By: Elizabeth Frattarole
Imagine a rainy summer day turning into one of the deadliest floods in 2016, then suddenly losing everything you own… This was the situation for thousands of West Virginia residents this summer.
The Flooding
Residents in 44 West Virginia counties faced property loss and the loss of loved ones swept away by waters that destroyed many bridges and roadways. In eight hours, more than nine inches of rain drenched the W.Va. counties causing streams and rivers to swell and overflow their banks. The flooding was reportedly due to a lineup of thunderstorms over the same location. The flood was the third deadliest on record in West Virginia, according to West Virginia state climatologist Kevin Law.
PRSSA High School Outreach
Almost five months after the flooding in June, state officials announced the rebuilding of five schools heavily damaged in the storm. One of these schools was Richwood High School. Many students were left without clothing, food and even their homes by the time school began. Rebuilding homes and schools, and receiving materials needed to survive is critical for many parents and members of the community. Classes at Richwood HS are currently being held in an old and much smaller middle school with added on trailers to accommodate all students.
West Virginia University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) decided to organize a W.Va flood relief supply drive at the WVU Reed College of Media. WVU PRSSA reached out to student organizations, faculty and students to donate non-perishable items for Richwood HS. In addition to the supply drive, a blanket drive was organized to make blankets to donate to the local children’s hospital and the people of Richwood. Once items were collected James Kelliher (WVU PRSSA member) and I traveled from Morgantown, W.Va to Richwood, W.Va to donate the supplies.
While visiting Richwood HS, we had the opportunity to mentor high school students who recently opened a consignment shop called Ax Factor. This store provides accessible and affordable clothing to an area lacking access to clothing stores. The nearest clothing store is a forty-five minute drive from Richwood, and many parents cannot afford to take their children shopping. The goal is to market the store as an upscale consignment shop, and create a scholarship for students to pursue higher education in the future. The founders of the business (Caitlin Cowell, Lauren Lee, Chelsey Adkins and Carissa Campbell) needed guidance in advertising and social media use to promote their business. We explained to the students how much power social media has over small business, how to set up a social media account and how to create compelling content. WVU PRSSA agreed to help them create a website, a press release and a flyer for their grand opening event.
WVU PRSSA hopes to continue its relationship with Richwood High School throughout the semester. We plan on collecting more donations and taking another trip to help with the rebuilding of homes. We hope WVU students, faculty and members of the Morgantown community continue to support this cause.
For more information about Ax Factor please follow them on Twitter @Ax_Factor__