Ferrum College Reaches Out to McDowell County, Hurley

College Seeks Local Support for Relief Efforts

 (540) 365-4307

           Recent headlines have heralded the flood and natural disasters that have brought devastation to some of the most economically depressed regions of the United States. The Ferrum College community was especially disheartened to learn that two communities, McDowell County, WV, and Hurley, VA, which the College has helped with educational and social issues over several years, suffered great loss.

           The College plans to reach out to the communities again by collecting supplies and dispatching volunteers for both regions. The College will be accepting supplies through Monday, May 13, at 9:00 a.m. A partial list of the most critical survival items requested include:

Money
Blankets
Batteries
Work gloves
4-wheel drive vehicle

Bottled Water
Clothing
Disposable diapers
Rubber boots
Accomodations in the event of an evacuation

Nonperishable foods
Flashlights
Rakes/shovels/pails/buckets
Rain suits

           An updated list of the items needed will be posted at www.ferrum.edu/news/floodrelief02.html.

           Checks should be made out to Big Creek People in Action or to McDowell Mission Inc. Donations to either organization are tax-deductible. Both are 501c3 organizations.

           Volunteers are need for everything from answering the phone to cleaning up sludge. The Big Creek People in Action, the community group coordinating relief efforts in the War, WV area, needs the ongoing use of a small 4-wheel drive vehicle. They are attempting to get food and water to areas where roads have been completely washed away or are covered with mud up to six and eight feet deep.

           Contributions and donations may be brought to the Stanley Library loading dock on Ferrum’s campus. Volunteers will deliver donations on or about Monday, May 13.

           Persons wishing to volunteer with distribution or to donate supplies may contact George Loveland at gloveland@ferrum.edu, (540) 365-4427—day, or (540) 489-5377—evening. Loveland will coordinate the West Virginia relief efforts. Dr. Susan Mead will lead efforts for Hurley, Virginia.

           For the past four years Ferrum College has sent students to the Big Creek area of McDowell County in West Virginia to tutor high school students, design and carry out community-based research projects, and do construction and rehab projects. In April, five high school students from Big Creek visited Ferrum to participate in a Model United Nations. Ferrum currently educates one student from Big Creek High School, with another entering this coming fall. # # #