The Midwest Reunion in Atchison, KS is underway.  Even though spring officially starts tomorrow we are having a snowy, blustery, cold day.  Here are a couple of pictures…more to come.

Volunteers hard at work evaluating last summer’s program and planning for the upcoming summer:

I’m sure many of you have seen the news reports of flooding in West Virginia.  We had heavy rains Friday night into Saturday, coupled with snow melt from the warm weather during the week.  When we drove out to Baileysville early Saturday morning to say goodbye to the NIU students the rivers were quite high and beginning to get close to the road.  By the time we headed out on Saturday, around 11:00, the rivers were moving quite swiftly.  We decided to drive out through Mullens, but were turned away with water over the road just past New Richmond.  Wyoming County was spared from any major flooding, but Beckley and the surrounding area was hit pretty hard.  Keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.

NIU Students on the final night:

The week has come to an end, and what a wonderful week it has been.  Despite predictions of rain and bad weather, we ended up with a beautiful, sunny week and and even more wonderful group of NIU students.

For the last day, the students broke into three groups and spread out across the county.  One group went to the Matheny Head Start to help fill in with a short staffed classroom and had a blast with the children.  Another group went back to the Food Bank to help finish the repairs from yesterday and helped unload a commodities truck. The Food Bank is looking more like it’s old self for distribution next week.  The last and largest group headed up to the town of Helen where they helped with the Upper Guyandotte Watershed Association (UGWA) to remove Japanese Knot-weed from the river’s edge.  The removal of this invasive weed helped to clear the spot where the town will put their soon to be installed water treatment system.

It has truly been a pleasure to work with the sixteen young women and men from NIU this week.  They were willing to do any of the tasks that we put in front them, no matter how dirty or how unglamorous they were.  And even more impressive, even project they worked on did not have a chance of completion, they were just there to help the project along and to pass the next task on to the next group.  In a society such as ours where we want results, it has been refreshing to be with young people who are satisfied to do their part to better the world they live in.  They are truly an inspiration and it has been a gift to be with them this week.

PS:  We will be posting more pictures in the next week after everyone gets home safely an emails their favorite pictures.

The week has come to an end, and what a wonderful week it has been.  Despite predictions of rain and bad weather, we ended up with a beautiful, sunny week and and even more wonderful group of NIU students.

For the last day, the students broke into three groups and spread out across the county.  One group went to the Matheny Head Start to help fill in with a short staffed classroom and had a blast with the children.  Another group went back to the Food Bank to help finish the repairs from yesterday and helped unload a commodities truck. The Food Bank is looking more like it’s old self for distribution next week.  The last and largest group headed up to the town of Helen where they helped with the Upper Guyandotte Watershed Association (UGWA) to remove Japanese Knot-weed from the river’s edge.  The removal of this invasive weed helped to clear the spot where the town will put their soon to be installed water treatment system.

It has truly been a pleasure to work with the sixteen young women and men from NIU this week.  They were willing to do any of the tasks that we put in front them, no matter how dirty or how unglamorous they were.  And even more impressive, even project they worked on did not have a chance of completion, they were just there to help the project along and to pass the next task on to the next group.  In a society such as ours where we want results, it has been refreshing to be with young people who are satisfied to do their part to better the world they live in.  They are truly an inspiration and it has been a gift to be with them this week.

PS:  We will be posting more pictures in the next week after everyone gets home safely an emails their favorite pictures.

The week has come to an end, and what a wonderful week it has been.  Despite predictions of rain and bad weather, we ended up with a beautiful, sunny week and and even more wonderful group of NIU students.

For the last day, the students broke into three groups and spread out across the county.  One group went to the Matheny Head Start to help fill in with a short staffed classroom and had a blast with the children.  Another group went back to the Food Bank to help finish the repairs from yesterday and helped unload a commodities truck. The Food Bank is looking more like it’s old self for distribution next week.  The last and largest group headed up to the town of Helen where they helped with the Upper Guyandotte Watershed Association (UGWA) to remove Japanese Knot-weed from the river’s edge.  The removal of this invasive weed helped to clear the spot where the town will put their soon to be installed water treatment system.

It has truly been a pleasure to work with the sixteen young women and men from NIU this week.  They were willing to do any of the tasks that we put in front them, no matter how dirty or how unglamorous they were.  And even more impressive, even project they worked on did not have a chance of completion, they were just there to help the project along and to pass the next task on to the next group.  In a society such as ours where we want results, it has been refreshing to be with young people who are satisfied to do their part to better the world they live in.  They are truly an inspiration and it has been a gift to be with them this week.

PS:  We will be posting more pictures in the next week after everyone gets home safely an emails their favorite pictures.

Well the week may be winding down, but the students of NIU are still going strong.  What a busy day we had and how pleased we are with the work that was done.  Once again the students divided up, sending a group of eager workers to far reaching corners of Wyoming County.

One group of students went to the Early Head Start in Matheny.  This was their second day at this particular Head Start and we thought it would be the last.  But no…we have such a dedicated group that they have answered the call to return again tomorrow.  It is not easy saying no to adorable children and a wonderful teacher like Nancy. 

The Itmann Food Bank, a place we all know and love, is another place where our hardworking NIU students pitched in to provide some assistance.  As we noted yesterday, the food bank received a much needed shipment of housewares.  Today those housewares were unpacked and put up for next week’s distribution.  Having finished that assignment relatively quickly,we were asked finish up some minor repairs needed in the building, which by the way is looking fantastic!

In addition to the Itmann Food Bank and Head Start, a group of students continued with the project in Hanover.  And it must be said that NIU really went far beyond our expectations of what could be accomplished at this home this week.  The insulation is completed, about half of the underpinning is up and all the painting we had hoped to do is done!  Yes the weather helped, but it was not the weather who knelt in the mud day after day framing and hanging underpinning.  And because of the effort put forth by NIU, the homeowner is closer to the day when she can leave her FEMA trailer and come home.

The day came full circle when Val from UGWA joined us for dinner and an informational session on the Upper Guyandotte Watershed.  Val told us of some of the issues facing the watershed.  Tomorrow will be spent working to correct one issue,  the dreaded Japanese Knot-weed!  We will let you know how it goes.

Well the week may be winding down, but the students of NIU are still going strong.  What a busy day we had and how pleased we are with the work that was done.  Once again the students divided up, sending a group of eager workers to far reaching corners of Wyoming County.

One group of students went to the Early Head Start in Matheny.  This was their second day at this particular Head Start and we thought it would be the last.  But no…we have such a dedicated group that they have answered the call to return again tomorrow.  It is not easy saying no to adorable children and a wonderful teacher like Nancy. 

The Itmann Food Bank, a place we all know and love, is another place where our hardworking NIU students pitched in to provide some assistance.  As we noted yesterday, the food bank received a much needed shipment of housewares.  Today those housewares were unpacked and put up for next week’s distribution.  Having finished that assignment relatively quickly,we were asked finish up some minor repairs needed in the building, which by the way is looking fantastic!

In addition to the Itmann Food Bank and Head Start, a group of students continued with the project in Hanover.  And it must be said that NIU really went far beyond our expectations of what could be accomplished at this home this week.  The insulation is completed, about half of the underpinning is up and all the painting we had hoped to do is done!  Yes the weather helped, but it was not the weather who knelt in the mud day after day framing and hanging underpinning.  And because of the effort put forth by NIU, the homeowner is closer to the day when she can leave her FEMA trailer and come home.

The day came full circle when Val from UGWA joined us for dinner and an informational session on the Upper Guyandotte Watershed.  Val told us of some of the issues facing the watershed.  Tomorrow will be spent working to correct one issue,  the dreaded Japanese Knot-weed!  We will let you know how it goes.

Well the week may be winding down, but the students of NIU are still going strong.  What a busy day we had and how pleased we are with the work that was done.  Once again the students divided up, sending a group of eager workers to far reaching corners of Wyoming County.

One group of students went to the Early Head Start in Matheny.  This was their second day at this particular Head Start and we thought it would be the last.  But no…we have such a dedicated group that they have answered the call to return again tomorrow.  It is not easy saying no to adorable children and a wonderful teacher like Nancy. 

The Itmann Food Bank, a place we all know and love, is another place where our hardworking NIU students pitched in to provide some assistance.  As we noted yesterday, the food bank received a much needed shipment of housewares.  Today those housewares were unpacked and put up for next week’s distribution.  Having finished that assignment relatively quickly,we were asked finish up some minor repairs needed in the building, which by the way is looking fantastic!

In addition to the Itmann Food Bank and Head Start, a group of students continued with the project in Hanover.  And it must be said that NIU really went far beyond our expectations of what could be accomplished at this home this week.  The insulation is completed, about half of the underpinning is up and all the painting we had hoped to do is done!  Yes the weather helped, but it was not the weather who knelt in the mud day after day framing and hanging underpinning.  And because of the effort put forth by NIU, the homeowner is closer to the day when she can leave her FEMA trailer and come home.

The day came full circle when Val from UGWA joined us for dinner and an informational session on the Upper Guyandotte Watershed.  Val told us of some of the issues facing the watershed.  Tomorrow will be spent working to correct one issue,  the dreaded Japanese Knot-weed!  We will let you know how it goes.