INSPIRING PEOPLE ›› giving
A Silver Lining West Virginia Women Made Virtual Market is a hit. A juried maker market is months in the planning. Artisans apply, organizers review the applications, and makers have to be notified they’re accepted in time to make their products. So when the pandemic and distancing hit in late March, Carrie McClanahan, organizer of the West Virginia Women Made Market planned for May 2 in Charleston, was well into preparations. Facebook user, she transformed it into the May 2–4 West Virginia Women Made Virtual Market. Organized as a public group on Facebook, the market drew members so quickly that Carrie hoped for 5,000 by May 4. Forty selectively chosen women from across West Virginia posted photos of their wares, everything from clothing and jewelry to foods, bath and body products, and decor. Buyers scanned their posts and placed orders. Not only did the vendors sell well; the group overshot 5,000 members by May 4 to hit 8,500. Carrie announced that the West Virginia Women Made Virtual Market would remain online permanently, with three seasonal virtual markets and one physical market a year. facebook.com/ groups/wvwmm Not to worry: A maker herself as mcclanaHANDMADE and a savvy
NICHOLAS COUNTY 4-H LEADERS W SUMMERSVILLE, NICHOLAS COUNTY GREATER SERVICE Nicholas County 4-Hers help out.
“my hands to greater service” is part of the 4-H Pledge that members Slayton and Reagan have embodied during the coronavirus pandemic. Both Slayton and Reagan have been involved in the Nicholas County 4-H program since they were in diapers, as they both have older siblings in 4-H and parents who served as counselors. But when their community needed assistance, these two youngsters stepped up in a big way to support health care workers. Slayton has always given back to his community on his birthday. As an avid sewer, he was able to help in a big way this year as he turned 8. When Slayton learned that health care workers needed masks to help keep staff safe during this crisis, he broke out his sewing machine and got to work creating a pattern and then sewing the masks and elastic straps. He sewed nonstop for days and soon had several dozen masks that he delivered to Summersville Regional Medical Center (SRMC) for its staff. Slayton’s mom, Tammy, said that Slayton loves to help people. “He feels so great about helping others, he wants to open a business where he can help other people.” Slayton has continued sewing new masks to help different organizations in the community. He has donated more than 300 hand-sewn masks to frontline workers in his area. With so many health care workers wearing masks all the time, many were experiencing another issue: ear pain. Reagan, 13, knew that she could help with her 3-D printer. Having participated in
several STEM camps offered through 4-H, Reagan knew that she had the knowledge, skill, and tools needed to help. She searched for an “ear saver” model on print modeling pages, then adjusted it to fit her printer and got to work. Each ear saver took Reagan about 27 minutes to print. To maximize her printing time, she wakes up at 6 a.m. to start her printer, starting a new print job as soon as the previous one finishes. With a 9 p.m. bedtime, Reagan makes about 30 ear savers a day. She also donated them to the frontline staff at SRMC as well as at several locations of Camden Family Clinics in the Nicholas County area. In total, Reagan has printed more than 400 ear savers. Michelle Campbell, an LPN at SRMC, said, “Reagan is a sweet kid with such a big heart. These are already helping us all so much. We appreciate Reagan’s efforts to help us.” Reagan continues to print ear savers and is donating them to the general public and to frontline workers who are wearing masks for long periods each day. Reagan and Slayton have both helped their communities by seeing a need and working to address it, something that makes longtime, recently retired Extension Agent Kimary McNeil proud. “There is another Nicholas County 4-Her doing great things!” The cornerstones of 4-H, Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, are easily visible in these two youngsters, How How! Slayton and Reagan have both committed to helping provide for their communities as long as a need exists.
Carrie McClanahan thanked West Virginia WomenMade Virtual Market participants via Facebook Live onMay 4.
22 wvl • the community issue 2020
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