The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE — Students from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia spent part of their 15th spring break in Clifton Forge as part of the Appalachian Experience, known as APEX, the week of March 7-14.
Their week was cut short as they were ordered to cease working and return to their home sites due to safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic two days early.
Nineteen students, to include two student leaders, Michel Tenney and Eliza Rocco; and two adult facilitators, Joe S. Sobol and Kiersten Martin, made their way to the Alleghany Highlands on the morning of March 7.
After a hike at Douthat State Park, the group assembled at Oak Hill Bible Church where Oak Hill’s hospitality committee and the Rev. Mike Simmons, pastor; APEX Alleghany Organizers, Site Managers, and Hospitality Committee members along with Clifton Forge Vice Mayor Pamela Marshall met them.
“Thank you on behalf of Clifton Forge for returning to our area,” said Marshall. “You bring fresh faces and a fresh energy to our town.
“I look forward to seeing you around town and will show up frequently, not only as vice mayor but in my role of embed reporter for the Virginian Review, our local newspaper,” said Marshall in conclusion.
The group was down 10 students, this year as the overall school enrollment is down, Rocco explained.
“I’m so happy to be returning,” Rocco added.
She was with APEX-Alleghany during her freshman year and feels like “this is a full circle moment,” to be returning as a senior.
“It’s like family here,” added Rocco.
“I’m so excited to get to know everyone,” said Tenney of his first visit to Alleghany. “I’m already feeling the love.”
Don Woodward, APEX coordinator, explained to the group that their work area was in the shape of a cross. He explained that Clifton Forge is at the foot of the cross, Covington at the head, to the left would be Iron Gate and beyond and to the right would be the YMCA and above.
He also explained that the group had 31 projects to conduct.
“Some are very small, and some are big,” said Woodward. “There will be no carpentry work.”
In conclusion, he explained though LewisGale Hospital-Alleghany would again provide daily, free lunches but one of the coordinators would have to pick the lunches up and deliver them to the group as a precaution against the Coronavirus.
The group did a lot of painting, cleaning and raking leaves. They also found time for food and fun.
Area churches provided daily breakfast and dinner, and LewisGale-Alleghany provided lunch each day.
They enjoyed some fun times at the C&O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, activities at the YMCA and music at Concerned Christian Church in Covington with Bill Wade and Doug Taliaferro.
There were more fun adventures planned: music at Come As You Are Ministries in Clifton Forge; bowling at Thunder Alley in Covington; a fish fry and bonfire at Parrish Court Methodist Church in Covington; and a going away breakfast prepared by the men of Central United Methodist Church in Clifton Forge but had to be cancelled due to an early departure.
During lunch, Thursday afternoon, the students received word to return to their home sites immediately.
“There was not a dry eye in the house,” said APEX coordinator, the Rev. Cornelius Ray about the reaction to receiving the news.
After they finished lunch, the group packed up and hit the road, as directed.
Churches that provided breakfast for the week were: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Clifton Forge; First Baptist in Clifton Forge; Wrightsville Baptist in Wrightsville; Temple Baptist in Covington; and Central Advent Christian in Clifton Forge.
Those providing dinner were: Oak Hill Bible in Clifton Forge; First Baptist in Covington; Life House in Clifton Forge, and Concerned Christian in Covington.
Pine Street Baptist in Covington and Central United Methodist in Clifton Forge were scheduled to provide breakfasts on Friday and Saturday mornings and First Assembly of God in Clifton Forge and Parrish Court United Methodist in Covington were scheduled to provide dinners Thursday and Friday evenings but were unable due to the students’ early departure.
Site monitors for the week were: George “Chief” Thompson, Gregory Key, Kevin Williams, Rodney Brown, Lawrence St. Clair, the Rev. Shorty Wolfe, Sr., Shorty Wolfe, Jr., the Rev. David Maddy, Jr., Debra Maddy and Irven Moore.
Hospitality Committee members for the week were: Anne St. Clair, Wanda Davis and Patricia Davis-Ross.
Annually, approximately 500 St. Joseph’s students deposit one half of what a semester costs to go on-line to put their requests in to spend their spring break sprucing up parts of Appalachia.
Students are then randomly selected to go to one of 17 sites in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky.
Once matched with a site, the students pay the rest of one half of what a semester costs and prepare themselves for some hard work, food, friendships and fun.
