ABLE Families
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A conference meeting for staff

History

In the early 1990s, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling, West Virginia, resolved “to pilot a three-year program in rural West Virginia that provides people in need, particularly women and children, the skills and support to become contributing members of their community and to develop stronger families.” The result was ABLE Families.

The Humble Beginning

The agency was incorporated in 1994, and Sr. Janet Peterworth, OSU, was named Director. It was a one-woman operation, and Sr. Janet started with little more than a mission statement in hand. She began with a basic adult education program on the second floor of a run-down building in East Kermit, WV. The program was barely off the ground when the Army Corps of Engineers announced that the building would be razed for flood control.

Building a Brighter Future

The board decided to build its own facility in Kermit. A donation of property by the Mingo County Commission made progress easier, and a groundbreaking was held in October 1998. The new building was dedicated on April 23, 1999.

Programs and Partnerships Blossom

With an excellent facility and more space, new projects and programs to benefit low income families blossomed. The first computer training program was inaugurated with four computers.

The Partnerships

ABLE Families partnered with AppalReD, a family literacy program that utilized AmeriCorps members as reading coaches and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) as advocates. Two local women served as reading coaches through AmeriCorps, and one VISTA worked with the program. In 1998, ABLE Families became part of the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program with four additional AmeriCorps, two full-time, two part-time.

Partner With Us for Progress

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