It has been an incredibly long semester, one of the longest of my college career. That being said, working with my teammates, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Fredrick Honors College this semester to do our community research has been the most rewarding experience I have had in my time at Pitt.
After completing our fieldwork, we found that Uniontown and Connellsville have invaluable assets. Some of these include their local, small businesses like the Connellsville Canteen, a rich history, bike trail tourism, the opportunity for outdoor activities, the Exela Health organization, and micro resorts. These do not necessarily encompass all of their assets, but these are the ones that stuck out to us, and that we heard the most about from those we interviewed. Moving forward with the project, it will be necessary for future researchers to continue to go back to Connellsville and Uniontown to reevaluate their assets and the expansion of those assets into the rest of Fayette County. For this, we created an asset map that can be expanded as more research is completed over the course of the ten-year project.
One thing about our fieldwork that surprised me is the despair many residents shared surrounding the opioid epidemic and how the local government and police force handle it. The conversations we had with the mayor of both Connellsville and Uniontown suggested that they simply do not have enough training or resources to deal with the effects of the crisis. The people of these towns are paying heavily for this in mental strife. It is difficult seeing family and friends they have known since they were in diapers become addicted. After seeing this, it is imperative that these communities have the information and resources to deal with the crisis.
As far as economic development, our team discussed the possibility of bringing more blue-collar industry jobs to the town. These people want to work, there are just limited jobs available. Also, having a position filled by an intern from the local high school that looks and applies for grants for the community would be beneficial for their economy. This way, young people would be able to get involved with their community and learn valuable experiences from interning. Along with this, we talked about improving their social media and website formatting to bring more people into the community. Marketing can do wonders for a small community.
As for our deliverables, we created an asset map that can be accessed at any time that shows the properties I discussed earlier like the Connellsville Canteen. We also created a map of vacant properties that community members can utilize for a project, new business, or other land usages. Finally, we compiled a comprehensive list of private, federal, and state grants that are open to communities like those of Connellsville and Uniontown. All they have to do is apply. If I could immediately implement any of our recommendations it would be to open a position specifically for grants starting with funds for opioid relief. As I mentioned earlier, this crisis is deeply affecting community members and they need to get those resources as soon as possible.
If I was describing this experience to my grandchildren when I am old, I would say that the entire experience has been eye-opening and that I wish every person had the chance to visit these small towns to understand these folks better. There is still a stigma around small Appalachian towns with some groups assuming they are not worth the resources, the time, or the energy, however, these are just regular people trying to make a better life for themselves like anyone else. I would say that I met some of the kindest people through this research and that they deserve more than what has been given to them. This course has been different from any other course I have taken because I got the chance to set foot in the communities that we talk about and begin to understand the daily struggles in another small community. There is only so much a person can learn from sitting at a desk and listening to a Professor, but listening to those that you are learning about is a different experience altogether and is essential to beginning to unravel problems within a community.