| By Drew Moody
Take over 350 college freshman, spread them out over 10 projects throughout Glenville, and at minimum it's a serious organizational effort - simply to get supplies in place and arrange transportation.
So it goes without saying, many Glenville State College faculty and staff members served a critical element in the work. The effort was a 4-day, two weekend project concluding Saturday, September 8. Students worked four hours per day.
A surprising amount of work was accomplished. Perhaps it rose to the level of amazing. Community members, businesses, faculty, staff and the administration all have high praise for the efforts made. It was certainly the largest non-denominational mass effort for many years. Only the volunteer response during Glenville's past floods may have surpassed the group effort of the Glenville State College freshman.
GSC student Jamie Kennedy of Calhoun County, paints
4-year old Keelan Dent's face. Keelan is the son of Dustin
Dent and Courtney Smith of Longview, Texas. The couple were
visiting relatives in the area. Tim White, left, of Gilmer County
and Troy Wilsoncroft of Salem drag new mulch for fellow students spreading it on the GSC nature trail (Photos by Drew Moody)
Krista Adkins, Hospice Care Thrift Shop manager, wants them back. "They did a lot," she said reflecting on the various tasks. Students there sorted donations, performed general cleaning, restocked and priced items and more. "I wish I could have them again," Adkins said.
The hospice store, located in the Foodland Plaza, is an all-volunteer enterprise minus the manager's post.
Perhaps topping the list of accomplishments was the repainting the few hundred yards of iron railings across Glenville's campus.
"It made a big difference," said Joe Wilmoth, physical plant director. "We certainly do appreciate all the effort that went into it."
Nasia Butcher, Gilmer County High School principal, said without GSC student involvement the school wouldn't have been fully ready to begin classes. A separate crew repainted the high school fieldhouse and trimmed weeds.
Some students working at the Gilmer County Recreation Center asked faculty member Amy DeWitt if they could come back and perform more work there. DeWitt said she hoped to arrange another project in October.
GSC students repainted the exterior of three of the Recreation Center's buildings. They also cleared a large storage building.
Mike Smith of Roanoke, Virginia was among the 40 to 50 students who worked painting at the Gilmer County Recreation Center. Tawny Black, left, of Clendenin and Holly Wright of Parkersburg cut brush and branches along the nature trail which begins near Clark Hall on the GSC campus
Vanessa Reddix, of Pittsburgh and Josey Zelinsky, of Phillippi, (left) wash paint brushes at the Recreation Center. Reddix
is wearing some of the paint thanks to playful co-workers
Three students among the crew who helped work at The Anchor, a Christian-based outreach effort at the old Napa building, have decided to stay on as volunteers.
The nature trail near Clark Hall received a lot of attention including being cleared of branches and a new layer of dried mulch was applied to much of the pathway. Ropes along the trail were replaced as well as clearing trash and debris from the area.
Other areas of attention were the Sunbridge Nursing Home and the Wesley Foundation.
Friday and Saturday the Sue Morris Sports Complex hosted community field day events which included a variety of activities.
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