

The Mon Forest Towns Partnership (MFTP) is a collaborative, regional effort between ten communities throughout the Monongahela National Forest and is supported by the US Forest Service (USFS), USDA Rural Development (USDA RD), and West Virginia University (WVU). Our vision is to connect communities to each other, to the Forest, and to our natural resources to generate positive and tangible outcomes that will improve quality of life and vitality of this region. Through relationship-building, community engagement, and resource sharing, the partnership aims to foster a sustainable recreation economy across the Mon Forest region. The MFTP has worked or will be working with the WV Community Development Hub in several of the MFTP communities: Cowen, Elkins, Franklin,Marlinton,  Petersburg, Parsons, Richwood and White Sulphur Springs. Thomas and Davis are also a part of the larger regional partnership.

After three years of hard work and dedication, the MFTP signed a Memorandum of Understanding and became an official partnership earlier this year! 

As a young initiative, we have hit the ground running and have a lot of exciting things happening now and in the future. Here are just a few projects we have in the works now:

  1. New town welcome signs. Each community has worked closely with our WVU graphic design partners to customize a Mon Forest Towns welcome sign for their town. The welcome signs have icons with town amenities and three embedded circles that represent each town’s unique spirit.  Some towns have already installed their signs and held ribbon cuttings to celebrate!
  2. New wayfinding signage and interpretive materials. To guide visitors to community resources and forest recreation opportunities as well as promote the partnership, Mon Forest Towns is working with WVU graphic designers to create branded signage.  Kiosks, maps, brochures, interpretive signage, and wayfinding signage are being designed and prepped for printing this fall – see some examples of the works in progress below. The examples have not yet been finalized, but are shared with the permission of the designers).
  3. New collaborative marketing campaign. We want to spread awareness about Mon Forest Towns, and what better way than fun and informative merchandise?  We are working on creating stickers, buttons, window clings, and rack cards to get the word out.
  4. New public and green spaces. Towns are working directly with the Landscape Architecture program at WVU to create vibrant community spaces that cater to both locals and tourists. Marlinton’s Discovery Junction is a great example of a community effort to transform a vacant lot into a downtown rallying point for the community and its visitors, we hope to see more projects like this in the future.
  5. New online presence. Web development and GIS specialists from WVU have created a beautiful online space for the partnership that includes a forest-wide asset map, town features, and blog space for storytelling.  The asset map allows locals and visitors alike the freedom to discover opportunities across the forest in our ten communities and beyond.  This site will go live fall 2020.
  6. New plans for trails. We have secured funding for IMBA Trail Solutions to work with Mon Forest Towns, Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center working group, and the Town of Marlinton to develop a detailed plan for purpose-built mountain bike trails that will propel the economy of Pocahontas County, WV.
  7. Support for small businesses. Mon Forest Towns is fortunate to collaborate closely with Woodlands Development Group. Woodlands has served a myriad of small businesses with grants, loans, and technical assistance and has been a crucial partner as we navigate through the impacts of COVID-19.

To find more information about Mon Forest Towns and how our initiative is growing, be on the lookout for our website that will go live this fall!

Plans for new community wayfinding and interpretative signage are in progress now. Check out these examples of early-stage designs!

Talia Schwelling is the North Zone Resource Assistant at the US Forest Service. Talia can be reached at talia.schwelling@usda.gov.

Matewan’s hard work continues to pay off with a $1.7 million award for downtown revitalization

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Historic photo of the Nenni Buildings, captured soon after the murder of labor rights hero Sid Hatfield (learn more at the WV Encyclopedia)
BY MACKENZIE NEW WALKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WV MINE WARS MUSEUM, AND KAYCIE STUSHEK, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SPECIALIST, THE HUB

We have had the privilege of working with Matewan residents and local partners and have continuously seen how their diligence, thoughtfulness, spirit and drive has never wavered and has been a primary factor in their many achievements that have continued to build over the years. 

A commitment to Matewan’s past and honoring a future that ties its rich history with adventure has always been at the center of their community conversations. In the past few years alone, community members have been building momentum and bringing a great energy to their town in numerous ways.

We’re including just a few highlights of achievements from recent years here. Do you know more? Share them in the comments! 

  • Multiple new businesses have opened centered around history, culture, and outdoor recreation; 
  • The Historic Lock Up and City Hall had a huge facelift, with external and internal renovations done by local volunteers; 
  • The WV Mine Wars Museum moved to a larger location, thanks to a partnership with the local UMWA chapter, who purchased and is working to remodel the recently closed BB&T building, now the International Cecil E. Roberts Building, to be a space to serve the community in multiple ways;  
  • A local Convention and Visitors Bureau was formed, who is a hub of information for local activities, and who recently collaborated with other partners to put up stunning billboards around the area; 
  • A beautiful mural painted by local community members greets visitors at the end of Mate Street; and a new solar-powered speaker-box talks you through some of the area’s rich historical events; 
  • The Tug Fork River is becoming even more of a recreational asset to the community through regional collaborations; 

And now…

The three historic Nenni Buildings located in the heart of downtown were purchased by area partner Coalfield Development, and have received $1.7 million dollars in funding for redevelopment efforts that align with the vision of this determined community!

The team at Coalfield Development shared more about this story on their website.

Read the story and more details on this exciting project » 

There are so many more initiatives and positive things happening in Matewan, look them up to get more details, as this community should definitely be on your must-visit list.

Completed historic building redevelopment project is a welcoming beacon in the city of Hinton

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Way to go, Hinton! See before and after pictures below
BY CANDICE HELMS, PRESERVATION ALLIANCE WV AMERICORPS MEMBER, HINTON HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION

Hinton’s oldest standing residential structure, The Campbell Flannagan Murrell House Museum, built circa 1875, has recently gone through more than the obvious facelift. Over the past few years, the community and partners have come together to give this current day museum much needed attention focused on preservation and preventative maintenance.

In June of 2017,  the former Preserve Alliance West Virginia’s AmeriCorps Member Sarah Rogers, submitted a (successful) National Coal Heritage Area grant in hopes to address the concerns of the safety of the CFM House and to preserve the structure and its contents. Combined with that, I, the current PAWV AmeriCorps Member, submitted a mini-grant through the Hinton Area Foundation to fund the painting of the exterior. The City also contributed their labor to doing a majority of the work. In September 2019, the project started and successfully ended in July 2020. Jumping in after Sarah left, was quite seamless. The entire Board of the Museum has been very supportive and excited as I was to see a much needed, finished product.

BEFORE
AFTER

A staple in the repair process was the installation of a much needed retaining wall. Water damage issues were in abundance with this Historic structure, and redirecting the water away was just the beginning of the process. Tree removal, installation of supplemental guttering, and equipping a dehumidifier in the basement were also needed to complete that effort. Throughout the house, there were windows that needed attention, walls in need of patching, flooring to be replaced, and much more. Lastly, the entire house was painted to what the Museum Board deemed as the most accurate, original color scheme.

Hinton is coming around the bend full force in Community Development and this project is just one of the many to consider successfully done! We are very proud of this new, shining beam in the West End and every passer-by gets greeted with a lovely sight, and all who put in any effort, receives a reminder that it takes a village to keep moving forward, FULL STEAM AHEAD!

Who do you know that deserves the spotlight? Power of Performance Awards are back!

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2019 Power of Performance award recipients – See all past awardees

The Alliance for Economic Development of Southern West Virginia, West Virginia Community Development Hub and Coalfield Development are teaming up once again to host the Third Annual Small Communities, BIG Solutions Conference on November 16-20, 2020. This year’s conference will be held virtually. This event allows professionals, community leaders, and experts to share their unique views on West Virginia successes.

Save the date and learn more about this year’s conference »

The conference team is looking for nominations for the 2021 Power of Performance Awards. The deadline for nominations is September 1, 2020.

These awards are aimed to honor individuals, organizations, institutions and community leaders that are making positive things happen in their neighborhoods, communities and across the state. These honorees are truly power performers in southern West Virginia and those selected will be honored at our conference.

Learn more about the Power of Performance Awards + see past awardees »
Nominate someone for a Power of Performance Award »

Individuals who are leaders in the following categories are encouraged to submit their southern West Virginia success story: Putting People to Work; Revitalizing Communities; or, Changing Lives.

We also have a new student track #WVSolutions Seekers – Rising Leader in WV. This is a new category added to this year’s conference for students in high school, career skills training or college. We are thrilled to highlight those students who have a passion for West Virginia, have a unique idea or project and show qualities of a rising leader in the Mountain State.

The goal is to highlight success stories within the following 21-county region: Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Putnam, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Webster and Wyoming counties.

Some important things to keep in mind:

  • Self–nominations for this award are encouraged.
  • All honorees selected will receive an official invitation to the conference.
  • Honorees will have an opportunity to share their southern West Virginia success story during the conference program.

Learn more about the Power of Performance Awards + see past awardees »
Nominate someone for a Power of Performance Award »

The Hub receives Change Maker Award from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation

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We are honored to be selected for The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation’s 2020 Change Maker Award in the community-economic development priority area.

In the annual State of the Foundation address, Dr. Michelle Foster, President and CEO of The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, shared that these awards are given to “nonprofit partners who have exemplified innovation, resilience, and collaborative spirit.” We are joined by fellow awardees Kanawha County Schools in the health priority area and EnAct, Inc. in the education priority area.

Watch Dr. Foster’s speech, videos featuring each of the Change Maker awardee organizations, and more on the foundation’s website.

The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation is an instrumental supporter of The Hub’s programming, helping us to create transformational impacts in partnership with community teams based in towns across the Kanawha Valley.

The team at The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation captured the video above of The Hub’s Executive Leadership Team, including Executive Director Stephanie Tyree, Director of Community Engagement Amanda Workman-Scott, and Director of Strategic Network Communications Emma Pepper, speaking more about The Hub’s model and our work in partnership with the foundation.

Stephanie shared in her acceptance speech for the award, “It is an honor to be recognized as a Change Maker organization by The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. It matters to us, especially in this time, to have The Hub recognized in this way. It affirms the work we have been doing for the last 10 years and recommits us to continue that work for the next 10 years. Thank you.”

Tool: Create a Community Hashtag Campaign to Spotlight Changemakers

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Facebook Posts from The Hub’s #BetheChangeWV campaign – find examples below!
BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Last year, we put the spotlight on 36 West Virginians who are invested in making a difference in our state’s communities through a social media hashtag campaign called #BetheChangeWV, part of our #NewStoryWV project. This is an impactful tool that we built to help lift up the voices of residents in West Virginia, and we want this tool to be in your hands too.

Now, we’re sharing 3 steps to kickstart a #BetheChangeWV campaign in your own community.

This kind of campaign can help you reach goals such as:

  • Increase community pride and raise hope
  • Shine a spotlight on the people doing good in your community, such as small business owners, community leaders, volunteers, and others
  • Attract new people online to volunteer for the work and projects you’re doing in the real world
  • Generate new and different types of posts for your social media accounts

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Examples! Search #BetheChangeWV on Facebook and Instagram to see more.

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When you’re sharing on social media, be sure to include the hashtags #BetheChangeWV and #NewStoryWV to join in on the statewide collaborative conversation about a new story for West Virginia. (Find more details on using hashtags at the bottom of this post!)

If you have a question about how to create a campaign like this in your community, please email me at e.pepper@wvhub.org. 

Step 1: Decide the type of people that you are interested in spotlighting.

Pick a group of people to highlight who share a common interest that corresponds to a goal you have or a challenge you are facing in your community.

Some examples to consider:

  • Are you interested in bringing more residents and tourists to your downtown? Considering spotlighting the business owners and people who are already there.
  • Are you looking to show off your area’s natural beauty and increase tourism? Consider spotlighting the people who are visiting those locations or have a tie to them.
  • Do you need more volunteers? Consider spotlighting the volunteers – past and present – who have been a part of your team’s work.
  • Are you interested in raising hope and building community pride? Consider the people in your community that make you hopeful and proud about living there. Think about the people who are giving back to your community. Maybe it’s the superstar volunteers who are always showing up for every event and project. Maybe it’s the small business owners who are a central part of your community’s fabric. Maybe it’s local artists, teachers, or leaders at local service organizations. Maybe it’s all of the above!

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More examples! Search #BetheChangeWV on Facebook and Instagram to see more.

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Step 2: Find those people. Capture a quote and a photo.

Here is a checklist of ideas to help you accomplish Step 2 – but if you have an idea for a different path, that’s great too. Mix it up to do what’s best for your community and goals.

  • Make a list of the people that you want to feature. Look back to Step 1 and make a list of all the people that fit this description in your community. Be mindful of selecting a diverse list of people. You’ll be lifting up members of your community through this campaign, and it’s important that the residents who are viewing the campaign see people like themselves represented.
  • Decide who will be capturing the quotes and photos and how you will do it. The more people you can get involved in gathering quotes and photos, the better, although at The Hub, we were able to do this with 1 person capturing the quotes and photos. You don’t need a big group to make this work happen. Make a determination about if you want to try to take your own photos, or if you want to ask people to submit photos of themselves. Taking your own photos means that you will have consistent visuals throughout your campaign, which is a nice outcome, but not necessary for success.
  • Decide 1 question to ask each person you want to feature. This question will give you the quote that you need to accompany the photo. Come up with a “Why” question for the people you want to feature. Some examples are: Why do you believe making a difference in our community is important? Why do you like visiting this (location, business, etc.) in our community? Why are you choosing to be a business owner in our community? Why do you shop locally?
  • Find the people you want to feature. Reach out to them by phone, email, or social media; or find them while you’re out and about in the community.
  • Ask the person you are featuring your 1 question and write down what they say. If the person you are featuring is having trouble answering the question, ask them to start their response by saying, “Because I believe…”
  • Take their photo or ask them to send a photo to you.
  • Bonus: Create an option to participate using video. Videos can help elevate the connection that’s created between the person who is viewing the video and the person you want to spotlight – and they can help you to get more likes and shares on social media too. Check out the work that’s happening with the West Virginia Municipal League and Mountain Craft Productions for their #TakingCareofBusinesses campaign for an example of this in action (and join in!).
Step 3: Post to social media!

Decide the best place to share these photos online. Pick 1-2 places on social media that will be the “home base” for all of the posts in your campaign.

Here are some ideas to consider:

  • Facebook Pages: Think of a community group’s page, local nonprofits, tourism groups, and others who may have a page that aligns with your vision.
  • Facebook Groups: Think of local Facebook Groups with a similar vision to yours.
  • Instagram Business Pages: Think of local businesses or groups that may have an Instagram account.
  • Personal Facebook and Instagram Accounts: Use the Facebook or Instagram accounts from the individual people on your team, and/or extend the ask to others in the community to include the posts on their accounts.
Don’t forget to include hashtags when you’re posting on social media.

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One more example! Search #BetheChangeWV on Facebook and Instagram to see more.


West Virginians use Facebook to battle food insecurity, build community

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BY ZACHARY RISSMAN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM AMERICORPS VISTA, THE HUB

In times of crisis, we are defined by how we come together to respond to the challenges that we face.

On Friday, March 13th, Governor Jim Justice announced that all schools would be temporarily closed. While critical to slowing the spread of the coronavirus, this decision also put one huge question on the table:

How can we ensure that students who rely on school meals will not go hungry? One group of community organizers sprang into action.

On that same day, Jenny Anderson with Our Future WV and Liz Brunello with the American Friends Service Committee dove into this question head first, as Jenny Anderson says, “knowing there would be a great need to feed kids. Not even thinking twice about logistics or a system and only the need.”

Their first move was creating a Facebook Group called “WV Food ER 2020” designed to support families in this time of crisis.

Find WV Food ER 2020 on Facebook »

Jenny said that the Facebook Group is designed to organize resources and tools, but also to better prepare for future crises.

“The main goal and objective of the Facebook group is to collect state-run and community resources and tools that families and individuals can use during this stressful time while COVID-19 is a threat and as we do this, create a best tool and practice kit for the future in case we have another crisis.”

Beyond sharing information and creating toolkits, the Facebook Group also directly connects volunteers with families in need. “We have a needs form families or individuals can fill out,” Jenny said, “and we use our volunteer lists and connect to other resources to find volunteers to help. We are also organizing volunteers to help organizations and businesses to prep food, pick up or drop off supplies and food to families or individuals using safety precautions for themselves and others. We do not connect volunteers directly to transport people or recommend for childcare, but connect them to organizations that do service those needs to keep folks safe.”

They also have compiled a donation list from families and individuals who have filled out the needs survey for people who want to contribute and are collecting donations to distribute to families. 

The work of Jenny and Liz and the Facebook Group they created reflects a needed grassroots approach to addressing this crisis. In these times of uncertainty and fear, coming together as a community is our best hope at getting through this together.

Thank you Jenny, Liz, and the many volunteers who are contributing their time, energy, and money to ensure that our most vulnerable are cared for. We deeply appreciate you all. 

Find WV Food ER 2020 on Facebook »

West Virginians are making sure kids feel supported

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Packing up food at Welch Elementary School
BY JENNY TOTTEN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, THE HUB

West Virginia has always been a state full of individuals leading from within, and from the ground up. The current challenges facing our state are being met with creative and community-led solutions, especially from the individuals and groups that are working to support the youngest West Virginians in our communities.

WVU Extension and Snap-Ed are working to get hands-on kits into students’ hands for at-home experiential learning. With March’s food of the month being microgreens, and in-person meetings and schools canceled, one WVU Extension office, in particular, got to work to find a way to still provide high-quality programming to its students. Tracey Valach, a health educator for Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, describes the microgreen kits as everything a child would need to try growing their own microgreens- including soil and an observation journal!

Additionally, their office is also distributing STEM kits, which similarly include everything that the family would need to conduct a small science or engineering challenge, such as a pom-pom catapult design challenge. The kits are being distributed through food distribution channels in select counties. 

McDowell County Schools has been working around the clock to reach its students in a very remote, technology strapped part of the state. Cafeteria, bus drivers, and support staff are being leant a hand from teachers as well as central staff and board members to assemble and deliver meals throughout the county, ensuring that those who utilize the school to meet basic needs are still being nourished.

Teachers are reaching their students in every way possible; from fun Tik Tok video contests to take home packets for those with little to no internet access, the learning continues. Additionally, educators are keeping structured office hours and responding to question requests over the phone, on Facebook, and through text message and email. To keep spirits up, Welch Elementary School is conducting its own virtual Spirit Week, where students can dress up in their pajamas, as their favorite superhero, or wear their favorite team’s jersey depending on what day it is and send the picture to a member of the staff, who then posts it on the school page for all to see.

This is working to build a sense of community so that students feel connected and supported during this stressful time for all West Virginians.

Hello, Jenny

Grafton couple opens their hearts – and their property – to the community

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Tom and Donna Hart (left) with their family
BY ARIN SHATTO, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AMERICORPS VISTA, THE HUB

Tom and Donna Hart, small business owners and community leaders based in Grafton, WV, recently had to temporarily close their downtown coffee shop, Espresso Yourself.

“As a mom and pop shop, we really have to consider our own personal safety as well. If one of us goes down, we would really be in trouble,” Tom shared.

But the duo didn’t allow circumstances to stop them from opening their hearts to their fellow neighbors. Tom and Donna wanted to offer folks in their community a space to cope, feel better about this constantly-evolving situation, get stronger, and escape the craziness for a while. They decided to open up their 95-acre property to their neighbors.

On the Espresso Yourself Facebook Page, Tom and Donna shared:

“We remain committed to serving our community in whatever way we can. With this in mind, we are offering free use of our outdoor facilities at Hartland Lake Marie, 35 Lake Marie Drive, for catch and release fishing, hiking and hanging about in the great outdoors. While occupying indoor spaces lends itself to the spread of the virus, fresh air, sunshine (hopefully), and exercise will help to combat it…”

Tom said, “In times like these, we need to help one another and not be selfish. This situation will pass in time. Let’s all be better for the experience.”

He also stressed the importance of strategizing to support existing small businesses in your community for the future, sharing, “Most small businesses are going to need added community and governmental support moving forward. We need to do everything possible to keep the ones we have and start some new ones.”

Although you can’t purchase a sweet latte or a classic pepperoni roll from Tom and Donna to support their business right now, you can visit them remotely on the Espresso Yourself Coffee Shop Facebook page, and, if you’re in the area, take an outdoor stroll through Hartland Lake Marie. Find Hartland Lake Marie on Facebook.

In the words of Tom and Donna: “Be kind. Be generous. Make the world a better place.”


WV Explorer: Trail group changes name to Mountain State Trail Alliance

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From the Mountain State Trail Alliance Facebook Page
BY DAVID SIBRAY FOR WV EXPLORER

Four years after its founding, the New River Gorge Trail Alliance has decided to change its name to the Mountain State Trail Alliance to reflect the counties involved in the organization, according to organization president Bill Wells.

“As the trail alliance expanded over the last few years, we realized that we had outgrown our original footprint in the New River Gorge region,” Wells explained.

“While we will always have deep roots in the New River Gorge, the new name of Mountain State Trail Alliance better reflects our new county partners in Webster, Kanawha, and other southern West Virginia counties.”

Since its founding in 2016, the organization has received more than $2 million in grants toward its mission of building and supporting a regional trail network in southern West Virginia…

Read the full story on the WV Explorer site »