Sunday, October 13
Seattle like weather greeted us this am for an early saunter up the Holler. The entire team turned out for the walk, expressing great curiosity about Beards Fork. Orientation followed with team goal setting...and the first project assignment: clean and organize the laundry room so the next team leader doesn't have to dig through mounds of sheets and towels. In short order, this team of energetic women had the place cleaned up, sorted out, and labelled. Even the hard hats are hung neatly in the closet.
Finishing the orientTion and procedural details we took a filed trip to the Coal Mine exhibit where we toured the old mine underground, and visited the old mining town reproductions. Imagine spending 12to 14 hours a day in a tunnel only 30 inches high. It was a dreary, unsafe, and hard life for the coal miners.
Next stop Tamara k to browse West Virginia crafts and sample a traditional West Virginia foods. Headed back to Beards Fork,where John David, the founder of SALS, our host organization gave inspiring comments about his initial work with community organzing, his work with the community, the coal miners unions, and the work today to build and rehab homes for affordable housing. He has worked and lived in the community for over 40 years. s aLS also helps run an after school program.
The team is tired out, but fired up and ready for work tomorrow.
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