The Beginning:
In May of 2014 myself, Kelly Webb, and my dear friend Eva Musick attended the 2014 Try This Conference. Because of our participation we walked away from the conference with the opportunity to write a grant for a healthy living project. At first we were very skeptical as neither one of us had experience with writing grants. Secondly, we had no clue what project we wanted to impleme
nt in our community. We knew that we could accomplish anything we set our minds to, but what exactly could we do to better our community. We decided to try something that was in unfamiliar territory. We came to the conclusion that Mingo County, specifically the town of Matewan, needed a boost. Therefore, we chose to implement a Bicycle Friendly Community. But the real question was could it be done? At the very last minute, I scrapped together what I believed to be the future of Matewan. With one click of a button, the anticipation poured in. Was my work good enough? Would the funders see a need for this project? Waiting for a few short agonizing weeks, I finally got the news. I cried with tears of joy when I received the email. Bike Friendly Matewan had been chosen as a grant recipient; we were awarded $2,500.00. However, this was just the beginning. From there the hunger and desire to find my funding flourished. Shortly after, I stumbled across another possible grant through Change the Future WV. This grant would give BFM an additional $3,000.00 for start up costs. I started almost that very instant. It wasn't very long after that I completed all of the grant and set it off for approval. Once again I found myself eagerly awaiting a response. And then that day came and once again, I wept with tears of joy. We now had $5,500.00 to make Bike Friendly Matewan a reality. From there I started to ponder and I came to the conclusion that we were going to have to create a more elaborate plan, after all the possibilities seemed endless with our new funding. So I took the time and developed a master plan which included goals, a mission, budgets, maps, the whole nine yards! It wasn't very long after that people started to hear about Bike Friendly Matewan and all of the funding we had received. News papers started to write stories and people were spreading the news like wildfire. Then one day, it was if our dreams had been given an extra dose of reality. We had found out that the Town of Matewan won a contest called Turn This Town Around. Matewan, along with another town in West Virginia would receive the assistance of The West Virginia Communiy Development Hub, an organization dedicated to community capacity building, and would be given numerous opportunities to build a better functioning community. It wasn't long after the start of the project that there was more grant money up for grabs. So I pulled together all of the necessary grant paperwork and before long Bike Friendly Matewan received another $2,500.00. Since then, BFM has been able to capture the interest of many sponsoring agencies. West Virginia on the Move has donated several large boards to display our bicycle route maps and the town have even donate a space for us to have safety courses and even an office. We have also gained interest of community development and educational clubs such as the Appalachian Leadership Academy. The entire class has become advocates for Bike Friendly Matewan, working diligently so that everything will be completed before the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in May 2015. Because of all of the support we have been given by those who believe in what we are trying to accomplish, we have been able to give so much to the community. Some of these things include bicycle signage, maps, a bicycle station, brochures, bicycle racks, and much more! The most important portion of this project is the realization that Bike Friendly Matewan began as an idea. However, with a little effort that idea turned into a reality with endless results. Because of those individuals who believe in better communities, we have been able to create a Bicycle Friendly Community without investing a single penny of our own funds. So for those of you who believe that you cannot make of difference, especially because of financial difficulties, I am here to tell you that it is possible and that you can create many things to improve your community, without placing financial burdens upon yourself. I hope that this story has been an eye opener for many of you. I now know that great things are possible if you take the initiative and put your ideas in drive. We hope that Bike Friendly Matewan will stand as a model for all small towns across the United States. This is just the beginning!
