West Virginia University and Ascend WV—the nation’s premier talent attraction and retention program supported by the WVU Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative—have joined forces to support the fight against the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.

The University, along with Ascend WV, which was established through a gift from the Wing 2 Wing Foundation in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Tourism, stepped forward upon learning the West Virginia First Foundation needed working space to carry out its charge to help people across the Mountain State. The WVFF is tasked with distributing nearly $1 billion of opioid settlement funds.

“West Virginia University cares about the people of this state and we are a force for good,” WVU President Gordon Gee said. “This is the essence of being West Virginia’s land-grant flagship University.”

Under the agreement, space at Ascend WV locations in Morgantown, Fayetteville, Elkins, Martinsburg and Lewisburg will be available to the West Virginia First Foundation at no cost.

“I want to thank WVU and the Ascend WV program for their generous contribution of office space,” West Virginia First Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Board said. “Having these outreach locations will allow the Foundation to be present within communities in every region of the state as we focus on serving the people who most need help.”

The Foundation plans to use the space in Ascend WV communities for meetings and to better reach into various regions of the state, an approach which dovetails with the mission of Ascend WV, according to Danny Twilley, OEDC assistant vice president of economic, community and asset development.

“This is where we see our role in this endeavor,” Twilley said. “Community engagement has been a cornerstone of our program from the start, whether we’re connecting ‘ascenders’ with resources and opportunities in their new home, helping native West Virginians find their way back or supporting communities in their endeavors to thrive.”