A Christmas Journey to War, West Virginia – December, 2009 on Hope Force International

After 25 miles of hair pin turns through the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, we began our gradual descent. Through the darkness, a few lights flickered below us. Soon, we found ourselves on the main street of War, West Virginia. With multiple empty storefronts, a single tiny hotel, a creek alongside the roadway and a single pump gas station, the city of War welcomed us.

We joined HFI’s Appalachia Project Director, Craig Snow, in the local pizza restaurant for a brief orientation and to plan for our visit. War is part of McDowell County, the second poorest county in the entire United States. Estimated per capita income in 2007 for War residents was just over $12,000 per year; 67% of the homes have piped raw sewage or faulty septic tanks. With nearly 15 churches for a population of less than 1,000, one source reported that 60% do not regularly attend a church.

A few miles out of town, a renovated turn of the century school building housed us and another large team of volunteers. We entered a kitchen buzzing with activity. Scents of turkey casserole and mashed potatoes filled the air. Staff hurried about, making preparations for their annual Christmas celebration. Over 600 elderly, disabled and needy children were expected to attend the following day. We ventured into the gymnasium to discover long lines of decorated tables, a corner seat for Santa and a stage filled with Christmas trees, life-sized snowmen and twinkling lights.

By 12:15 pm the next afternoon, groups of the “over 70” crowd began entering the gym, anticipating their 1:00 meal. I noticed a woman sitting alone, and walked over to introduce myself. Hazel, a bright-eyed 82 year old, warmly shared bits of her life story. A life-time resident of War, she married at age 15 and now proudly boasted of 16 great-great grandchildren! Another table filled with a group of disabled young adults, bouncing with excitement at all the lights and activity.

By 8:30 pm, three groups of nearly 200 each had been welcomed, fed and sent home with a box of food, including ingredients for a Christmas dinner. In addition, each child was able to choose a wrapped gift for their parents and every adult walked out with a bag of gifts to give to their own children on Christmas Day.*

Amidst the excitement and celebration, the reality of life in McDowell County still made itself evident. A number of teenage girls appeared ready to soon deliver, and many mothers looked under the age of 20. I noticed the empty eyes of a few older moms that seemed to say, “I’ve given up on life.” Some fathers shuffled in behind their families, heads low and unable to make eye contact with us. What a gift to be a part of bringing a few hours of “magic” into their lives during the holiday season!

The following day, we awoke to the town blanketed in snow. Amazing how the beauty of a snowfall seems to hide the gross imperfections of poverty. We navigated our way to a local “hollow” (pronounced “holler” by the locals), a cluster of trailers and old miner’s homes nestled between steep mountainsides. Pat and Veda Bolen had invited us in to see the results of recent Hope Force volunteers’ work. The Bolens home nearly burned down after their wood stove (positioned inches from a wall) caused a massive fire. Hope Force rebuilt the walls and staircase, repaired the bathroom and kitchen and secured the roof from any leakage.

For me, the unfinished floors, the wood stove in the middle of the bedroom, and the simple steps to the front door all spoke of need. As I listened to Pat chatter, my heart broke and I understood. . .

“Mr. Craig looked at our house and said he’d come back. And you, know, he came back, just like he said. I can trust him! Isn’t it beautiful? I never had nothing like this before! I don’t know how to act in here. Did you see the bathroom? Didn’t they do a great job? Mr. Craig is a good man. You know my wife and me. . .we had problems and ups and downs. But now, I have hope.”

As we drove back up through the winding (and VERY snowy!) mountain roads, I sighed and thought, “I’ll be back. A special place… a special people”.

*Hope Force International partnered with other agencies to help provide Christmas gifts for over 170 children. Thank you to all who generously donated to make this a Merry Christmas!