ZAC MORTON
There is social change afoot in Morgantown, and plenty of people are making it possible. One of them is First Presbyterian Pastor ZAC MORTON , who arrived in Morgantown three years ago and very quickly got started effecting change. He developed partnerships with Morgantown Pride and Fairness WV. He’s lobbied for the Fairness Act, which seeks to make members of the LGBTQ community a protected class. He’s united with local food pantries and food service organizations downtown and led the creation of a foster closet at the church. He’s been heavily involved in the Greater Morgantown Interfaith Association, which sponsors meet- ups that are open to different religious groups around town to combat racism, forge relationships that might not otherwise exist, and galvanize progress on community issues. “I’m really inspired by young and old people alike invested in this community. They feel like they can make a difference here and they try, and I see more and more people working together to bring about change. Morgantown is already changing for the better.”
SARAH PALFREY
One of SARAH PALFREY ’s favorite places is right inside the Morgantown Public Library on a Saturday morning during the summer. “I come in even though I’m not working,” she says. “The people are fantastic.” Palfrey came to the library system in 2017 and began with an overhaul of the library card. Applying for a card can now be done online, and digital cards allow for access to the library’s online collection remotely, increasing accessibility in a big way. She and her staff have also gone out into the community to meet people where they are to sign them up. “There are a lot of things in life that are hard, and getting a library card shouldn’t be one of them.” Her mission is to build a stronger partnership between the library and its community. “Libraries are relevant because communities need spaces to gather to share ideas, to explore new worlds, to feel like they are part of something—even if that something takes place inside the pages of a book.”
60 MORGANTOWN FALL 2021
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