World Vision Expands Operations to Reach Those Hardest Hit by Recession

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Laura Blank 617-945-7548

Philippi, W. Va., March 13, 2009—World Vision is excited to announce plans to expand its operations in Philippi, West Virginia and the surrounding communities. In addition to expanding its local operations, World Vision is preparing to launch a new national initiative later this year to help fight the root causes of rural poverty. Both programs will be based in Philippi, West Virginia.

“There couldn’t be a better time than now for World Vision to expand its reach into this community and across the country,” said Reg Trefethen, the field site director for World Vision in Philippi. “The economic crisis continues to affect the daily lives of the children and families we serve throughout West Virginia, and World Vision is grateful that we are able to partner with so many local organizations to offer assistance.”

Reg Trefethen, the newly-appointed field site director for World Vision in Philippi, now leads the expansion efforts throughout the state. Ruston Seaman, the former field site director, is the new director of World Vision’s rural poverty ministry at the Chestnut Ridge office.

As part of the expansion, World Vision has relocated all of its local resources from its old office in Chestnut Ridge to the World Vision Storehouse in Philippi. The Storehouse will now serve as a “one-stop shopping” resource for families in the community. In addition to providing building supplies and household goods to organizations that are enrolled as members of the Storehouse and school supplies to teachers in Barbour County and the surrounding area, the facility will now house 10 local ministries to help meet the needs of the community.

The ministries include:
· KidREACH – An after-school child care and tutoring program for elementary school children
· Family Initiative – An educational program that offers classes on parenting, marriage, and child-rearing
· Boost – A program for middle school students to teach them how to mentor elementary-age school children
· Youth Empowerment Program – A program for high school students to learn how to become advocates for their community
· Ministry Resource Center – Provides study materials, sermon resources, computers, and a library for pastors
· Capacity Training – Provides training for local ministry partners to establish their own local outreach efforts
· Medical Supplies – Provides products to local non-profit clinics, hospitals, and health care facilities on an annual basis
· Disaster Relief – Provides emergency relief supplies to families following natural disasters
· Emergency Personnel Supplies – Provides products like flashlights & bullet-proof vests to emergency personnel
· Missions – Churches can travel to West Virginia for short-term missions trips to provide home repairs

About World Vision’s Work in Appalachia:
World Vision first began working in Appalachia in 1999. It currently serves 1,600 families from 37 counties in West Virginia. The World Vision Storehouse in Philippi has grown from 8,000 square feet to 43,000 square feet and distributes more than $8 million dollars worth of valuable supplies to local families and organizations. World Vision’s expansion in this community now includes three field site locations in Chestnut Ridge, Philippi, and Morgan County, Ohio. The World Vision Storehouse in Appalachia is oneof 10 Storehouses nationwide.


World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world’s poor regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press