Community Bulletin
Since joining Vandalia Health, the former Davis Health System has widened access across central West Virginia. Primary care remains the front door — now at five clinics, including Buckhannon Medical Care, backed by a 190-location network. Read more →
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Upshur County’s long-term flood recovery group is preparing to pair families with caseworkers who can help identify needs that remain after federal assistance and other aid.
City recorder Randy Sanders outlined the approach at the October 15 Buckhannon City Council meeting, saying UPLIFT would bring charitable organizations and funding sources together around individual households.
“We’re going to be assigning caseworkers to people who have had unmet needs,” Sanders said.
The caseworkers would review what a family had received from FEMA and other sources, spend time understanding what remained unresolved and look for organizations able to help, he said.
Sanders said the effort would draw on groups including Rotary and United Way. He described Catholic Charities as an expected source of significant support.
“The Catholic Charities are going to be a big player in this. They’re going to be a huge player in it with funding,” Sanders said.
UPLIFT stands for Upshur Partners Lifting Individuals & Families Together. The group formally launched in September to coordinate recovery from the July 21 flood, bringing together government representatives, nonprofits, community partners and volunteers.
Its six committees cover case management and unmet needs, emotional and spiritual care, volunteers, construction and rebuilding, donations and public information. The group’s September announcement named Kathy McMurray to lead the case-management and unmet-needs committee.
“We had some meetings today with FEMA about the volunteer side of things,” Sanders said.
Charitable groups continued to provide supplies, he said. The Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Group brought enough mold remover to make 110 gallons, which was handed out in two-gallon pump sprayers.
“We got some pump sprayers donated from Lowe’s, and then we used foundation money from Rotary and United Way to buy other sprayers,” Sanders said.
Outside groups also plan to return over the coming weeks and months to continue cleanup activities.
“The Christ in Action group that we talked about is coming back in November, and they’re going to help again,” Sanders said.
