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West Virginia Hive Hosting August 6 Coffee Talks Session in Lewisburg
The West Virginia Hive is teaming up with Ascend WV Greenbrier Valley to host its next Coffee Talks networking session.
Beckley, W.Va. (Feb. 3, 2023) – West Virginia Hive partner, Seed Sower, Inc., is creating southern West Virginia’s Recovery Community Organization (RCO) and holding the first of three community listening sessions at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 7 on the third floor of the Fruits of Labor Café, 313 Neville Street. Snacks and beverages will be available.
Jay Phillips, executive director of Seed Sower, is encouraging attendance from those needing recovery, working in recovery, wanting to work in recovery, as well as those who support the effort. “It is essential that we begin our work as an RCO by listening and learning to those in the recovery community as to how we can best customize programs needed in our region,” said Phillips.
Seed Sower has been a founding partner in the Communities of Healing program that is helping those in recovery find a path to employment. Seed Sower has also secured funding for housing for those in recovery, and the RCO designation adds to its mission.
The Communities of Healing program was funded in 2020 by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The innovative program is designed on the success of Fruits of Labor, a culinary program that has worked for nine years with those in recovery and 20 years in business. The successful Communities of Healing program includes a partnership group consisting of Fruits of Labor, Region 4 Planning and Development Council, Seed Sower, Inc., Wright Venture Services, Region 1 Workforce Development Board, and WV Hive.
Non-profit Seed Sower is one of seven Recovery Community Organizations in West Virginia (the others are in Huntington, Charleston, or north of the state capital). The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Behavioral Health is conducting a statewide initiative to explore the use of RCOs and selected Seed Sower for the Beckley and southern region.
An RCO is an independent, nonprofit organization led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery. Seed Sower’s RCO Advisory Board consists of three local leaders in recovery and two community members not in recovery (60% of the board is in long-term recovery).
According to the Association of Recovery Community Organizations, the mission of an RCO is to:
Some of the services Seed Sower will include:
The West Virginia Hive is teaming up with Ascend WV Greenbrier Valley to host its next Coffee Talks networking session.
The West Virginia Hive is conducting a community conversation on inclusive capital access from 1-2:30 p.m. June 25, at The Loft, 1123 Mercer Street in Princeton, W.Va. The event is free to those who register.
The West Virginia Hive Network is hosting its 2nd Annual Network and Resource Fair, set for Thursday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Historic Black Knight Conference Center, 2400 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, W.Va.
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