(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Andy Weekly talks about how the grant funding will help the fire department purchase new bunker gear.

SISTERSVILLE – More than $100,000 in competitive grants were doled out to 12 different community organizations from the Harry E. and Olive T. Barth Charitable Trust on Nov. 20.

The checks were presented during a ceremony hosted by the trust’s administrator, the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, at the Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department.

The 12 organizations that received the grants totalling $110,390.38 included:

ArtsLink, Inc. for concert activities and the Missoula Children’s Theatre, $8,000;

Catholic Charities West Virginia for basic needs assistance, $5,000;

City of New Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department Friendship Swing and Swing Bay, $6,575;

City of Sistersville Sistersville Park and Pool bath house remodel, phase one, $30,000;

City of Sistersville Sistersville Ferry, $10,000;

Friends of Sistersville Park and Pool sensory corner, $8,040.18;

Marietta Health Foundation medical blanket warming cabinets for Sistersville General Hospital, $4,959.20;

Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church Third Thursday Soup Lunch, $10,000;

Olive Branch Animal Rescue & Refuge, Inc. for fans for Project Cool Canines, $5,975;

Sistersville First United Methodist Church Faith Hands Free Community Breakfast & Necessities Closet, $5,000;

Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department Replacement for bunker gear, $11,841; and

Tyler County Family Resource Network Inc. Project Help, $5,000.

All of the recipients said they were thankful for the funding and gave some details of the projects and plans. Debbie Stanton, program office for the CFOV, thanked the groups for all their work. She also thanked the committee that went over the applications and scored them. Amber Baumberger of WesBanco, which manages the trust, said that Olive Barth was passionate about her support for the community. She said the funds are limited, but the bank is making investments to keep growing the trust.

“This fund has distributed over $1 million so far in Wetzel and Tyler County,” Stanton added.

Donna Earley of Artslink talked about the theater’s upcoming programming and how helpful the funds will be for future activities.

Trish Whitelatch with Catholic Charities talked about the many people who are fed with help from the funding; for example, 457 households receive food from the pantry twice a week. People also receive assistance paying utility bills and rent. She noted the group is in need of new volunteers.

Jodie Nippert, director of New Martinsville Parks and Recreation, said the new Friendship Swing can be used by older children and event adults. Installing it should help keep older kids and teenagers from using the smaller baby-sized swings, she noted.

Mary Ann Rutherford of the Sistersville Park & Pool said their funding will allow for the renovation of the pool house built about 1950. She said the building is in need of new plumbing, fixtures, showers and changing areas. Any leftover funds will be used to spruce up the concession stand.

Gary Bowden of the Sistersville Ferry said their grant money will be used to continue and expand entertainment offered on the ferry. He said while the vessel is not used as much for transportation by workers, it has become more of a tourist attraction. There are also plans to use the ferry to teach school children about the history of transportation on the Ohio River.

Linda Hendrickson of the Friends of the Sistersville Parks and Pool said their grant will allow them to install a sensory corner at the playground for children with disabilities to use and enjoy.

Richard Giroux of the Marietta Health Foundation said their funding will allow Sistersville General Hospital to purchase a medical warming cabinet for blankets. He noted warm blankets help ease patients’ stress, increase blood flow and can help prevent hypothermia after surgery when patients sometimes get cold after their blood pressure drops. Newborns also need warm blankets.

Joanna Casto of the Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church said their grant will allow the church to keep feeding people monthly during the Third Thursday Soup Lunch. She said the church also gives people in need blankets, sox and coats during the winter. The church also provides people with groceries who do not have the ability to shop for themselves. The church also cooks hot meals and delivers them. Since 2018, the church has made more than 11,000 meals in its kitchen.

Vickie Folden of the Olive Branch Animal Rescue & Refuge, Inc. said their grant will allow the shelter to purchase fans to help their animals cool, but also help block out noise from a nearby natural gas drilling well pad. The loud noises often make the animals, especially the dogs, feel stressed, which makes it difficult to train them and get them adopted out.

Folden also added that the shelter currently has 32 dogs, 264 cats, 12 pigs and two horses.

The Rev. Jonathan Fox, pastor of Sistersville First UMC, said the grant money will help the church continue its ministry of feeding people. He noted each month the church feeds more than 100 people during the free breakfast.

Sistersville VFD Chief Andy Weekly said their grant funding would help the fire department purchase new bunker gear, which is the protective gear worn while fighting fires.

Jill Ash of the Family Resource Network said the grant funding would help continue its programming that helps the homeless and others to pay bills. She noted for someone seeking housing they often do not have money for the initial fees such as a deposit or an application fee.

Lash also talked about a new plan to bring public transportation to Wetzel and Tyler Counties and three other counties. She said a transit survey is being conducted and a transit plan will be developed by Ohio-based RLS. Funding to get it started has already been promised by the county commissions involved, she said. Lash said there are many people who are in need of transportation to reach medical appointments.