Appalachia

Serve and Learn in Williamson, WV

Amizade has been partnering in Williamson for the past 7 years. In that time, Amizade and its partners have collaborated with local nonprofit organizations, schools, government agencies, and farmers to positively impact the community. Specifically, we have worked on programs which focus on healthy eating such as the Williamson Farmer’s Market, the Mobile Market and the Pikeville, Logan, and Williamson community gardens.

Williamson, a rural coal-mining town in Mingo County, once boasted a population of almost 50,000 residents. With the help of a thriving coal economy in the mid-20th century, jobs and education were accessible and abundant. In recent years, however, like much of rural West Virginia, Williamson has suffered from the coal mining industry’s collapse. Added to the town’s troubles were a series of terrible floods, and subsequent de-populazation. As the town struggles to keep its population above 3,000, the community faces an uncertain future, and must create ways to redefine itself.

Resources

Find out more about the Heart of Appalachia.

The Basics

Review the Amizade Appalachia Site Handbook.

Media

Podcast: Strangers with Cameras in Appalachia

Interactive Documentary: Hollow

Readings

A Fresh Look at Appalachia 50 years after the War on Poverty

Coal’s Decline is Choking Appalachia Towns

Williamson Daily News

After Coal, can better health save West Virginia?

Williamson Coal House

Trump’s vow to bring back coal gives hope to weary regions

Sustainable Williamson – Creating Economic Diversification in Coal Country

What the Media Misses When It Sees Appalachia as Just ‘Trump Country’