BY BEN CONLEY
MORGANTOWN – If someone is going hungry in Morgantown, where can they find a hot meal?
If a neighbor approached you seeking help as a victim of domestic violence, where would you direct them?
If a new resident arrives in town seeking veteran services, where should they look?
Going forward, the answers to these questions can all be found in one place.
The city of Morgantown is rolling out Pathways to Help, a one-stop database of local support services tied to West Virginia 211, which maintains an accurate and comprehensive statewide database of health and human services.
The goal of the initiative is to connect residents with essential resources to help meet their needs or the needs of others – particularly life-saving and life-changing programs and services.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffee came to the city earlier this year after eight years as director of the United Way of Harrison and Doddridge Counties.
“These types of initiatives are near and dear to my heart. I get a little choked up when I think about all the folks we’ve interacted with over the years. I see a lot of that great work here in Morgantown,” he said. “In my experience, the number one reason why people fall into despair is because they become disconnected from the community, period.”
Riffee said people instinctively want to provide assistance to those in hardship, but are often unaware of what resources are available locally.
“We hope this platform will bridge that gap between the community and the local resources that we have right here in our hometown.,” he said.
The city plans to distribute posters downtown that include a scannable QR code directing people to information on the city’s website, morgantownwv.gov. Further, residents can dial 2-1-1 or call 1-833-848-9905.
Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom said the initiative came out of a working group focused on safety downtown. He believes this kind of one-stop directory has been a critical missing piece for years.
“This is something that we’ve all been looking for,” he said.
