Faith in Action of the River Cities Helps Local Folks in Need

Ed Dorsey — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:00:02 +0000

One of the strengths of Huntington is its people, and their willingness to give of their time, talent, and treasure to the benefit of others in need. It is my intent to showcase organizations that exemplify this spirit of giving, via a series of articles on each organization that helps others in need, and depends on the generosity of the citizenry of Huntington to realize this goal. If you know of such an organization in the Huntington region, please contact me directly at evdorsey@gmail.com. It is my hope that some of you reading this may be made aware of an organization that “fits” you in some way, and that you might contribute what you feel is appropriate (time/talent/treasure) to the betterment of all involved!

-Ed Dorsey

Now, on with our first installment in what I hope will be an ongoing series!

Faith in Action of the River Cities Helps Local Folks in Need

Faith in Action of the River Cities (FIARC) provides free, non-medical assistance to the elderly and adults with disabilities in Cabell and northern Wayne Counties in WV and Lawrence County, OH. The organization’s mission statement is “Joining people of faith into one fellowship to serve others in need of assistance.” Currently, FIARC has 185 active care receivers on file, but this number fluctuates due to changes in health, living arrangements and new applications.

FIARC has a staff of three part-time employees, who orchestrate the pairing of volunteer caregivers with care receivers, train volunteers, and raise the funding necessary to support this vital mission. At present, there are 65 volunteers, including an all-volunteer Board of Directors. FIARC operates solely on grants, donations, and fundraiser revenue, and does not charge the recipients of its services or any third-parties.

Faith in Action (FIA) was started through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1996, and has been self-sustaining through the support of the community. FIARC remains an active member of the FIA National Network, which functions as a resource for all FIA programs throughout the country.

How You Can Help:

Donate. FIARC receives no federal or state funding and does not charge for services provided; they exist on donations as well as grants and fundraising projects. You can go to the FIARC website (see below) and donate via your PayPal account, or donate by check to 848 Ninth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701.

Volunteer. FIARC is always in need of new volunteers as they lose some each year to their own health and/or family issues and geographical moves. FIARC is especially in need of more volunteers in certain geographic locations, so give them a call! (See bottom of article for full contact information.)

NOTE: All volunteers must attend an orientation/training session and must pass a background check. The training takes about 2-2 1/2 hours and training is held periodically throughout the year, or can be scheduled to fit the volunteer’s schedule. At the training, the volunteer is asked to choose the types of assistance and the days & hours they are interested in helping. Volunteers typically help from as little as 2-3 hours a month or as much as 5-6 hours each week. FIARC does not require any minimum time commitment — whatever works best for the volunteer.

Support the Fundraisers.

FIARC holds fundraisers throughout the year, where folks can enjoy a fun activity, and help support the financial needs of the organization at the same time! In the Spring, the Annual Chocolate Celebration is held at the Huntington Mall on a Saturday. Chocolate vendors sell samples of their desserts and gift baskets are for sale by silent auction (or cash-and-carry for declared value). During the winter holiday season, the local Celtic band Blackbirds and Thrushes performs a concert series at Heritage Farm, with all money raised going to FIARC.

For more information:

Faith in Action of the River Cities (FIARC) website: http://www.fiarivercities.org

National Faith in Action (FIA) website: http://www.fianationalnetwork.org

Faith in Action of the River Cities
Rose Thornburg, Executive Director
848 9th Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
877-367-1271
fiarc@comcast.net

Don Daniel McMillian, Noted Local Author

Eve Marcum-Atkinson — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:58:49 +0000

As a native of Huntington, West Virginia, Don Daniel McMillian’s desire for writing non-fictional books began many years ago while growing up in Cleveland, OH. His fond memories of Shaker Heights and other places of his youth inspired his recent book titled “Cleveland Spaces of Splendor“, a 200 page book focusing on the civic, cultural and architectural jewels of Cleveland. The book has over 120 professional photographs that convey the history and beauty of Cleveland.

Mr. McMillian moved to Palm Beach Florida in 1981 and became a legal secretary for the infamous Woolworth Family. In 1989, when the Savings and Loan Banks went “belly up”, Don had to become an expert witness in a legal lawsuit. By 1991 he was broke, having sustained himself for those 18 months on his savings. He later had to file a law suit against the Woolworth-Donahue family to recover only a small portion of his back-pay.

Mr. McMillian begin writing ”The House of Woolworth, Their Stunning Financial Windfalls, Their riveting Emotional Pitfalls” in 1989. It was a 17 year labor of love, with thousands of hours spent doing research, interviews, and collecting over 130 historical photographs never before seen by the public. This 330 page book was finally published in 2006.

In 1991, Mr. McMillian returned home to Huntington WV due to his mothers’ illness and her need to have family close by. It changed his path in life forever. There were few Interior Design jobs in Huntington. Don donated time to the Cabell County Commission to prepare special State and Federal Grants to repair the building and clock tower for its 100th anniversary, researching the history of Huntington and Cabell County in the process.

After the Grant research was completed, Don continued to spend many hours in the special collections section of the Cabell County Public Library on 9th Street, seeking to discover our region’s hidden history. Much to his surprise he could only find one book, titled “The Annals of Cabell County” by George Seldon Wallace. He also found out that his grandmother Alice Edna Ferguson was Mr. Wallace’s administrative assistant. There was also a distinct lack of detail on local early architecture and design. Further, Don was constantly discovering material on the Civil War and the many families who participated in it, both Union and Confederate.

So, in 1992, Mr. McMillian began seriously researching local historic homes, buildings, and families of the region, collecting photographs and personal histories along the way. Don also discovered a treasure trove of data on the Underground Railroad. Later, he made a special trip to the $20 million Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinati, Ohio only to discover there was no mention of Lawrence County, Ohio or Cabell County Virginia.

This 12 year project lead to the creation of several books: “Huntington, WV: Images of America“, published in 2003; “On The Threshold of Splendor: Historic Homes & Families“, published in 2007; and “The Underground Railroad: Lawrence County, Ohio and Cabell County, Virginia“, published in 2008.

Currently, Mr. McMillian is completing a book titled “The Very Best: West Virginia’s 55 Counties”, which focuses on our State’s rich and diverse cultural history and should be available late this summer.

Don Daniel McMillian’s books are available on Amazon.com, and locally at: Love’s Hardware; La Cook Store; Richard’s Hall Mark; and Stadium Book Store.

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Faith in Action of the River Cities Helps Local Folks in Need

Don Daniel McMillian, Noted Local Author