Our Crowdfunding Groups
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We are a group of unique, but like-minded, Duquesne University students excited to spend our Spring Break in Mullens, West Virginia through Duquesne’s Spiritian Campus Ministry. Duquesne University has a long-standing relationship with the Appalachian communities of West Virginia, and our student groups have been traveling to work in these communities for 28 years.
Mullens is a small coal mining town in southern West Virginia that struggles with severe poverty. Each year, leaders of this rural community work closely with our group to communicate what projects are most important to the community and what specific resources are needed.
Our goal is to provide resources deemed necessary by the community and to connect with the members of the community by spending time with them. We will face the harsh winter with determination, and we are grateful to our hosts for the opportunity to serve and learn about this area of the country.
With the decline of coal, community leaders have expressed a need for alternative economic initiatives, and have begun to explore the agricultural industry. Two years ago, Duquesne students and supporters helped finance and build a high-tunnel greenhouse at the Mullens Opportunity Center (MOC). The greenhouse was extremely successful, and resulted in a fresh produce market for the community throughout the summer months.
Last year we constructed raised beds at the Mullens Opportunity Center and at a local school.
This year, we have been asked to assist in the purchase of a shredder/mulcher so that organic compost can be produced for local residents who will begin subsistence farming. We continue to focus on projects that foster the strong community spirit of Mullens, like the addition of a community garden with raised beds. We will also work in the local food pantry as we have in years past.
Please consider donating money to our cause to help provide the shredder/mulcher and supplies for community agricultural projects and food to the food pantry. We also ask that you please share this page with people you think would be interested in our project. Thank you for your support, and check back often for updates!
