Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care. However, a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a national crisis. While official foster care cases are carefully tracked, many informal examples of kinship care aren’t part of the data. For this Us & Them episode, we hear the experiences of those who’ve been part of the foster care system.
Berkeley Springs is generally known as a spa and arts town, and right now quilts are the primary form of art on display. Quilt squares are hanging at the local art center, The Ice House, and at businesses throughout downtown.
During a recent bi-monthly meeting at a church hall, before the squares went on display, guild members showed off their creations during a ‘parade of quilts,’ holding each one up for all to see.
“They are 36 inches square and they are beautiful,” Karen Hayes, guild president, said. “We have 40 of them available this year and they will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to a charity that we all voted on.”
This is the tenth year the guild has sponsored the auction. In the past the proceeds have gone to organizations like the Morgan Arts Council, the Morgan County Public Library and the local Humane Society. This year’s recipient will be the Morgan County Observatory Foundation, which supports an observatory located next to Greenwood Elementary School.
“We have a wonderful telescope that was given to the county but we had to build the building to keep it in and the foundation also takes care of all the tours and opening it for tours and of course they’re always at night,” Hayes said. “With our money they’ll be able to have more star parties.”
Hayes said the quilt guild members design their own squares, although they are often tailored toward the charity that is chosen for the year.
“So you notice several of them have stars in them this year,” she said. “But otherwise it’s whatever they want to give. It’s their donation and they provide all the materials and everything and just give it to the auction for the charity.”
The quilt squares will be sold at auction on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 2 p.m. at the Ice House. Several of the squares are also being auctioned online which should increase participation.
“We will have more people involved that way because his online presence is 600,000 people,” member Jane Franke said. “So we selected the six quilt and the quilters said that they would like to be the online people as an experiment to try it out.”
In addition to the squares hanging in shop windows throughout Berkeley Springs, the guild is also curating a show at the Ice House called “Home is Where the Heart Is.” It includes nearly 60 full size quilts made by members, as well as smaller items like wall hangings, coasters, table runners and pot holders.
Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care. However, a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a national crisis. While official foster care cases are carefully tracked, many informal examples of kinship care aren’t part of the data. For this Us & Them episode, we hear the experiences of those who’ve been part of the foster care system.
Stock car racing’s roots run deep in Appalachia. Our twisty roads and dark hollers were home to moonshiners — and moonshine runners, who became known for their driving skills. And they became some of NASCAR’s first stars when it formed in 1948. But NASCAR’s oldest continuous racing team had nothing to do with moonshine.
WVPB's Matt Jackfert speaks with harper, composer and producer Maeve Gilchrist. They discuss her compositions, the Silkroad Ensemble and the group's upcoming performance.
For Sue and Stan Jennings, woodworking isn’t just a way to make a living, it’s a way of life. What started out as a passion for the craft was born out of necessity. Over the last 30 years, the Jennings have developed a thriving business making wood objects called treenware — small wooden kitchen utensils.