Be Healthy WV: Making an Impact in Clay County

On a sunny Thursday morning, the JJN Multimedia crew headed up to Clay County to meet up with the Center for ActiveWV team. As a part of the Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy Country Roads Tour, a number of WVU volunteers came down to Clay County from Morgantown to help with two major initiatives: helping spruce up a walking trail and helping pack boxes for a local food pantry. 

Community Care: Big Otter Clinic

Our first stop was the Community Care of Big Otter medical clinic in Ivydale which received a grant from the Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy program from West Virginia University.
With grant funding, Dr. Christine Jones has partnered with the Be Healthy WVU Extension team to help build a walking path behind the clinic. The project came about during the COVID-19 pandemic when patients were uneasy with coming into the clinic for their appointments. They decided to turn the open field behind the clinic into a walking path for patients, clinic employees and the general public to enjoy fresh air and beautiful scenery. 

During our trip to the clinic, the Country Roads volunteers helped stain a bench, mulch the garden and do some prep work for a gazebo that will be installed. The JJN crew took both photos and video of the project so the Be Healthy WV team can showcase all of the great work going on with the walking trail. 

Risen Lord Food Pantry

In the afternoon, we headed down to the Risen Lord Food Pantry in Maysel. With no grocery store in the immediate area, the food pantry serves a pivotal role in the community and distributes food to hundreds of families. There we met with Father Thien and other members of his church and the Country Roads volunteers helped the food pantry pack boxes for their monthly distribution. 

With the shots we needed and the production day complete, the JJN packed up and headed back to Fayette County. But, we were left with great pride and appreciation to be able to partner with such an amazing group of people. Each and every one of the Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy grant recipients have demonstrated that with a little assistance, they will continue to work tirelessly and make sure their communities have the resources they need to keep moving forward in our great state.

I admit that I hadn’t spent much time up in Clay County and was amazed at how beautiful it was and also how wonderful the staff and volunteers were. They really embodied the West Virginia spirit of banding together to help one another during tough times.