AFSC West Virginia Fall 2026 Update

Greetings on a beautiful rainy morning in West Virginia.  Before I delve into what we've been up to, I want to first share a few reflections along with abiding love and admiration for my long-time colleague and co-conspirator Liz Brunello. 

Liz will be leaving AFSC next month to become a full-time child therapist at The Sandbox in South Charleston, WV.  As much as we are sad that Liz is leaving AFSC, we are happy for the kids who will be so fortunate to be in close proximity to Liz’s incomparable compassion and care.  Since I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with Liz for over 12 years now, I am trying to count my lucky stars more than dwell in how sad I am that she's leaving!

During Liz’s tenure as program director for our sister program the Appalachian Center for Equality, she has accomplished more than I could ever capture. Through ACE’s leadership and mentoring programs in Logan, Boone, Mingo, and Kanawha she has supported hundreds of young people on their journey towards becoming community leaders, policy wonks, high school and college graduates, artists… the list is long of ACE alumni doing really cool stuff (to wit: Kirstyn Ooten an alum of program is now adeptly serving as ACE's interim program director!).

Liz has accompanied youth through the highs and lows that are a part of any and every struggle.  From supporting students at Capital High School who wanted to stand in solidarity with public school employees during the historic teachers strike, to supporting youth in Boone County who thought it was important to educate lawmakers about the harsh realities of hunger.

Liz helped launch the Summer Policy Institute which now in its 12th year has reached hundreds of people, young and old alike, with experiential learning and direct experience with the policy-making process. During the peak of COVID, Liz helped launch WV Food ER, which became a vast statewide mutual aid network deployed to deliver supplies and food to people around the state.  WV Food ER continues to be a mutual aid and advocacy hub with over 28,000 followers.  Liz has taken youth to innumerable college visits, social justice convenings and trainings, and advocacy days at the State Capitol.  The impact she has had on so many people’s lives can never be measured. 

But if we tried to count what is uncountable, we could count the miles she has driven up hollers to get students home safely; how many pieces of gum and tea lights she has placed on self-care tables; the number of pizzas she’s ordered after a day at the Capitol; the number of steps she has walked alongside students in the marble halls; how many strips of flip chart paper on which she’s written their ideas; the number of times she’s thrown a koosh ball around a circle to get young people talking; the number of youth who would not have pursued higher education or a career in social change work without Liz walking with them. 

To honor Liz's incredible legacy, I encourage you to give to the Appalachian Center for Equality program—and be sure to add Liz Brunello's name in the memo line!  Up until November 1, you can find Liz at EBrunello@afsc.org so please drop her a line to tell her just how much she has meant to you.   

At her going away dinner with South Region Director Anyango Reggy Gregory and our AFSC-WV program committee, we agreed that we all need a little Liz in our lives.  Liz is a forever balm to all of us who know her.  We wish her well on the next chapter and know it will include lots of walks with her dog Sylvester, and lots of kids stepping into her beautiful office space to be surrounded by the signature love and light of the amazing Liz Brunello.

Cuts to the bone

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) cuts SNAP by $186 billion and Medicaid by $1 trillion over the next 10 years.  These cuts to the basic means of survival for millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of West Virginians, are being used instead to pay $170 billion for ICE, immigrant detention, and border militarization; as well as $150 billion in wasteful military funding.  Oh, and of course also pay for massive tax cuts for corporations and billionaires.  

My whip smart colleague Brett Heinz broke down the utter horror of OBBBA for us at the Just Economies gathering in Atlanta last month. One of the things Brett points out is that OBBBA is unpopular and that if we use it's actual and utterly ridiculous name, The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we help turn people against it.  A recent nationwide poll in July 2026 found that OBBBA is supported by only about 35% of the country and opposed by 52%, while 13% are still unsure.  

For all these reasons we believe it's important to educate West Virginians about OBBBA.   And to give those who are feeling the hurt of the "One, Big Beautiful Bill" opportunities to use their agency, and to fight back.  Which is why we teamed up with stellar partners like Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger to deliver more than 4,000 (and counting) RESTORE SNAP postcards to in-district Senate offices.  Voices of Hunger fellows around the state are also using these materials to engage people at community events and food distribution sites in Huntington, Morgantown, Rainelle, Charleston, and West Union City.  

We have a parallel effort in the works with our all-star partners at Cabin Creek Health Systems to encourage civic engagement amongst their patients, and give them a way to take action to restore and protect Medicaid funding. 

Click here for information if you are interested in materials for an upcoming event or site placement!  Peek at the postcards here: 

Road trips and bird-dogging

At the Just Economies gathering in Atlanta in August, AFSC's Kat Curry and I got to spend time with economic justice comrades from around the country and Just Economies czar Rick Wilson.  We spent a good amount of time getting trained to lead bird-dogging trainings by bird-dogging extraordinaire Olivia Zink.

What is bird-dogging you ask?  Bird-dogging is the tactic of asking candidates, elected officials, or anyone in a position of power a prepared question on an issue of concern, and documenting their response to get into the media and in front of the broader public.  Bird-dogging is especially important in an election year when the media is following candidates and election events, and we can seize these opportunities to get our message and vision into the public square. 

Rick, Kat, and I have led trainings with Voices of Hunger and got to spend time practicing bird-dogging with our Quaker Friends at the Fall gathering at Cedar Lakes.  You would not be barking up the wrong tree if you asked me to bring a bird-dogging training to your group or community, virtual or in-person.

Real food for real people

As part of a newly launched campaign against Aramark for the dangerously terrible and inadequate food they serve to people incarcerated, we have been gathering feedback via a West Virginia Prison Food Survey from people currently and formerly incarcerated about their experiences with food in prisons and jails.

The feedback we are getting thus far underscores that a poor diet has major ramifications on people’s mental and physical health.  Also, the substandard food places significant burdens on families who have to pay for their loved ones to purchase food from commissary, which isn't much healthier, and also further profits Aramark.  The scheme is rotten to the core.  

Here are some of the responses we have received thus far: 

“In the regional jail there was a mouse in the food and I was scared of diseases.” 

“If this food was to be served to you? Would you eat it?” 

“Rotten broccoli cheese soup. So sad that you wished it would have been good so we could have eaten it, we were hungry.”

Voices of Hunger fellow Teri Castle is working on the Take Back the Tray campaign against Aramark as part of her social work field practicum.  We are so lucky to have Teri working on this with us to interview formerly incarcerated people about their experiences with the food and help advance legislation during the 2027 legislative session for greater transparency and accountability around Aramark’s state contract.  Please feel free to share the survey or the action with your friends and networks!  Also, see Mountain State Justice’s ongoing lawsuit against Aramark in the Marshall Project here. 

Kenny Matthews helped us launch this campaign before he went on medical leave so we are trying to make him proud for when he is back in action with us!

Public policy forum, voter guides and Restorative Justice Week 

Another good time was a road trip I got to take with Loretta Young, President of the State NAACP, to the Annual Public Policy Forum hosted by the WV Council of Churches (WVCC).  The new Executive Director for WVCC Reverend Doug Dyson has hit the ground running and it has been fun working with him and WVCC Government Concerns committee. 

I shared at the policy forum at St. Mark's United Methodist Church that one of my earliest memories when I was back in West Virginia, completely wet behind the ears, was attending WVCC's annual forum—I felt properly schooled by the best of the best advocates doing social change work around the state on the issues of the day.

Nearly 20 years later was no different.  Allies like Rev. Paul Hudock, Gary Zuckett, and Rev. Caitlin Ware presented their policy proposals on issues like ending West Virginia's 287(g) agreements, reversing legislative action taking away local control on data centers, and funding infrastructure for clean water access.  Plus Rev. Cindy Briggs Biondi facilitated a rich discussion with faith leaders including Rev. Roberta Smith and WVCC Board Chair Rev Thad Allen.  The policy proposals presented will help inform the WVCC's 2027 Public Policy Booklet to be released ahead of legislative session.

To circle back to Loretta, I am really looking forward to helping celebrate her this Friday in White Sulphur Springs at the SOLD OUT(!) event sponsored by the Greenbrier County NAACP. 

Voting like our lives depend on it

With the midterms elections coming up, we worked with our friends at the Legislative Action Team for Children and Families to create a Voters Guide which was new territory for some of us.  The guide includes informational briefs on a range of issues including Affordable Child Care, TANF & Family Support Services, Food Security, and Public School Funding.  Along with the Voters Guide, TEAM for WV Children is providing community stipends to support to local groups to do non-partisan voter engagement and advocacy around the policies that reflect the Legislative Action Team’s policy priorities.  Check it out and spread the word if you'd like materials or resources to support your non-partisan voter engagement work between now and election day (November 3rd!) and early voting October 21st through the 31st.

Restorative Justice Week in year three

On November 16th, the WV Restorative Justice Project is hosting another round of community building circles around the state.  Many of the people who were trained in circle keeping earlier this year by Kay Pranis will be leading a community building circle in their town.  Follow this page to stay tuned.

Speaking of circles and restorative justice, Rosie Hefner, Erin Gaertner, Betsy Jividen and I introduced the two concepts to the teachers and staff at Denmar Correctional Facility in Pocahontas County.

As a little historical aside, you can read some interesting history here about Denmar for those (like me) unaware that it was originally built by the Maryland Lumber Company, and in 1917 was designated by the WV State Legislature to be the "West Virginia Colored Tuberculosis Sanitarium" at Denmar. At least 300 people, probably more, died there and were buried close by to what is now a state prison. 

Immigrant solidarity

Last and not least, I wanted to share a word about some of the immigrant solidarity work here in Greenbrier County where I live.  With an incredibly dedicated group of folks, including AFSC alum and Rick's wife Anna Meygesi, we are assisting immigrant neighbors with legal fees and services, transportation, interpretation assistance, and food.  After an ICE Watch training we hosted earlier this year, and in consultation with leaders in the immigrant community, we are next planning a Family Preparedness workshop designed for community members to create a written, notarized plan for their family in case of any emergency or immigration related event.  Next month there will be a Fiesta de Comunidad y Partido de Futbol, basically an intercambio soccer game and potluck.  Last note on immigrant solidarity work, I encourage you to sign this petition urging Governor Morrisey to end West Virginia’s 287(g) agreements with ICE.   

With that, I'll leave you with a word of gratitude for all the ways you support our work in West Virginia.  Whether it's by reading these verbose updates, coming to events, donating your time or money, clicking to take action, pinging me with funny memes, emailing me with book recommendations  —I am truly grateful for your support!

Lastly, in the spirit of sustaining hope, laying the groundwork for change, giving ourselves grace, and looking for the openings, here is some Leonard Cohen from his song "Anthem": 

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in"

Lida

Learn more about the West Virginia Economic Justice Project and sign up for updates.