Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Everyday Heroes: Grow Appalachia one more way Wayne Riley continues to pay it forward
By Steve Flairty
KyForward columnist
This story will be included in Steve Flairty’s book, “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #4,” scheduled for release in 2015.
When Wayne Riley founded the Laurel County African American Heritage Center in 2004, he saw it as a way he could share with others what he experienced as a youngster, that of having a sense of community. That good feeling took place in the early ’60s around London’s Mill Street Baptist Church, which now houses the Center. He learned that food and fellowship were important elements in building closeness. Today, he tries to continue each in his role as a highly respected community leader as he directs the center and leads an acclaimed community garden growing project...
...The process to establish the new museum/center started out modestly. “First, we started gathering pictures,” he said. Wayne went to great lengths to find them, too. “I would go to funerals and take a scanner along,” he said, “and we put the pictures in three three-drawer file cabinets, and it kept growing. I met some ladies in the historical society. They were very important because they’d save things and I’d bring them here (to the church).”
As items accumulated, including showcases to exhibit them, he called on the help of a woman from Frankfort to discuss a good structure for the project. The rest, as is often stated, is history and, with the directing of Wayne, a board and a group of volunteers, the place once standing as a house of religious worship grew to be, according to its web site, “a meeting place for the community that fosters discussion, reflection and hope.” To put it succinctly, the LCAAHC features togetherness, family and a sense of greater dignity to those who are connected in some way to the area.
About five years ago, things got even better through another initiative. With Wayne’s willingness to lead and expand the mission of the center, a new project entered the picture, called “Grow Appalachia,” based north of London at Berea College. Grow Appalachia makes gardening grants through “partner sites,” educates about raising healthy food and encourages entrepreneurship for the Appalachian region. Wayne took on the job as coordinator of a partner site after an impressive proposal to David Cooke, the director of the organization. He received a significant grant amount to get the community gardens going. The partner site would be a huge help for both those in the neighborhood and outside London. He was excited to see Grow Appalachia in place as an outgrowth of LCAAHC....
MORE at http://www.kyforward.com/everyday-heroes-grow-appalachia-one-more-way-wayne-riley-continues-to-pay-it-forward/
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