A Strong Sense of Community

Both our conversations with the churchgoers at Central Christian and our scavenger hunt through Huntington revealed a lot about the community we'll be working in and the resources they have access to. Overall, the city seems to fit the stereotype of a not-particularly-wealthy small town in the middle of nowhere. We were able to drive through most of it in about an hour, passing small houses next to empty lots and auto shops, mostly fast-food restaurants and chains interrupted by the occasional local establishment, lots of small specialist health practices and urgent care facilities, few spaces for public enjoyment, and no bus stops--if you live there without a car, you're pretty much stuck. One thing that struck me was, despite it being a beautifully sunny Sunday, there was almost no one outside. Based on all of those observations, it sounds like a pretty miserable place. But, the people we spoke with were so welcoming and seemed genuinely so happy--many of them had grown up here, found jobs here, raised a family here. The churches seems to build strong communities, and there are many of them. So perhaps being "stuck" is not the way the community members feel about living in Huntington. Culturally, they seem to have different values than those I'm used to being surrounded with and influenced by in a college setting and urban lifestyle--they value religion, routine, homemaking, family, neighborliness, and maintaining long-term connections. It's a strong community where people truly care about each other.