Rose Hart

To make a donation that may qualify for a NIP credit, contact Rose Hart at (304) 845-2762 or simply mail your donation to:

Rose Hart

View images of AOI's Rose Hart and Diane Reineke accepting the award with Martha Greathouse, who nominated AOI for the award, and West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.

Rose Hart Executive Director:

Co-founder Rose Hart said the program stemmed from a conversation at a convention in Charleston, where a person told her about some senior citizens who had nothing for Christmas.Hart said the word ,shoebox, just came to mind because she had been putting together shoeboxes full of items for children.When she came home from the convention she went to some of her friends and asked for help putting together items for needy adults and disabled people, such as hygiene items that can not be purchased with food stamps.

Hart said the campaign has grown from 154 shoeboxes in two counties during its first year to 3,500 shoeboxes in 20 counties this year.Hart said local charities do not exist in many southern West Virginia counties.

,Here, (in Marshall County) there are a lot of resources, even though we're all stretched real thin, to meet the need.There are a lot of resources where people will have items for Christmas even if they don't have families.But in remote mountain areas, the families are gone, they're so scattered, there's just nothing for (them),, she said.

Hart said her favorite related story was that of a woman who was contemplating suicide because she was alone and poor.When she went to her local church to pick up her commodity groceries, she was given a shoebox wrapped in Christmas paper.The woman told Hart later that she did not unwrap the gift because it was the only holiday decoration in her home.Finally on Christmas day, she opened the package and found a card inside signed ,From your sister in Christ., Hart said the woman told her she cried for days with the joy of knowing that someone she had never met cared about her.

,If we can do something as simple as taking a regular-size shoebox and filling it with hygiene items, maybe a little perfume or a little gifty thing, and we can give that person hope again and encouragement.To me, that is what Christmas is all about,, said Hart.

Each year schools, churches, individual citizens and civic organizations collect items and pack and wrap boxes to send downstate.Due local flooding in September and Appalachian Outreach's other obligations to provide disaster relief, the deadline for donations had to be pushed back.

Hart said the organization still is 300 boxes shy of its quota and needs more donations by Dec. 3.

One such request, made by Rose Hart of Appalachian Outreach on behalf of the entire committee, was for better access to West Virginia's state surplus materials that could be used in cleanup efforts.

Bowman said he would take the committee's requests seriously.
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Hart, executive director of Appalachian Outreach and an long term recovery committee board member, was enthusiastic about the recent meeting with the legislators.

,We were able to explain who we are and what we need.We shared ideas, and the legislators were able to offer us some ideas that we had not considered.It will be important to form a partnership with these gentleman, so that we can work together to meet the unmet needs of the flood victims,, Hart said.

If one asks co-founders Rose Hart and Diane Reineke why they decided to form AOI, they just laugh and insist they never made the decision at all.
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‘‘When we shipped it (the 45 tons) and it kept coming, we met to discuss God's plan for all this because it was pretty obvious that there was a plan ... and we decided to form Appalachian Outreach," Hart said.
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‘‘Last month we were praying because we had $5,000 of debt because of insurance ... then Rose called and said we got a donation from someone who had heard that they should pray for Appalachian Outreach because of our financial situation.
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Hart said anyone who picks up a coupon from the AOI booth at the Marshall County Fair or from her or Reineke at another time may redeem those Monday so Appalachian Outreach will receive 20 percent of the price of their meal.
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Both she and Hart hope there is someone out there who will carry on their mission when they are unable to do so.

For information on how to get involved, contact Reineke or Hart by phone at (304) 845-2762 or (304) 280-4820; by mail at P.O. Box 233, Glen Dale, WV 26038-4820; or by e-mail at rhart1703@aol.com.

Rose Hart, coordinator of Appalachian Outreach, said these unwanted telephones can prove quite important in meeting the needs of fellow West Virginians who are affected by flooding and fire.

"We recycle the phones through a company called Recellular," said Hart, who along with Diana Reineke, makes monthly or more frequent trips to southern portions of the state affected by annual flooding and natural disaster to deliver needed building, home and hygiene supplies.
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Hart said these donations are even more important now, as multiple counties in the Mountain State - including Kanawah, Mason, Cabell, Wayne, Wyoming and Boone -were named disaster areas because of flooding.

"Our need is up right now," said Hart."Seven counties here were just named as disaster areas, and while a lot of places are still doing cleanup, we are in contact with the areas affected by flooding and will be making things available as the needs are known."

Hart explained the cellular telephone donations, along with other contributions, are what covers the cost of getting supplies to these areas.While Appalachian Outreach was awarded a grant in June through the Sisters of St. Joseph Foundation in Wheeling to be applied to the cost of gas for their trips, the organization continues to rent 24-foot trucks to make monthly and sometimes weekly trips to poverty-stricken areas.

"It can get pretty expensive," said Hart, adding the organization has applied for a grant to assist in purchasing their own truck, but it will be some time before grant awardings are to be announced."Right now we still have to come up with rental money."

Hart said there are a number of locations where area residents can drop off cellular telephones.
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In addition to cellular phones, Hart said, as a result of recent floods, Appalachian Outreach is also in need of a number of other items.

"Anybody that has building or remodeling supplies like usable countertops, windows, doors, paint - we can use it.We can put it all to good use for people trying to rebuild their homes and their lives," said Hart.

Rose Hart Executive Director from Appalachian Outreach, Inc.