West Virginia Community Development Hub - Fairmont, WV

General About the Organization/Mission

The WV Hub is a statewide, non-profit organization that helps communities come together to set goals for their future and connects them to the rich network of resources they need to meet those goals. The Hub's mission is to engage communities and providers in an intentional, aligned and continuous system of community development.

Basic Info

The West Virginia Community Development Hub believes that every community has the tools to develop economic opportunities and jobs; optimal health conditions; attractive and inspiring community environments; bright futures for young people, and citizens who believe they deserve these things and are prepared to work together to get them. The Hub has developed a model for community development based on several key principles and requirements of community development:

Leadership grounded in local culture, heritage and values that is allowed to arise from many sources in the community
Regular, intentional focus on development, that involves representatives from the public, private and civil sectors of the community
A network of relationships based on optimism, open communication, willing collaboration and mutual respect
Champions who embrace creativity, innovation, lifelong learning and a willingness to take risks.

The Hub works within communities to put these requirements in place and build connections among community members.

Type of Organization	Non-profit/Community Development
Website	http://wvhub.org/
Primary Contact	Phone: 681-404-6053 or 6122 Email: [email protected]
Social Media	https://www.facebook.com/WVHub

Issues of Focus

Convening community conversations
Training community leaders
Recruiting volunteers
Building infrastructure
Reclaiming abandoned buildings
Sustaining healthy food production
Teaching political action
Developing small businesses
Adopting healthy lifestyles
Finding funding for projects
Fostering community life

History of Organization

The West Virginia Community Development Model was developed over the course of several years as a result of research into why, despite substantial investments and development efforts, West Virginia’s communities continue to struggle, and why the State continues to rank near the bottom in so many quality of life measurements. The conclusion was that lack of improvement was due to a lack of consistency, alignment, and a lack of capacity at the community level to take advantage of resources and services. The Hub was founded in 2008 to share and implement the WV Community Development Model.

Since 2009, The Hub, has worked in dozens of communities to coach community members through a process that helps them identify leaders and assets; develop plans and set goals; and connect with a wide network of resources to meet those goals. The Hub’s work in communities has contributed to revitalizing communities such as Buckhannon, Thomas, Shinnston, Grafton, Matewan and others. The Hub has been instrumental in helping to create initiatives that address community opportunities and challenges such as developing local food systems, enhancing community sustainability, securing funding for community facilities, restoring historic downtowns, and more.

Slideshow- The Hub: Our Work and Its Impact

Programs and Projects

Turn This Town Around

Launched in 2014, the project works with two towns in West Virginia to identify projects that would make a big difference to their communities and help them find the resources and complete those projects. Online voting selected the communities of Grafton and Matewan to be the recipients of assistance. Community needs and wants were assessed through a series of town meetings, and several projects have been undertaken to revitalize the two small Appalachian communities.

Community Based Policy

The Hub works with communities and partner organizations to identify and implement policy changes that will reduce barriers and create opportunities to promote and grow economic, civic and social development across West Virginia through four major initiatives:

Abandoned Properties Coalition
Local Food Policy through the WV Food and Farm Coalition and WV Farmers Market Association
Regional Policy Workshops
Our Children, Our Future Campaign

Community Building Initiatives

The Hub works with community leadership teams in more than 50 communities around the state to plan and execute community building initiatives from organizing regular planning meetings, to building infrastructure and tourism destinations and building networks for small businesses.

Blueprint Communities: Blueprint Communities are those in which The Hub works to help convene a team of leaders from the community, set up a system that facilitates sustained community development practices, and build a plan for the future.
HubCAP Communities: HubCAP Communities are those that have a community development plan in place, and are ready to implement a major project in the plan. The Hub works to connect those communities with the resources to be successful.
WV First: WV First is a growing network of small business owners around the state. The Hub works to build the networks and offer training, identified by business owners, for their growth and development.

Envisioning West Virginia's Future

The Hub is working with a number of other organizations to engage people from all corners of the state in sharing their ideas and energy about how we should move into the future.

What's Next West Virginia?: What’s Next West Virginia? is a series of organized conversations taking place in communities all over the state designed to encourage talking, thinking, and actions based on West Virginians’ own ideas for building a more vibrant and diverse economy.
Try This West Virginia: Try This West Virginia is an initiative to share ideas and resources for healthy communities. Resources include healthy eating programs, community gardens, school activities, group fitness programs, sources for funding and more.

Partners and Frequent Collaborators

The Hub is funded by: