‘Blessing Boxes’ And Swimming This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, many in the Ohio Valley have struggled to make ends meet during the pandemic. But luckily, some have been able to make use of so-called “Blessing Boxes” that provides food for those in need. Also, in this show, we hear how adapting activities helped people make it through the pandemic.

President Donald Trump signed a bill with a long-awaited second round of COVID-19 relief ranging from direct stimulus checks to an increase in food stamp benefits. Yet many Ohio Valley communities went without federal help for months as COVID-19 cases skyrocketed into this winter. Liam Niemeyer has the story of one Kentucky community that rallied to help their own as hunger and hardship persists in the region.

The year 2020 required a lot from us all. It was a time for challenge and adaptation. It was a year when the word ‘pivot’ was a constant mantra. We faced the pandemic and its consequences and a contentious national election that highlighted the divisions in our nation. In the most recent Us & Them podcast called “Sink or Swim,” Trey Kay reflects on the adaptations he made in 2020.

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Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

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