Newsletter March 2022

J.R. Martinez highlights 2021 Rural Resilience Summit A round 200 educators, healthcare providers, elected officials and community leaders from rural Virginia learned strategies to encourage individual and community resilience October 28, 2021 at the annual Rural Resilience Summit. The event, which utilized a hybrid live-online program, featured more than 20 speakers in the fields of kindergarten readiness, workforce readiness, mental health and collective impact (collaboration). “Over the last year-and-a-half, resilience has become a key to establishing, or re-establishing, a better quality of life,” said United Way of Southwest Virginia President and CEO Travis Staton. “Concurrent, modern, formidable issues are affecting our rural communities not only throughout theCommonwealth of Virginia, but all across Appalachia, and indeed, all of rural America.” The Conference Keynote Speaker was U.S. Army veteran J.R. Martinez, who survived extensive burns after being trapped inside a burning vehicle that had struck an improvised explosive device in Iraq. Martinez told of his experiences following the explosion, from multiple surgeries and depression to his first chance to help another soldier begin the process of recovering from his own mental and physical wounds, to reaching an understanding of how he could lead not only a productive life, but a remarkable one. There had been times while he was in the service, Martinez said, that he was leading an uninspired life because he felt alone and exploited. But by reaching out, he found his inspiration. Martinez explained howhe has been able, with help, to develop the personal resilience to lead a successful life. “You have to find your ‘why,’” Martinez said, adding that he had found meaning and purpose in his life through service to others. Morning Keynote Speaker Gayle Conelly-Manchin, federal co chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, discussed the ARC’s five priorities for bringing Appalachian communities to parity with other American communities. Afternoon Keynote

Speaker Gerry Brooks, a school principal from Kentucky who has more than 3.5 million social media followers, demonstrated how the smallest moments of communication and understanding can have lasting impacts on children and teachers alike. The Summit was hosted by presenting sponsors Ballad Health, the Virginia State Office of Rural Health and United Way of Southwest Virginia. Other sponsors included the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, General Dynamics, LGE&E and KU Foundation, the Rapha Foundation, and Verizon.

Rural Resilience Summit Keynote Speaker, J.R. Martinez

Everybody understands United way. Everybody understands that logo. When they see it, it brings peace. It brings comfort. It soothes people, not just because they see the word United way, because they know at the root there’s people that are involved that care - J.R. Martinez

Travis Staton United Way of Southwest Virginia President and CEO

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