Step by Step

Reflections on Big Ugly Life

Thinking about serving in Big Ugly? Read this first hand account from a VISTA member’s experience on the creek!

WV Nursing Home Residents Travel to Prague Lisa Berger McKnights.com

To see a video of the Geri Olympics, click here: WV Geri Olympics 2007
July 25, 2008  From McKnights.com
U.S. seniors to compete in Geri Olympics
Author: Liza Berger

Seven U.S. athletes are gearing up for the 2008 Olympics—the Geri Olympics, that is.
This Oct. 9-12, Prague will play host to the fourth annual international games for the senior set. [...]

Operation Read West Virginia 2009 a Success!

Thank you to everyone who assisted with Operation Read West Virginia’s annual
state Wide book Drive. Thank you for those who helped staff the tables and package
the boxes. Thank you for those who provided moral support and information about how
to organize and run the event. Thank you to everyone who purchased books, donated monies,
and donated books [...]

Big Ugly T-Shirts ($15)

When you purchase a Big Ugly T-Shirt, you are not only buying a memorable gift or stand-out article of clothing for your wardrobe, but you are helping to support the Big Ugly Community Center based out of Lincoln County, WV, where local residents don these shirts with pride.
Choose from an array of colors and sizes [...]

Tags: Big Ugly Community Center, Gifts, T-Shirts, Teen Group, Youth

SALS Solidarity Festival 2009

On June 13, 2009, the Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) held its 18th Solidarity Festival to celebrate another year of good works, as well as to mark Juneteenth, slave emancipation day.
The event was held at SALS’ Beards Fork Community Center where guests were treated to interactive, live entertainment as well as free hot dogs.
Jude Vinder [...]

Thank You for Helping Support the Big Ugly Community Center!

Your T-shirt purchase just helped Step by Step, the non-profit which runs the Big Ugly Community Center, to continue to be able to provide programming in education, the arts, health & wellness, leadership, skill development, and sustainable living for the people of the Southern coal fields of West Virginia.  Every little bit helps, especially in [...]

Operation Read WV

In conjunction with the Faces of Leadership Conference, Operation Read WV is a project where we encourage and promote literacy and book drives throughout the state of West Virginia.
For Step by Step blog posts related to Operation Read WV, go here.

Natural Helpers

A peer counseling program developed by the Comprehensive Health Education Foundation. Presently, we have Natural Helpers student groups located at each of the four middle schools in Lincoln County and at Lincoln High School. School counselors serve as Natural Helpers advisers. Students participate in a two-day training and receive monthly-weekly support from their advisers.
For [...]

Micro-Society

All parts that make a society operate are mirrored in different modules in this simulation project, where primary school students basically run their own little city. Micro-Society currently takes place as part of Omar Elementary’s WV Dreamers Afterschool program in Logan County.
For Step by Step blog posts related to Micro-Society, go here.

Maternal Infant Health Outreach Workers (MIHOW)

Developed by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the MIHOW program trains outreach workers to conduct home visits with expectant mothers and parents of children up to age 3. MIHOWs develop mentoring relationships with their mothers, provide information and referral, and organize community support for this population. Our MIHOWs particularly focus on substance abuse and prevention [...]