HOPE & RESILIENCE ›› strong
VALERIE PRITT W LEWISBURG, GREENBRIER COUNTY Mobilizing for Relief The United Way of Greenbrier Valley and Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation raise money for grants. the instinct tohelp a neighbor is deeply ingrained in the people of Appalachia. After the horrific events of the thousand-year flood in 2016, friends and neighbors joined forces to rebuild what had been washed away, and the efforts paid off. New businesses made plans to open. Homes were rebuilt. Life in the Greenbrier Valley was starting to thrive again. As COVID-19 swept across the country, it was clear that our world was changing and we would need help. It was an easy decision for the United Way of Greenbrier Valley (UWGBV) and the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation (GVCF) to once again join forces. The two organizations share similar missions and coverage areas— Greenbrier, Pocahontas, and Monroe counties—and have decades of service to our community. Led by two powerhouses in the Greenbrier Valley, Erin Hurst (UWGBV) and Anne Bowling Tuckwiller (GVCF), the organizations mobilized donors for the newly established COVID-19 Relief Fund. The passionate pair wanted to provide relief, comfort, and a sense of stability for the Greenbrier Valley. “We wanted to respond to the crisis in the best way we know how—by fundraising in support of local programs and projects,” Hurst said. Together they identified three vulnerable pockets of the population. Schools were closed, so students would need access to food. The seniors of the area would be more susceptible to the virus and need aid. And the tourism-based workforce would face a lack of income for an indefinite time. Launched on March 26, 2020, the COVID-19 Relief Fund campaign began to receive donations rapidly. It received contributions from individuals, businesses, private foundations, and organizations. Just a little over a month in, the fund has garnered more than $176,000 in donations.
#CELEBR8TE West Virginia participates in a nationwide #clapbecausewecare campaign. West Virginians took to their porches, balconies, cars, and driveways on the evening of April 8 to offer encouragement and gratitude to frontline medical workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state’s health care facilities. Appreciation came by way of noise— hoots and hollers, cheerful clapping, joyful noisemaking, dog barking, and even a bit of pot and pan banging.
Grants are awarded to organizations that provide access to food and delivery services, student/at-risk youth support, health care equipment, senior services, basic needs assistance for low-income households, and remote learning programs. Knowing that immediate funds were needed, the first round of grant allocations was mailed out in early April, with two more rounds of award payments following. By the end of April, more than $106,000 was distributed to 30 local organizations and projects. “It’s difficult to put into words the appreciation we have for the donors who continue to step up for us. Time and time again, we ask and they answer,” said Bowling Tuckwiller. “In largely rural, underserved communities, the impact from this fund is hard to quantify. The peace of mind that comes from knowing that organizations in our three counties will step up to care for our residents is something that can’t be measured.” For more information and to contribute to the United Way of Greenbrier Valley and Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, visit unitedwaygreenbrier.org/covid19 .
Check out the videos
https://www.facebook.com/wvliving/ videos/681313172681341/
https://www.facebook.com/wvliving/ videos/645109142936957/
https://www.facebook.com/ watch/?v=681313172681341
32 wvl • the community issue 2020
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