Today marks one week since the horrendous flooding has taken place. My state is hurting, maybe the most she has ever hurt. Some people are as going as far to say that this isn’t just a one hundred year flood, but a thousand year flood. A flood that crested the banks of so many creeks, rivers, flooded homes, businesses, and everything in between. I’ve seen peoples’ entire lives swept away and have read the reports of deaths from Greenbrier County all the way up to Nicholas.
However, let me backtrack, for many might not know what I am talking about. Even worse, many might even think I am talking about Western Virginia. No, I am talking about West Virginia, which was born out of strife in 1863 and has been moving forward ever since. I'm talking about a state that, even with her problems, I will always love and appreciate. The people here know what it means to have a hard go at life, but still, manage to find the good in everything. We will overcome like we have before in other situations.
However, sitting down and going through the pictures of the flooding is difficult. Seeing places that you may have once traveled and maybe even lived at breaks your heart. It may not hurt you as much as someone who actually lives there, but it still weighs on your heart and mind. It may weigh on it so much that it forces you into action, prompting you to go out and volunteer at the distribution sites or even go independently and offer to clean houses, however much it may be.
That’s one of the starkest contrasts that I see between events like this and, say, the Superstorm Sandy cleanup. Maybe it is just the media or our own brains doing this, but I feel like I’ve seen more people helping out and banding together to get back on their feet than I have in any other state. This is a testament to the average West Virginia’s mindset that our neighbors or community members could very well be included in our family. We are reminded that, like many times in our long and arduous history, the best people we can depend on is each other.
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said, way back in 1963 during our Centennial celebration, “The sun does not always shine in West Virginia, but the people always do”. I believe those words still ring true today. With a strong mindset and deeply held values, West Virginians always rise to the call of service, whether it be to war or to help their fellow man. Even if it takes months or years for everything to get back to normal, we’ll claw our way back.
If you would like to help our recovery efforts, there are many places you can donate directly or indirectly. Two of the most direct options for money are to donate to the Red Cross or our local chapter of United Way. There are also ways of donating indirectly, such as purchasing shirts from local shops like Kinship Goods or even Teespring. Even better, if you live somewhat close to the affected areas, you can just go there and help out with manpower, such as moving boxes of water, distributing supplies, helping move debris, and cleaning.
