Step by Step

Reflections on Big Ugly Life

jtotten — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:29:32 +0000

Last week, I spent my evenings with a group of Brandies University students. Every night we’d sit together and I would answer, among other things, their questions about what it’s like living on Big Ugly Creek. “How long did you say the power was out for in December?” Five days. “But your phone was out for…..?” Around a month. “How often do you go to the grocery store?” Once every two weeks usually. “Oh my gosh, you really have to meal plan! That is soooooooo crazy.” I looked at this Boston-living, dorms-sleeping, cafeteria-eating group and realized how I must look. All alone out in the mountains, no car, no cell phone service, no television, and no internet unless I’m at work. Making fires nightly, burning toilet paper, hauling garbage and recycling up to Charleston monthly. Feeding numerous animals. As I looked back at them, I thought about how I must have looked when I first came to Big Ugly. Totally unprepared; I had been totally unprepared.

To be honest, living on Big Ugly was the hardest adjustment I’d ever made and most of it was because I was so unprepared. After four years of heavy traveling and living in different countries, I greatly underestimated how difficult the transition would be. The smallest “town” I had ever lived in had a population of 200,000. Many of us urban folk simply can’t prepare for living rurally because we actually don’t know what it means. However, life on Big Ugly~ building fires in the woodstove, preparing for possible power outages, reading a lot of books for entertainment, driving 50 miles to get to a populous area ~ has been the most rewarding adjustment I’ve ever made. In addition, the work I’ve gotten to do as a VISTA, the experience I’ve gained, and the skills I’ve learned are simply unparalleled to any other work I’ve done. Perhaps most importantly, the people that I’ve met on Big Ugly and the friends I’ve made, and definitely the stories I’ve heard, will stay with me for years.

If you choose to serve on Big Ugly, you’ll probably experience some tough moments. But then again, why are you serving as a VISTA in the first place? For people on Big Ugly, living here isn’t “hard” or “isolating” or “boring,” it’s just… life. Life is tough and rewarding. And living it rural rather than urban isn’t better or worse. It’s just different. And living differently for awhile will always be rewarding.

WV Nursing Home Residents Travel to Prague Lisa Berger McKnights.com

mpate — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:34:17 +0000

To see a video of the Geri Olympics, click here: WV Geri Olympics 2007

July 25, 2008 From McKnights.com

U.S. seniors to compete in Geri Olympics

Author: Liza Berger

Seven U.S. athletes are gearing up for the 2008 Olympics—the Geri Olympics, that is.

This Oct. 9-12, Prague will play host to the fourth annual international games for the senior set. Seven residents of two West Virginia nursing homes—Cedar Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation in Sissonville, and Heartland of Charleston—will represent the United States against the Czech Republic.

It is the first time that the U.S. will participate in the Czech games.

“I think it sends a clear message to the community that people don’t go to nursing homes to die and that spirit and quality of life are really involved with being an active liver,” said Dr. Ted Muilenburg, director of the U.S. team. “Sports is the venue, but the theme is we’re going to live all of our life.”

The residents’ participation has made waves across the state. Gov. Joe Manchin III (D) has challenged the team to bring home the gold. The team hopes to deliver.

“We have seven great residents that are really excited, that really are going for the gold for the U.S.,” Muilenburg said.

The seven U.S. athletes, some of whom are wheelchair-bound, span ages 63 to 80. Team captain Carol Tulliver is a double amputee.

“The team captain has discovered her athleticism at the age of 60,” Muilenburg noted.

Events will include basketball, bowling, horseshoe throwing and beanbag tossing. A special group will compete in wheelchair races. Accompanying the athletes will be an entourage of caregivers, family members and medical professionals. A total of 28 people are going from the U.S.—aged 2 to 80. The group will be gone a week.

The games are a partnership between West Virginia State University, where Muilenburg is a professor of therapeutic recreation and leisure studies, and Charles University, where Muilenburg took a sabbatical earlier in his career. Muilenburg founded the Geri Olympics in West Virginia more than 20 years ago. The U.S. event helped inspire its European counterpart, which Muilenburg hopes will expand to include other countries.

The games go to show it is never too late. Some of the athletes have never flown in a plane before. Muilenburg hopes the nursing-home residents soak up the experience of being abroad.

“We want them to immerse themselves in the culture of Prague as well,” Muilenburg said.

Like the Special Olympics, an event founded in 1968 for those with intellectual disabilities, the focus is about participation more than winning.

Clearly these athletes have nothing to prove.

“These are typical nursing-home residents,” Muilenburg said of the athletes. “They all promote active living and exercise.”

**Sending the seven athletes and their supporters to Europe is a pricey affair. Donations are welcome. To find out how to give or learn more about the event, contact director Dr. Ted Muilenburg at 304-610-9649 or at htm406@aol.com.

Operation Read West Virginia 2009 a Success!

lherberg — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:34:43 +0000

Thank you to everyone who assisted with Operation Read West Virginia’s annual
state Wide book Drive. Thank you for those who helped staff the tables and package
the boxes. Thank you for those who provided moral support and information about how
to organize and run the event. Thank you to everyone who purchased books, donated monies,
and donated books to the operation. A very special thank you to all of those people who delivered
books to the wish list recipients in their home counties.

We collected and distributed just under 2000 books this week.
Books were delivered to preschool classrooms and daycares in 27 counties
out of the 32 counties requesting books.

Exact totals and locations have been revealed on the Books We Love Blog! If you still have children’s books to donate please contact me! nfleming@stepbystepwv.org

Wish lists not yet filled will still be filled as donations come in throughout
the year.

A Special Thank you to the Preston County Mobile Library for doing their
purchasing with us totalling 640 dollars worth of books purchased.

See you next year!

Big Ugly T-Shirts ($15)

lherberg — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:45:19 +0000

When you purchase a Big Ugly T-Shirt, you are not only buying a memorable gift or stand-out article of clothing for your wardrobe, but you are helping to support the Big Ugly Community Center based out of Lincoln County, WV, where local residents don these shirts with pride.

Choose from an array of colors and sizes (see all options below). Shirts are printed with black ink that reads “I’m with BIG UGLY” on the front and there is a picture of the Big Ugly Community Center on the back. These are quality t-shirts, made from 100% combed cotton in the USA by American Apparel.

Front View (click on image to see close up)

Back View (click on image to see close up)

Colors (from left): Light Bright Pink, Magenta/Raspberry, Red Red, Construction Orange, Light Blue, Aqua Blue, Turquoise Blue, Jungle Green, Light Green (not all colors are available)

Youth, Size 10

Youth, Size 12

Size Small

Size Medium

Size Large

Size XL

Size XXL

Size 4XL

SALS Solidarity Festival 2009

lherberg — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:43:50 +0000

On June 13, 2009, the Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) held its 18th Solidarity Festival to celebrate another year of good works, as well as to mark Juneteenth, slave emancipation day.

The audiences follows Jude Vinder along with a Polynesian folk dance.

The event was held at SALS’ Beards Fork Community Center where guests were treated to interactive, live entertainment as well as free hot dogs.

Jude Vinder led a Polynesian folk dance and then performed a piece as an old philosopher, with some help from audience members. John Lozier of “Harping for Harmony” passed harps out into the crowd and encouraged the audience to pluck certain strings as he played harp music from around the world. In the afternoon, the audience was treated to a wide range of music from Harold Allen and Terry Lively’s musical duo “2Blue.” This was followed by DJing by Gino LaCovera which resulted in an impromptu dance party involving the Electric Slide.

Before the day’s end, guests were able to tour a new facility being built to house volunteers, and a ribbon was cut to unveil a new walking track on the community center grounds. SALS Director John David explained that the track will enable people to get exercise in an area where there are few safe roads to walk on. The Beards Fork Community Center is only accessible by narrow, curvy roads.

SALS is a Step by Step partner that currently hosts two Step by Step VISTA positions. Ann Johnson works on youth development at the community center and Alisha Young is on her second year-long term working on volunteer coordination at the WVU Tech office in Montgomery, WV.

Step by Step VISTAs Tonya Huff (Bullying Prevention & Awareness) and Laura Herberg (Marketing) attended the festival with their families. These VISTAs brought with them a bike-powered blender for

festival attendees to peddle their own smoothies. Youth and adults alike experimented gleefully with the bike blender which had previously been a hit at Charleston’s Sustainability Fair on May 30, 2009.

Herberg’s mother, who attended the festival while visiting from Seattle, remarked later that the Solidarity Festival was one of the highlights of her trip.

SALS provides educational training, affordable housing, workers education, community service, and runs the Beards Fork Community Center, in Fayette County, WV. It is an award-winning organization that has received national press.

Scroll down for more photos from this event.

Andre'a Johnson loads bike blender with fruit.

Andre'a Johnson peddles her own smoothie as Step by Step VISTA Laura Herberg holds the lid down

VISTA Tonya Huff's daughter hops on the bike blender

Ann Johnson, a Step by Step VISTA who works for SALS at Beards Fork, gives the bike blender a go

Alisha Young, a Step by Step VISTA who works for SALS, dishes up some free hot dogs to a Festival attendee

SALS VISTAs and Staff present

Jude Vinder teachers the crowd how to do a traditional Fijiian folk dance involving paddling.

Jude Vinder as an old philosopher

John Lozier of Harping for Harmony gives Andre'a Johnson, Kiara Forgette and friend a hands on introduction to harp playing.

John Lozier plays harp music from around the world.

Musical entertainment provided by Harold Allen and Terry Lively of the group "2Blue"

Impromptu electric slide to the music of DJ Gino LaCovera

The dance party continues...

Step by Step VISTAs Ann Johnson, Alisha Young, and Laura Herberg

Thank You for Helping Support the Big Ugly Community Center!

lherberg — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:00:37 +0000

Your T-shirt purchase just helped Step by Step, the non-profit which runs the Big Ugly Community Center, to continue to be able to provide programming in education, the arts, health & wellness, leadership, skill development, and sustainable living for the people of the Southern coal fields of West Virginia. Every little bit helps, especially in these hard times, so we’d like to sincerely thank you for your support!

To further assist Step by Step’s efforts, please use the following secure, PayPal button to donate online now!

To receive notification about up-coming Step by Step events, programs, volunteer/work opportunities and more, you can sign up to receive our quarterly e-newsletter, by entering your e-mail address below:

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Thanks again!!

Operation Read WV

lherberg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:53:29 +0000

In conjunction with the Faces of Leadership Conference, Operation Read WV is a project where we encourage and promote literacy and book drives throughout the state of West Virginia.

For Step by Step blog posts related to Operation Read WV, go here.

Natural Helpers

lherberg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:50:11 +0000

A peer counseling program developed by the Comprehensive Health Education Foundation. Presently, we have Natural Helpers student groups located at each of the four middle schools in Lincoln County and at Lincoln High School. School counselors serve as Natural Helpers advisers. Students participate in a two-day training and receive monthly-weekly support from their advisers.

For Step by Step blog posts related to Natural Helpers, go here.

Micro-Society

lherberg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:48:54 +0000

All parts that make a society operate are mirrored in different modules in this simulation project, where primary school students basically run their own little city. Micro-Society currently takes place as part of Omar Elementary’s WV Dreamers Afterschool program in Logan County.

For Step by Step blog posts related to Micro-Society, go here.

Maternal Infant Health Outreach Workers (MIHOW)

lherberg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:44:57 +0000

Developed by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the MIHOW program trains outreach workers to conduct home visits with expectant mothers and parents of children up to age 3. MIHOWs develop mentoring relationships with their mothers, provide information and referral, and organize community support for this population. Our MIHOWs particularly focus on substance abuse and prevention efforts but also address basic needs, childcare and parenting issues, and healthy and effective lifestyles. Going beyond typical MIHOW duties, the Step by Step MIHOW program offers access to a baby pantry made up of donated baby items, located in the Harts Veteran’s Center.

For Step by Step blog posts on MIHOW, go here.