Published: May 05, 2008 01:53 pm            

Village Tree among those lending support

(Editor’s note: The following is the first in a continuing series of articles about groups, organizations, individuals, businesses who show their concern for their communities, who prove they are friends indeed through their deeds. If you know of someone — or a group of someones — who lives that concern every day, drop us a few lines about them at ckeenan@register-herald.com, or by mail at Friends In Deed, The Fayette Tribune, PO Box 139, Oak Hill, WV 25901.)





OAK HILL — Martha Hager has dreamed for years of a one-stop shop, a place at which those in need could find answers and help. For years she has worked with a number of organizations and entities to make such a place a reality.

Martha Hager will be the first to tell you that the Village Tree Family Support Center is not about her and yet, the center, located at 108 Main Street in Oak Hill, is the latest incarnation of her dream.

People can go to Village Tree for inexpensive clothing, household items, furniture, infant items, some cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products, but even more importantly sometimes, there they can find listening ears and compassionate hearts. They find encouragement there, and if the Village Tree “staff” — which currently consists of Hager and volunteers, mainly Danielle Williams — can’t provide what the individual needs, they’ll help all they can through referrals.

“It’s hard when there’s just the two of us here to get anything done in between doing referrals and stuff,” Hager said. “We always need volunteers. Right now (our hours) vary from week to week. We try to get a couple days in a week. If we had more volunteers we could be open more.”

Hager is quick to praise Williams, who’s been volunteering at the center for nearly three years.

“If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be open.”

Hager, who is the facilitator of the Raleigh-Fayette Community Collaborative, has applied for a number of grants, and still has hopes of seeing Village Tree, which is in its third year of operation, grow to fulfill her long-held dream.

She’s applied for grants to fund a supervisor and aide for the center, as well as to provide money to help individuals in need hurdle the barriers in their lives.

“Barriers are the little things that keep people from getting on their feet, whether it be help getting a state ID card, or providing a month’s car insurance, or to help fix up their home.

“If we can give them a pair of pants and a pair of shoes so they can go on a job interview, then that’s great,” she said.

Agreeing, Williams added, “People are struggling just to get through the day.”

Both Williams and Hager admit there are several other organizations that provide the same types of services, but stress that is not necessarily a bad thing.

“We’re not in competition with anyone,” Hager said.

“The more services that can be offered, the better. We want to serve the most needy people with what we have,” she added.

And she admits in tough economic times, that’s not always easy.

“People have been very generous with us,” Hager said, and recognized churches, individuals such as Oak Hill pharmacist Susan Woods and local lawmakers who are advocating for the center. “We really want to stay open. I feel like we’re needed or people wouldn’t still be coming here.

“I’ve had people tell me, ‘I clothed my whole family here.’

“There’s just a lot of things that are needed. There’s people who really want to get on their feet. If we can help ‘em get over a hurdle and then it’s all downhill from there, that’s great,” she said.

Hager said all donations are welcome — the center currently operates solely on such donations, but donations of supplies are welcome as well.

“We’re not asking people to spend $50 or $60 on cleaning supplies or hygiene products. If you are at the store and you buy a bottle of shampoo, pick up two. It doesn’t take much to make a difference,” she said.

To find out more about Village Tree, or to discover how you can volunteer or make a donation, call 465-0071, or stop by the center at 108 Main Street, across from BB&T.

In spite of the perpetual struggle to find enough hours in the day to do all the things that need to be done, and the continuing search for funding support, the two women are not likely to quit.

“There’s a whole lot more we wanted to do with this place, but it’s been a job to keep what we have going,” Hager said, adding, “But the need is definitely there.”

“It is hard sometimes,” Williams said, “but it’s these families that make it all worth while.”

— E-mail: ckeenan@register-herald.com

        

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