You can view the CraigsList listing to contact the coordinator if you are interested in volunteering.

Zombie Walk
Pullman Square
Mar 6, 2010 6pm-11pm

Well, it turns out that they are having a big Earth Day bash at the Barnett Center at 1524 10th Ave (corner of Hal Greer) on April 22 from 4-7pm. This is a family event with carnival games and educational opportunities for children ages 3-14. Not only that but they will be hosting a plant/seed trade opportunity, culturally diverse entertainment, children and family activities and more. I took my daughters last year to one of their parties and it was a great time filled with some wonderful local music, a dance troupe, and all sorts of cool activities for my daughters to participate in.

This is also an opportunity for you to get involved if you would like. The team is always looking for help in their gardening endeavors but they also need help with the part and donations they can use toward purchasing supplies for the event.

You can learn more about Huntington Community Gardens at their website. And, if you’d like to help, you can contact Jenn or Eve Marcum-Atkinson via their contact page where they have their phone numbers and email addresses listed.

Get in touch – you won’t regret it. Heck, even if you can’t help them in the end you will appreciate knowing these awesome people.

Cotton Incorporated launched the Cotton: From Blue to Green denim drive across eight college campuses this fall, including Marshall University’s Huntington campus. The Public Relations Student Society of America has teamed up with Cotton and Huntington Area Habitat for Humanity to promote this cause. It is a call to action for the donation of denim that will be recycled, converted into insulation and used in Habitat homes.

“Huntington Area Habitat for Humanity and the Habitat ReStore are very excited to be in a position to partner with the PRSSA students at Marshall on this project,” said Teddy Kluemper III, Habitat’s director of development and communications. “By recycling the denim, those who participate not only provide a ‘green alternative’ for insulating Habitat homes, but importantly they are doing their part to help keep our houses affordable.”

Since the national campaign began in 2006, the denim donated has been converted into UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation and used in the construction of houses for hurricane-affected families in Baton Rouge, La. To date, the natural cotton fiber insulation produced has been used in more than 200 homes in the Gulf Coast region.

Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store on 3rd Avenue in Huntington will serve as a drop-off location for anyone wishing to donate. The store hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donation bins have also been placed throughout Marshall’s Huntington campus and tables will be set up in the Memorial Student Center every Tuesday in October from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Denim of any type is accepted including pants, skirts, shorts and jackets. Since all material will be recycled, donations may be in any condition, even ripped or stained.

The campaign runs until Nov. 2. For more information on where to donate contact Angela Sundstrom, PRSSA president, at prssa.mu@gmail.com or 304-222-0286.

But there is still work to do! We still need you to “show up and show
off” over the next several days as our community rolls out the red
carpet for our guests. Here are some specific needs:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HANG ART BANNERS SATURDAY – Marshall University
artist students have designed some incredible artistic banners and
they need to be hung all over downtown before our guests arrive. A
group of volunteers will be meeting at 1:00 on Saturday to get this
done – if you can volunteer, please contact Byron Clercx at
clercx@marshall.edu.

DOWNTOWN CLEAN-UP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Our Litter Gitter friends are
planning a downtown clean up on Saturday to make sure that we are in
tip-top shape for our guests on Sunday. If you would like to help with
this effort, please contact Richard Cobb at richardcobbsr@comcast.net.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP WITH REGISTRATION – The Convention and
Visitor’s Bureau is assisting with staffing the conference
registration table Sunday-Tuesday. If you can volunteer a block of
time to help with this effort, please contact Tyson Compton at
tyson@wvvisit.org.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO WELCOME PARTICIPANTS – Volunteers are needed
throughout the conference to welcome participants, help provide
directions and provide other hospitality needs. If you can volunteer a
block of time Sunday-Tuesday, please contact Julie Hewett at
jkhewett@julnet.com.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MOUNTAIN STAGE – There are plenty of
tickets left for the Sunday evening Mountain Stage concert featuring
Kathy Mattea. We need to get the word out to the community that ANYONE
can attend this event, and tickets are $20 each. Please invite your
friends, send an e-mail or post something about the Mountain Stage
Concert on your Facebook page or on Twitter. For more information
about the musical guests, Mountain Stage and the Sunday night
schedule, go to www.mountainstage.org.

And last, but not least – if you still need to register for the
conference, do it today! As a reminder, Create Huntington volunteers
working on the conference can register at a special rate of $99 – a
substantial savings over the regular cost of $299 for registration.
Register online at www.createwv.com.

See you at the conference!!

The ArtGawk is the brain child of Carter Seaton who, after seeing a similar display at Charleston’s FestivALL, felt we needed something similar here.  Thanks to her hard work, and the efforts of the many who aided her, there are over 60 works on display so you can almost guarantee that there will be something that catches your eye or makes you think.  All of the art you see is actually on sale which benefits not only the artists but the owners of the buildings displaying the work as they will receive a 5% commission.  Hopefully this commission will encourage other building owners to become involved in future ArtGawks.

If you would like to participate in a future ArtGawk – or get involved in ,or start, any other projects – you should stop by a weekly chat-n-chew; Thursday nights starting at 5:3opm at the Frederick Building lobby.

A team of local citizens will review surveys and other research.
Neighborhood Associations will arrange the forums, which will be held
throughout Huntington in the coming months. The work is being coached
by representatives from the West Virginia Center for Civic Life and
Everyday Democracy through a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum
Foundation. The hope is that community conversations about the issue
will lead to effective action that makes communities safer and deters
crime in Huntington.

More information will be available at www.createhuntington.com in the
coming weeks.

Kiva is a micro-lending web site. Micro-lending, to those who aren’t familiar with the concept, is a way to provide financing to people who can’t get financing through traditional financial systems. For example, a farmer in Azerbaijan may need some cash to buy a cow – but the large banks there won’t make a loan out for that small of an amount of money. At the same time the farmer may not be able to afford a larger loan and thus can’t use the normal banking system. That’s where mico-finance steps in. It enables that farmer to borrow the money he needs to buy his cow at a reasonable interest rate as compared to local money-lenders (which often charge in excess of 100% interest).

We just started our team this morning so we have only made a single $25 loan so far. However, you too can join and make loans to resourceful people all over the world who are working hard to take care of themselves, their families, and their communities.

I encourage you to check out the site and see what micro-finance and Kiva are all about. If it interests you then please join our team and then make a loan. You don’t make any money from lending out the money but you’ll certainly make a difference in many small communities throughout the world.

“So, what is so special about that,” you might ask? Well, Children’s PLACE operates on a sliding fee scale based on income. Children who come on a part-week basis pay a portion of the weekly fee plus a dollar a day. There is a $10 application-processing fee due when applying for services and an enrollment fee due upon admission to the center. This allows working families with low incomes to ensure that their children are receiving education and child care services that are vital to the future development of our children; educational opportunities and care that might otherwise not be possible for a low-income household. Tuition is payable in cash, or via Title XX reimbursement from the State of West Virginia.
Children’s PLACE employs 23 paid employs and two volunteers. They have an Executive Director, and a Board of Directors.

How Can You Help?

Donate.
Children’s PLACE is always in need of toys, craft supplies, and books, books, BOOKS! Did you know that literacy is significantly higher for children that not only have access to books, but have ownership of books? At Children’s PLACE, clients are given access to books that they can keep; this increases their chances at literacy, and depletes the organization’s supply of books. Because Children’s PLACE receives no state or federal funds, they are always in need of funds to replenish books, paper, and art supplies. Donations made to Children’s PLACE are tax deductible.

Volunteer.
Several times a year, Children’s PLACE has “work party” days, where minor maintenance, cleanup, and other tasks are performed by staff and volunteers. Let them know you are interested in helping, and they’ll let you know when the next work party is scheduled; they feed volunteers lunch, and in a few hours, everyone pitches in to get things done. I have done a couple of these, and always feel good at the end of the effort, and typically make a new friend in the process! Sometimes, volunteers with repair skills are needed to make repairs outside of the scheduled work parties. Children’s PLACE relies on their qualified volunteers to help stretch their budget and serve as many children as possible.
Additionally, qualified volunteers are needed to assist the teachers in the classrooms, and with child care. To volunteer in this capacity, you must attend a free orientation. Additionally, classroom volunteers must have a physical, TB test, background check and drug screen to be eligible. All staff must have a child development, or equivalent, credential.

Serve on the Board of Directors.
Children’s PLACE has a local-citizen Board of Directors. Perhaps this is a way for you to help. Board members serve three year terms, with a three-term limit. There are some other details that may be of interest to you; contact Children’s PLACE if you are interested.

Support the Fundraiser.
Children’s PLACE has an annual Monte Carlo Night fundraiser. Come out and try your luck, have a nice evening out and contribute to a great cause!

For more information:
Children’s PLACE website: http://www.childrensplaceinc.com
Children’s PLACE, Inc.
625 Richmond Street
Huntington, WV 25702
304-525-8586

-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