Appalachian Comics Project And Open Door Cafe, Inside Appalachia

After a disaster, can comics help set the record straight? 

Also, sifting through Hurricane Helene’s debris, one group tries to reunite keepsakes with their owners, including love letters.

And, a cafe in Virginia feeds the hungry and tries to destigmatize homelessness. For its outreach manager, whose brother lived on the streets for years, it’s personal.  

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• Comic Anthology About Hurricane Helene Out Now
• Recovering Keepsakes After Hurricane Helene
• Open Door Café Supports, Destigmatizes Unhoused Community
• 100 Days In Appalachia Looks To Youth For Future Of America
• The Dental Health Gap In W.Va.
• Bats Save Farmers Billions Of Dollars, But They’re In Danger
• Designing Dignity Through Care Managers

Comic Anthology About Hurricane Helene Out Now

Last year, we reported on the Appalachia Comics Project, which was raising money to produce a graphic novel featuring stories told by Hurricane Helene survivors and illustrated and produced by comics professionals. 

Now, nearly two years after the storm, the book is out. It’s called Islands in the Sky: A People’s History of Hurricane Helene. We revisit host Mason Adams’ interview with Andrew Aydin, who conceived the project. He’d previously served as an aide to Congressman John Lewis and co-authored the comic trilogy March about Lewis’ role in the civil rights movement. That work informed his view on the power of comics as he got to work after Helene.  

Recovering Keepsakes After Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene left behind millions of cubic yards of debris in western North Carolina. Most of that is trash, but every so often, clean-up crews find something personal: a stuffed animal, a coffee mug or a love letter.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Laura Hackett reports on one group’s efforts to return some of those treasured keepsakes to the people who lost them.  

Open Door Café Supports, Destigmatizes Unhoused Community

Appalachians sure love their gardens. And it’s not just homeowners who grow them. At Open Door Café in Wytheville, Virginia, gardening is a way to feed the hungry while breaking down the stigma of homelessness.

Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story about digging into the roots and connecting to more than just the land. 

100 Days In Appalachia Looks To Youth For Future Of America

This month marked the United States’ 250th anniversary. Around the nation, there was a lot of remembrance of our history. But also consideration about its future. That will ultimately be shaped by younger generations. 

WVPB’s Chris Schulz spoke with 100 Days in Appalachia Director of Video Nick Curran and Editor-in-Chief Jesse Wright about a project to amplify their voices. 

The Dental Health Gap In W.Va.

Many Appalachians can’t access affordable dental care. The problem is especially acute in West Virginia. State data shows by third grade, more than half of kids show signs of tooth decay. And more than 10% of older adults have had all their teeth extracted. 

In the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay visits a mobile dental clinic with public health hygienist Bobbi Muto.

Bats Save Farmers Billions Of Dollars, But They’re In Danger

A lot of people are afraid of bats, but they’re an important part of the ecosystem and beneficial to our agriculture. But due to climate change and disease, bat populations are declining.

WVPB’s Eric Douglas reports for the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. 

Designing Dignity Through Care Managers

As baby boomers continue to age, more Gen X and Millennial adults are finding themselves becoming caregivers for their parents. In Pittsburgh, the city’s major health systems are partnering with federal agencies to design a new program aimed at keeping seniors at home for as long as possible. 

It’s a strategy Japan has had in place for more than two decades. 

In this installment of the “Designing Dignity” series, WESA’s Kiley Koscinski looks at how Japan’s care managers bridge medical and social support. 

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Mary Hott, Hello June, Paul Loomis and Ron Mullennex. 

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Irina Zhorov is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Ibby Caputo. 

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.