LOGAN COUNTY, WV HIGH SCHOOL TRIP

Located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, West Virginian culture offers a taste of southern hospitality, a northeastern work ethic and simplified mountain living. The roads are very narrow, and houses are built right next to each other or on the edge of a steep incline.

Logan is a mining community and at its peak, was one of the richest cities of its size in America.

The “black gold” that once promised wealth for the area has dwindled over the last half century as cheaper natural resources and renewable resources have become more available. Consequently, Logan has lost roughly 50% of its population as people move for jobs or to further education despite deep connections to the mountains. Many who remain are wrestling with a complex web of social issues – high disability and drug abuse rates related to mining injuries, non-traditional family structures that often include grandparents raising grandchildren, lack of quality housing due to neglected infrastructure and high teen pregnancy rates.

We have been serving in Logan since 2002. Our summer ministries are twofold: service with a children’s reading/ nutrition program and Work Projects. Through each of these avenues, we can provide a safe, healthy place for kids to spend their summer, engage in educational and nutritional enrichment and improve families’ quality of living through minor home repairs. The community members look forward to YouthWorks groups coming each summer.