Slideshow image

Hope in the Mountain services areas in Southern West Virginia with a particular focus in Raleigh County, McDowell County, and Wyoming Counties. The Winding Gulf Coalfield region is the epicenter of many of our activities. The name “Winding Gulf” is the name of a 15-mile tributary of the Guyandotte River in Southern Raleigh County. It flows through communities and old coal camps. The coalfield region by that namesake was noticed by nomadic native Americans as a place where a “burning rock” existed.

European settlers took notice and took the necessary steps to make this region a lucrative economic hub in Southern West Virginia. It was hailed by promoters as a “billion-dollar coalfield.” Sophia, the home of The Hope Center, anchors the eastern end of the coalfield. Mullins anchors the western side.

At its peak, over 50 coal camps dotted the hills and hollers in the region and the population was much larger than today. The miners did their job well. As a result, the non-renewable “burning rock” was depleted and most mines shut down. Most of these communities have returned to nature, but places like Rhodell, Slab Fork, and Lester still exist. Today, only a handful of mines are still in operation in this region.

What remains is an area ravaged by poverty and opioid addiction. There are also lots of decent people left in the area with honest struggles. Children are often raised by single moms, grandparents, or aunts and uncles. Parents are forced to work low wage jobs and depend on government assistance. Older housing structures are in much need of repair; water lines are in need of replacement. Grocery stores with fresh foods, delis, and butchers have closed and been replaced with dollar stores full of processed foods. Nutrition and health needs are serious.

The Hope Center offers programs that help our neighbors in need. We have clean water projects, mentoring programs for teens, camps for kids, and much more. However, we want to do more. We have dreams of becoming a job creation site, offering life skills training workshops, and having a market truck to take healthy foods to the communities who need it most.

All that we do and all that we hope to do is because Jesus taught us to love our neighbors. He taught us that we should provide water, food, clothing, and shelter to the “least of these.” It is part of sharing the gospel. While the Winding Gulf Coalfield may never be the economic hub it once was for Southern West Virginia, it remains a place that many people call home. There are elderly folks, children, and working-class parents than need our support. There are people drowning in addiction that need a lifeline.

The home of burning rocks and the Winding Gulf is a great place to serve Jesus because the needs are great. The Hope Center is there. Each of you who commit to us in prayer, volunteer time, or financial support have an important role in helping us to love our neighbors in tangible ways. Our aim is not just to feed them or give them clean water, but to point them to the only One who can meet their deepest needs.