Together for Hope Appalachia

Newsletter - December 2024

DONATE

PARTNER

TFH Appalachia Annual Meeting

February 4 - FBC Corbin, KY

Featuring:

Dr. Kathryn Engle, University of Kentucky, Appalachian Center Director
Peter Hille, Mountain Association CEO
Food Pantries Roundtable
Tour: Mustard Seed Community Garden & FBC Corbin Food Pantry
Meet the TFH Appalachia Coalition
And More

Learn More

Welcoming Dr. Kathryn Engle

Dr. Kathryn Engle is the Director of the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center. Dr. Engle received her PhD in Sociology from the University of Kentucky in 2018. Her dissertation explored relocalization of food systems and different (re)presentations of community narratives as part of a multifaceted agenda toward a just, sustainable future for eastern Kentucky and the region. Her research considered the agricultural heritage and current social landscape of the Stinking Creek community of Knox County, Kentucky. For over a decade Dr. Engle has worked with the nonprofit organization the Lend-A-Hand Center in Walker, Kentucky. She also is a founding board member of the Knox County Farmers' Market. Her research explores local food systems, nonprofit organizations, and community economies in central Appalachia. Since 2018, Dr. Engle has been actively involved with the Sunup Initiative, a racial justice organization in Corbin, Kentucky, working to promote constructive conversations about race in the area. In 2012 she edited the collection of local history articles Madison's Heritage Rediscovered: Stories from a Historic Kentucky County and created the online database Madison's Heritage Online. Her scholarship has been published in the Appalachian Journal, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and Journal of Appalachian Studies. Dr. Engle is currently co-editing a volume with Dr. Shaunna Scott on just transition in Appalachia.

Welcoming Peter Hille

Peter Hille is Chief Executive Officer for the Mountain Association. After nine years as President, he became CEO in June 2024 to support the leadership transition prior to his retirement in April 2025. He joined Mountain Association’s board in 2003 and served as board treasurer and board chair before joining Mountain Association’s staff in 2012 as Executive Vice President, overseeing our programs in energy, forestry, lending and business support, as well as finance and operations. During his tenure, Peter has helped expand Mountain Association’s work in many ways,

Peter’s favorite activity in Eastern Kentucky is floating the Cumberland River.

Sebrina and Emily visit West Virginia

Debra Davis, Executive Director, One Voice

Matewan Mine Wars Museum

Mid-November, Sebrena Williamson, TFH Appalachia Director of Programs and Partnerships, and Emily Zilich Thomas, Director of Development, visited coalition members through West Virginia. The two started with visiting the Mine Wars Museum in historic Matewan, where they spoke with staff about protecting and amplifying West Virginia's critical labor heritage.

One Voice/One Cup

Next up in Oceana, WV., they visited with One Voice/One Cup, a coffee shop social-enterprise that employs community members in recovery while providing support and resources—all within the same building. The two spoke with Executive Director, Debra Davis, about how OVOC's work results in both individual success and collective community healing.

Rural Appalachian Improvement League (RAIL)

Going down the road to the other end of in Wyoming County, Sebrena and Emily visited with the team at Rural Appalachian Improvement League (RAIL), who shared about the expansion of their community arts programming. The two were moved hearing about the success of RAIL's Paint and Listen night—a night where a person in recovery shares their story while community members listen and paint.

Economic Development Greater East (EDGE)

Heading next to Bluefield, Emily and Sebrena got dinner with Amelia Bandy with Economic Development Greater East (EDGE). Amelia shared all the incredible work that's happening with EDGE, including their recent hydropanel installation in the DRT Environment and work with the Central Appalachian Faith Collective.

Wade Center

The next day, Sebrena and Emily started bright and early at the Wade Center in Bluefield. While learning about the crucial children's programming at the Wade Center, Sebrena and Emily learned that bee keeping was part of the programming—and they even got to take home honey and apples!

Coalfield Development

To wrap up their trip, Sebrena and Emily stopped at Coalfield Development in Huntington, WV. While at Coalfield Development, Emily and Sebrena learned about the ACT NOW coalition, and how the organization is expanding their work into other arenas. Overall, the trip was profoundly inspirational, and Emily and Sebrena were honored to visit with such dynamic and impactful leaders throughout the mountain state.

Central Appalachian Faith Collaborative

As a part of The Central Appalachian Faith Collaborative (CAFC), TFH Appalachia has been focused on addressing land ownership in McDowell County. Gaining access to land is central to food sovereignty, land reclamation and economic revitalization in Central Appalachia. In addition to this focus, the group has begun discussing how to activate overlooked areas of community life.

with Betty Brainerd and Justin Johnson at the Wade Center, Bluefield, WV

Kristi Halsey, Executive Director, RAIL (right)

Christmas Play at RAIL

with Amelia Bandy, EDGE

Keith Visits Hurricane Impacted Johnson County, Tennessee

with Stephen Glover (right), CBF Tennessee Disaster Relief and Pastor Dwayne Dixon (center), First Christian Church, Mountain City

Stephen Glover, CBF Tennessee, Disaster Relief

Keith traveled to Bristol, VA and Mountain City in Johnson County, Tennessee to see how TFH might help with Hurricane recovery. Johnson County was one of the TFH Counties impacted by Helene. While there he joined up with Stephen Glover, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Tennessee, Disaster Relief Coordinator. Stephen has been a tremendous resource for TFH, and others, by organizing volunteers and relief supplies and staying connected with the many different helping organizations in the area. Stephen took Keith to the Bristol Motor Speedway warehouse that was used as a collection and distribution site for an area of east Tennessee that was one of most devastated by the hurricane. There they loaded Keith’s rental minivan with supplies to be delivered to Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies for distribution. Stephen and Keith then traveled to Mountain City where they visited organizations helping with hurricane relief.

First Christian Church, Mountain City, TN

The first stop was with First Christian Church, Mountain City, Tennessee. The church is serving as a hub for home repair efforts in Johnson County--maintaining a list of needed repairs, organizing building materials, hosting volunteers and teams, coordinating the work, and receiving donations. Pastor Dwayne Dixon and many church members are organizing, delivering lunches, and doing all the things it takes to help their community recover. Johnson County is one of the seven TFH counties in Tennessee. From there Stephen and Keith stopped in at the local FEMA office to get an understanding of the kind of assistance available and how residents could go about applying. Stephen and Keith wrapped up their time together with lunch at a local restaurant where they met with a widowed mother of two young children who had lost everything in hurricane. Some funds from TFH Disaster Relief will be used to help her rebuild, along with assistance from First Christian and FEMA.

Know Better Coffee

Next Keith visited Daniel Thomas, pastor of The Local Gathering and his wife Tia Thomas at their coffee shop, Know Better Coffee in Mountain City. Pastor Daniel and Tia have some deep thoughts on what it takes to build community and help an economically depressed community thrive—and their church is helping their neighbors recover after the hurricane.

Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency

On this trip, Keith also visited the Johnson County Neighborhood Service Center, one of Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency's (UETHDA) nine centers located in its eight county region. Two of those centers are located in TFH counties of persistent rural poverty, Johnson and Hancock. At UETHDA’s main office in Kingsport, TN, Keith visited with Martha Dixon. Martha shared her inspiring story of how UETHDA assisted her when she was struggling as a single mother. She credits the program for helping her go to college, when she didn’t think that was possible. She now serves as the Community Services Team Leader for UETHDA.

Toward their goal of eradicating poverty, UETHDA offers a wide array of resources for these counties including, Head Start, energy assistance funding, income management, weatherization, and more.

Their Self-Sufficiency and Career Resources programs have an impressive and measurable record of success helping neighbors with developing and implementing goals, overcoming obstacles, earning a degree or learning a skill, and finding housing and employment.

“The reason that I go to work everyday is because I know there’s more people out there like me waiting for somebody to say, ‘You can do this.’”

Martha Dixon

Community Services Team Leader for UETHDA

Loading up supplies for Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies

Bristol Motor Speedway Hurricane Relief Supplies

Daniel and Tia, Know Better Coffee

Know Better Coffee - Appalachian Sunrise

Martha Dixon, UETHDA

UETHDA Center in Mountain City

Give HopeBox for Christmas!

Purchase Your HopeBox Here!

Together for Hope is excited to present, HopeBox! Filled with three items, one from each of our regions, you'll be supporting TFH and these social enterprise partners, each with a unique and interesting story. Learn about the Appalachian item below.

Since we all have those family members, friends, colleagues, employees and volunteers that we give gifts to during the holidays who are either hard to buy for or who already have everything they need, sometimes it is nice to give something meaningful to them for Christmas. Below you will find information about an opportunity to do just that through TFH's HopeBox!

TFH’s social enterprise members are non-profits/businesses designed to achieve specific objectives as their primary purpose. Their goals include: making positive impacts on society and the environment, funding social programs, or giving jobs to those who need them to sustain their families. We love what these organizations are doing and want to do everything we can in order to support them. One method of support for these partners is the reason I am writing to you today. I wanted to inform you all about an opportunity to support some of our social enterprise coalition members and to help TFH sustain our work in rural development.

Appalachian Gold’s Mama’s Meat Sauce from TFH's Appalachia Region

Born in the late 1800s in Uniontown, Alabama, the strong, no-nonsense matriarch, Grandma Penny crafted the first batch of Mama’s Meat Sauce as a matter of resourcefulness and in a streak of Black brilliance. Likely off the plantation or very near to it, Grandma Penny began the rich legacy of making something out of nothing, infusing flavor and love into lesser cuts of meat, using Mama’s Meat Sauce. Her family came from Alabama as part of the 1900s migration of coal miners to West Virginia, and the next Mama in the family worked as a cook in the boarding house, carrying guns in her apron for protection. Everyone loved the foods she would cook as Mama’s Meat Sauce gained notoriety in the community. Appalachian Gold is a TFH social enterprise coalition member focused on revitalizing rural Appalachian communities through sustainable farming and economic development. By partnering with local farmers, they promote the cultivation of heritage crops and organic produce, which helps preserve traditional agricultural practices while boosting the local economy. Appalachian Gold also creates jobs, provides training for underserved populations, and supports food security initiatives. Through their commitment to environmental stewardship and community empowerment, they help build a more resilient, self-sustaining future for the Appalachian region.

Thanks to

Jason Tartt, Appalachian Gold and

Josh McGee, Y'All Company

for creating this important social enterprise to provide jobs and a market for local mountain farmers in McDowell County, WV.

TFH Disaster Relief Fund

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Appalachia once again has been swamped with extensive flooding and wind damage.

TFH has set up a disaster relief fund to help.

This fund has already been used to assist a team from Growing Roots, a TFH partner. The team made the trip from Grundy County, TN to help with hurricane relief work in east Tennessee. More assistance is on the way.

Thank you for your support for disaster relief.

Support disaster recovery now!

The TFH Appalachia Coalition

The TFH Appalachia Coalition at Work

Samaritan Ministry Annual Thanksgiving Banquet

On November 21st, Samaritan Ministry hosted its 23rd Annual Thanksgiving Banquet, one of the signature events for our ministry. This year we served a pretty fabulous spread to about 90 guests, including family and friends. We are always amazed at the number of volunteers who come to serve! It was a great evening of fellowship and laughter, with an underpinning of unconditional love dished out in ADDITION to the great food. This year our Banquet costs were underwritten by our friends at FISH of Knox County, by our many individual donors, and scores of individuals who provided home cooked dishes for us. Our volunteer team included many from Central Bearden (our home congregation) and from Central Baptist Fountain City, Cedar Springs Presbyterian, and Gallagher Memorial Baptist Church.

Learn more about Samaritan Ministry:

www.samaritancentral.org

Emma Quire Mission Center's Active Summer

The Emma Quire Mission Center in Owsley County was busy this summer:

From April of this year – September 2024

There were 12 Giveaways of clothing and household goods

>7 Groups stayed at the Mission: engaged in 4 building site jobs, 4 Tent Revivals, 1 Message at the First Baptist Church (with 108 people in attendance), 2 Vacation Bible Schools

>25 Food Bank Days

>6 Food Drop Distributions with 14,000 lbs. of produce and canned items distributed at each food drop

>There were 3 Shipments from Matthew 25 Ministries: with 90,000 lbs. of supplies, distributed to 400 Food Bank Households, 17 Churches with approximately 1,000 members in their congregations, 6 rescue squads, 2 fire departments, 1 homeless shelter, and a clinic that serves the homeless.

The Emma Quire Mission Center is a mission of First Baptist Church on Saint Clair in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Learn more about the Emma Quire Mission Center:

https://www.emmaquiremc.org

ASP Hurricane Recovery Continues

Exciting news from Appalachia Service Project:

Today, we’re celebrating home. 🏡 For one family affected by Hurricane Helene, “home” is no longer just a hope—it’s a reality.

ASP’s first home is officially complete and the keys have been handed over to the new homeowner! We are so thankful for the hands, hearts, and hope of everyone who made it possible: our incredible volunteers, dedicated contractors, generous donors, compassionate partners, ASP team members, and the prayers that lifted us every step of the way.

Learn more about the ASP Hurricane Recovery efforts and how you can help:

asphome.org/helpafterhelene