As part of our work with the Appalachian Climate Technology Now (ACT Now) Coalition, the West Virginia Community Development Hub (The Hub) is working alongside six communities over two years as part of the Community and Business Resilience Initiative’s (CBRI) Accelerate WV program. Wayne, the Fairfield neighborhood of Huntington, the West Side of Charleston, Princeton, Webster County, and Ronceverte will be participating in the program and working as teams to push their communities forward. This Accelerate WV blog post series will formally introduce our communities as they explore their hopes for the work they are preparing to do as part of the program.
Princeton is no stranger to working with The Hub to focus on integral community development work in the city. A primary focus in Princeton has been creating a more vibrant and artistic community that not only makes the city more entertaining for residents but draws in visitors and tourists. Having already been a Hub community in the past, members of the Princeton Accelerate WV team knew it was time to work alongside The Hub again.
“The Hub’s programs have been integral to our growth, and I have always stayed in tune for opportunities to continue our journey,” explains Lori McKinney, co-founder and executive director of RiffRaff Arts Collective and Princeton Accelerate WV community team member. “When I saw the program on The Hub’s social media, it caught my attention, and the timing felt just right to get partners in our community coordinated on another big push forward.”
Princeton has been working diligently at community development and revitalization. For years, residents of Princeton have come together to work as part of Blueprint Communities®, Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE), and Hub Communities of Achievement Program (HubCAP).
“We finished HubCAP in 2019 before the pandemic changed the world. After the whirlwind of a few years, the energy in town is so new and alive, with new residents, investors, and stakeholders,” says McKinney. “The timing feels just right now, on the other side, to gather the energy and spirit and set a course toward collaborative community action once again! We hope to continue the momentum of transformation in our downtown and across our whole city, and support investment in businesses, creativity, and innovation.”
The collaborative energy McKinney and the Princeton Accelerate WV team wants to create started with creating a strong team of interested and engaged residents. McKinney reached out to the key players in her community, including big thinkers, doers, investors, and entrepreneurs who have been putting their energy and time into creating a vibrant and liveable community.
As for what McKinney would tell her neighbors about the work happening in Accelerate WV, she says, “We’ll be reaching out to engage everyone that wants to be involved! There will be all kinds of opportunities to engage, contribute your voice, and make an impact.”