First Unitarian Congregational Society

This summer, your Youth Group will once again be journeying to War, West Virginia, for our fourth annual service trip there! We are excited for the many adventures to come, the interpersonal connections we hope to strengthen, and the work we will provide for the community. 

We will be returning with 7 youth this time, 3 of the new kids were able to go last year and eagerly agreed to return. In order to provide everyone with an equal opportunity to give back through service, we have spent many hours fundraising and planning. Unfortunately due to the restrictions COVID-19 has presented us with, it's been harder to come up with ways to be able to raise money this year. That's why your help could make a huge difference for us, your donations to our GoFund Me could mean the difference for our youth, ensuring that no one will have to pay out of pocket and that we all will have the opportunity to come on this meaningful and exciting trip!

 In West Virginia, we will be working with an organization called Big Creek People In Action (BCPIA). This grassroots operation, made up of ex coal miners and their families, has been serving the community since 1990 by providing job retraining, a computer lab with internet access, community events, and much more. But the largest contribution BCPIA makes is the free home repair, upkeep, and construction they provide to families in need. In our service work, we assist with one of these construction projects. Three summers ago, we painted the house of an older couple with limited resources. In 2019, we built a wheelchair ramp so that a woman with a disability could finally reenter her home, a couple years after a medical condition forced her to move into her in-laws' more accessible house. Last year, we re-floored an old coal-mining store and transported rooms of donated clothes as well as boxes of food donations into the building. Unfortunately we weren't able to stay for the full completion of the building, but with our help BCPIA was able to turn this old building into a place where the local community will be able to pick up and/or drop off donations. 

This community is located deep in the Appalachian mountains in West Virginia’s McDowell County, one of the poorest areas in the United States. Due to climate change, the polluting and mountain-eroding effects of coal mining, and new mining methods which employ far fewer people, this once-flourishing community has fallen into disrepair. The population has fallen by 80% over the course of 10 years, meth and heroin use runs rampant in the wake of the opioid epidemic, and unemployment continues to rise -- some estimates suggest up to 46%, and the annual income per capita is only around $9,000. 

 For these many people left behind by American progress, BCPIA offers help and, perhaps more importantly, hope. And one avenue bringing both to members of the community is meeting with young people from around the country and being reminded that we haven’t forgotten them. That’s the message we hope you can help us send: we remember, we care, and we’re here to help. 

In addition to facilitating our service for the community, any potential support you could offer us would go directly back into local businesses, in paying for housing, food, and building materials. We are thankful to once again have the opportunity to make such a difference in the lives of people less fortunate than ourselves.

We will also be posting videos each month leading up to our departure of members of our youth group talking about their experiences and memories of West Virginia. We hope you enjoy and look forward to each!