Entry #1: Community Profile
This October, I will be traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia, which is one of the largest cities in West Virginia, and one of only two metropolitan areas in the state to have grown in population since 2010. It is also home to the well-known West Virginia University and the unique Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system. However, despite these seemingly positive facts, Morgantown consistently ranks among the lowest unemployment ranks in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the medium household income for a Morgantown resident in 2013 was $32,887, compared to a West Virginia median of $41,253 and a national median of $51,939. This stands in stark contrast to an estimated median home value of $170,708 in Morgantown, and $103,200 in the rest of Virginia. Because of this disparagement between income and housing prices, there are at least 500 documented homeless people living in Morgantown, a city with a population of 30,666. In addition, approximately 38.4% of the population lives below the poverty line. The large majority of this populace (44.7%) is made up of 18-24-year olds, (because of the nearby presence of West Virginia University) and most of the city is white (90%), African American (4%), or Asian (4%). Perhaps because the proximity of a major university, 93.1% of Morgantown residents obtain high school diplomas, and 47.1% continue on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree or higher, significantly higher than the West Virginia statistics of 83.9% and 18.3%.
As this video shows, Morgantown is a significantly different type of place from the rest of West Virginia. The entire state has a very distinct stereotype of a social atmosphere, and as one of the men in the video says, “Morgantown is not very representative of the rest of the state. I kind of like to think of it as an island in the middle of Appalachia.” Morgantown does tend to have an improved quality of life compared to the rest of the area, but it still lays very low in economic, educational, and social rankings, as the video continues to explain.
This next video backs the statement of Morgantown as separate from the rest of Appalachia, even going to call it an “economic oasis.” This NBC report discusses the city of Morgantown and its (relatively) good economy, which is supported by the economic data entered above. However, Morgantown still does not compare to the rest of the nation, and still needs help in improving its total economic status.
“A child born in Cuba is more likely to reach his first birthday than one born in West Virginia.” This video displays some devastating statistics about the life of a child in West Virginia, and even in a relatively successful area such as Morgantown, this kind of atmosphere is still prevalent and pervades all parts of life. This images and data shown in this video really hit me hard, and made me incredibly grateful for the opportunity to use my skills to work with children on my Appalachia service trip.
In Morgantown, I will be working with a community partner known as The Shack Neighborhood House, which offers before and after school children’s programs to help strengthen families and provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and other community members. According to the website, The Shack’s vision is “To remain the primary community, family, and youth center in the area.”
In order to do so, they work constantly to “create new, and improve existing programs, which promote cultural enrichment, healthy living, intellectual and spiritual growth, and personal development.” The Shack offers a wide variety of services, including before and after school care, snow day and holiday care, a summer festival of fun, health and wellness activities, and even a Community Shared Agriculture program. As a volunteer at the Shack, I will be running the before and after school programs, helping students with homework and tutoring if necessary, and working to make sure the overall facility is in good condition. My group will also be working in the Morgantown community during the afternoons, participating in work such as roofing a house and increasing community sustainability.
"They say it takes a village to raise a child, I'm so thankful the Shack has become my village."