Preserve WV Stories

HELPING YOUR HOME: EDUCATING THE MASSES

4/10/2017

By Hailey Horn, Preserve WV AmeriCorps with the Clio

At the beginning of my service year, I was extremely confident that I could cover, at the very least, one historic landmark in every county of West Virginia. That soon proved to be difficult, and most likely unrealistic, as I became obsessed with each community I was researching, and had to force myself to move on to the next before getting lost in studies that could easily take up all of my 1750 hours. I determined my research area upon importance: which area of the state PAWV or Clio was presenting in, the hometowns of gracious donators, or areas that needed serious improvements. After a couple of months into my service year, I found myself writing about a city that I thought I knew like the back of my hand and quickly learned that I was completely ignorant about the history of a place I have called home the past five years: Huntington, WV.

MEET THE PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS ~ RACHEL

4/7/2017

My name is Rachel Niswander and I am the Preserve WV AmeriCorps member at Happy Retreat in Charles Town, WV. Thanks to my father’s job, I moved around a bit growing up, living in Alaska and Texas before settling in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. In 2016 I graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee with degrees in history and anthropology. I was a violinist and involved with the orchestra from age 10 all the way up to senior year of college and did a lot of volunteering in high school and college with homeless shelters and a Catholic Worker home. I was also in the Anthropology Society and was co-president my senior year.

Rachel Niswander, Center

MEET THE PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS ~ JAMES

4/7/2017

For those I haven’t yet met, please allow me this opportunity to briefly introduce myself. My name is James Shepherd, and I will be serving this year as the Preserve WV AmeriCorps member with the Pocahontas County Opera House in Marlinton, West Virginia.

I was born near Richmond, Virginia, and have lived in its suburbs for most of my life. However, my family’s roots in Rockbridge County, as well as my own childhood memories growing up among the Blue Ridge of Franklin County, Virginia have instilled a love of Appalachia in me. When my wife Rachel was presented with the opportunity to serve as the pastor of Marlinton Presbyterian Church, I knew that it would feel like home. We have been blessed to find a wonderful sense of community here, and the town boasts the essentials to make us feel not too far-removed from the city life we’d become accustomed to.

James outside of the Pocahontas County Opera House

PASSING THE MUSIC DOWN IN POCAHONTAS COUNTY

4/7/2017

By James Shepherd, Preserve WV AmeriCorps at the Pocahontas County Opera House

This past month, the Pocahontas County Opera House was pleased to bring author Sarah Sullivan to all three elementary schools of Pocahontas County in order to share her book, “Passing the Music Down,” alongside the book’s subject, Marlinton-based fiddler, Jake Krack. The book tells the story of Jake meeting and learning from his mentor, Melvin Wine, who was in his eighties when Jake was merely ten. In debriefing with school staff and community members who attended these performances, they felt that the programs were beneficial to the students on many levels.

HELPING YOUR HOME: EDUCATING THE MASSES

MEET THE PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS ~ RACHEL

MEET THE PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS ~ JAMES

PASSING THE MUSIC DOWN IN POCAHONTAS COUNTY

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