For residents of Mingo County, a mountainous, coal-rich rural area bordering eastern Kentucky, access to the outside world is limited. Many people don’t have reliable clean water or telephone service, and transportation to jobs is difficult for the large number of households that can’t afford to repair a car when it breaks down. 

According to 2019-2023 Census Department data:

• 38% of children under 18 live below the federal poverty line
• About a quarter of households have an income of under $15,000
• Only 8% of residents over 25 have a Bachelor’s degree

Mingo County has the dubious distinction of ranking last of 55 West Virginia counties for adverse health behaviors, including smoking, obesity, binge drinking, teenage births and motor vehicle crash deaths. Opioid addiction is rampant — in 2021 West Virginia had the highest rate of death due to drug overdoses of all 50 states.

Our community liaison in Kermit is Donald Bowen of Vineyard United Baptist Church, located just across the state line in nearby Inez, Kentucky. The Save-A-Lot store in Inez provides grocery gift cards to Family-to-Family’s sponsored families, which are distributed by Donald Bowen once a month. 

Community Contact
Donald Bowen
Vineyard United Baptist Church
PO Box 334
Inez, Kentucky 41224

Read more about Mingo County:

• Scrapping for a Living in Old Coal Country
• Mingo County – One of the Unhealthiest Counties in West Virginia, and the Nation
• Stirring the Waters – In Southern WV, Days Without Water are a Way of Life

Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023

https://www.shadac.org/opioid-epidemic-united-states#:~:text=Across%20the%20decade%2C%20however%2C%20West,are%20unavailable%20for%20that%20state. 

Yes, I’d like to sponsor a family!