When the waters in McDowell County, West Virginia, receded enough following February’s disastrous flood, Abby Diaz and her family immediately fired up the grill to their restaurant, Latin Appalachian, to feed thousands of people in the region. Diaz, a Mount View High School student, and her family prepared more than 50,000 hot meals for their fellow Welch community members affected by the flood – not counting the number of food baskets they also collected and passed out.
“We partnered with a lot of our local businesses to give out food, too, so we fed a lot of people,” Diaz said. “As we went through the whole process, we started to realize that everything we got, from the cardboard boxes to the cans of soup, was essential in times like this.”
Because so many bridges and roads were damaged or inaccessible from the flooding, Diaz’s family and other community members delivered food on all-terrain vehicles to those who could not get out. Teams of people were constructing makeshift bridges, while others used mechanical lifts to hoist ATVs in order to distribute supplies to harder-to-reach homes.
“We could only reach certain people,” Diaz said. “If our community did not come together when we asked to bring ATVs, to bring these four wheelers, we would have struggled a lot more. We’re grateful for everyone.”
Diaz is a member of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Jobs for West Virginia’s Graduates (JWVG) program. Elizabeth House, executive director of the West Virginia Chamber Foundation, said most of the nearly 150 JWVG students in McDowell County were affected by the recent flooding. Despite this, they stepped up to help their friends and neighbors.
“Every single one of them assisted in one way or another,” House said. “Abby Diaz’s family did an amazing job, and we coordinated with them. They made every bit of food that they had.”
Whether assisting in cleanup efforts, volunteering at Latin Appalachian or sorting and distributing clothing, food and other supplies, JWVG students went the extra mile by donating their time to help their fellow community members, as well as each other. They worked directly with members of the Chamber Foundation who took provisions to McDowell County, House said.
“Immediately, we knew that we would play a role in trying to assist in any and every capacity,” House said. “The people of the county often feel like they are overlooked and probably for good reason, and we automatically knew we would step in to act as an anchor for the residents of McDowell. We brought over 2,000 items into the county.”
As about 80% of the county was impacted by the flooding, another crucial way the JWVG students participated in relief efforts was by spreading the word that assistance was available.
“We have a very strong Jobs for West Virginia’s Graduates program in both of the county high schools, and it was amazing to see the students come together,” House said. “They really helped get the word out that there was assistance for those in need.”
Getting students directly involved in the community is a core tenant of the JWVG program. Diaz, who joined three years ago and is now the president of Mount View’s branch of the program, said taking on critical responsibilities and leadership roles during these trying times would have been a lot harder without her JWVG experience.
“I’m really proud of how our community came together, and we’re still going through this,” Diaz said. “It won’t be over for the next few years. It’ll always stick with us. We did lose some of our neighbors, but even through all these hard times, JWVG has really helped us, and they’re still helping.”
Debbie Krabbe, JWVG specialist at Mount View High School, said Diaz represents the best of McDowell County, as well as everything JWVG stands for as an organization.
“She and her parents created this epicenter, and they remain that; they’ve stayed there through the long haul,” Krabbe said. “I’ve never seen people work so hard. This county could not have sustained itself without the help of Abby’s family.”
JWVG serves more than 1,000 students in Boone, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Logan and McDowell counties.
“We are always looking for partners, not just financially, who can help showcase opportunities to our students, and we are always looking to open new programs to help as many students as we possibly can,” House said. “If someone wanted to get involved in any capacity, we are totally focused on collaboration and really trying to unify and connect business and education.”
Amanda Larch Hinchman is a freelance writer and editor living in Hurricane, West Virginia.