Appalachia : A beautiful place plagued with poverty, here in our backyard

[gheester60]

I wonder why so called "movie stars", continue to generously give millions of dollars to Haiti, Ethiopia, and many other countries instead if America? How wonderful it would be if they would help families in our own country?

[williamparlier]

We choose to live humbly.

[imacceptingbut]

What I kinda don't understand (unless these people are really, really super against ANY outside intrusions) is why these folks haven't made bank with tourism! The Amish did it without breaking a sweat - - Bed & Breakfasts, trinket shops, buggy rides, homemade EVERYTHING from quilts to clothes to jams to cutting boards, etc. People love that kind of stuff.

The folks living in Appalachia should consider starting the same. It would 100% help their economy!

[Appalachian85]

Enslaved by coal companies, raped by railroads, cheated by the gov't, and left to bleed out! It's a way of life you will never understand, and it aint bad. Gangsta aint got nothin on mountain man!

[Frankallen12]

God you are Gorgeous!!

[kentucky9000]

Hooah !

[MrClayton2014]

If the people are smart they will stay there and live the old way without all the unneeded stress brought on by this materialistic world.

[Pertusetian]

You know what you're talking about, and I like to see the young people getting involved. I've left Southern Ohio many times over the years, mostly for work or war, and my heart still remains in the Heart of the Hills. I still know my neighbors there, my 'old-home-place' is still an archaic farmhouse built, and added to over the years. Rough shape, but it's home. & that's what many of us are lacking; a sense of place. That's the feeling I get when I'm home, that sense of place.

[fisherman1588]

Emily Douglas, you are gorgeous

[bofts]

Keep doing what you are doing

[tyoyea]

people dont understand TRUE STRUGGLE nowadays we have it so good compared to appalachia/ozarks. i have so much respect for you and your cause and best of luck to you/foundations. :]

[tyoyea]

i explained how if you are a poverty stricken area with little ambition, basically NO education, no issurance and arent even living pay check to pay check, there are no pay checks, you/your ENTIRE family has been here forever, basically no support from your government except 50 dollars for food stamps. where can you go? what can you do? what ambitions do you have for the future? how will you get your family the next meal?

[tyoyea]

wow this is crazy, its sad to say in lunch today, a girl said shed rather help HAITI then to help out one of our own (americans). i exploded with facts about appalachia! shes goes "why do they deserve money?, they should just get jobs or move or something. we shouldnt just throw money at them."

[MorgieLee23]

thank god!!!! this would probably be one of the first videos what i have seen talking about appalachia and was not trashing it but told somewhat of what is goin on down here! now this is my favorite video!!!! lol

[wvufanngarner]

I love my mountain home, it's not much but it's mine. God bless all of appalachia and it's people

[Rodriguez9181]

you are beautiful

[fbmboss1982]

Very. very cool. I'm from Washington, DC. But my family and ancestors are from deep Virginia. I have always had a fascination with this region, including appalachia. I am african american but I feel a strong connection to the appalachias. Anyway, I offer my respect-

[WVliberty]

most exploited place in America, due to outside govt. and corporations

[Lydirius]

My God that girl is beautiful!

[evegpt]

Maybe poor in finances but so wealthy in the good things in life that make life worth living. Like family, belief in God, diginity, grace to visitors, a tie to the Earth that city people only dream about.

[cuteobidientgirl]

wow

[Lydirius]

What part of southern Ohio are you from? Ever heard of Jackson? That's where I call home.

[oyePhoker]

damn shes haaawt .. nice strong looking girl ..

[miketron75]

All a can say is I lived in Athens county and vinton county ohio for over a decade and played music and worked as a field scientist for the epa. I left the area and moved to Hollywood CA(where I live now as a successful business owner and musician). I cant fucking wait to move back to the rolling hills or southeast Ohiowith my middle finger raised high pointing to LA all the way back!! Plus u r hott.

[mrsevans1000]

I lived in Jackson county, AL for 16 months. I saw houses that by Illinois standards (where I was born, raised, and currently live) would have been condemned. The AL. State government thought it was "normal" for poor people to not have utilities. Here in IL. the state would take my kids if I didn't have utilites.

[charliepc56]

Thank you!

[YoungSteve17]

FIT

[BLUEMOONGRASS]

I grew up in Appalachia and' never once did I think we were poor with' poverty. We worked the fields and' timberline' gathered moss and' made our own corn. Our parents made sure we were kept away from the' world glitter. The most important thing was' AIR' FOOD and' WATER and' we had plenty of that in APPALACHIAN.

[7855waldo]

What a wonderful speaking style you have. Assertive, warm, natural. Great job.

[BigB23USAABC]

I was born and raised in Haywood County NC. After I completed college I moved to Houston TX.  After being there for 9 months I decided to move home. The people are just nicer here. No amount of money could get me to move from home again.

[sccoast1700]

The missing ingrediant is decent paying jobs. Many rural areas are depressed, but they also have alot going for them. Things like affordable housing and low taxes. It's not how much you make, it's how much you keep. I would rather be poor there than in an urban area.

[RainbowBrite80]

I'm pretty much a very busy new yorker...but I'd love to be able to help in any way or contribute to your organization or what have you. People make jokes (SNL) and put such stigma on these folks because of their socio-economic status but they seem a heck of a lot happier then anyone I know. more in tune with the earth.

[baredd79]

Unfortunately, the only thing most Americans know about Appalachia, is what they see on late night Heckle and Jeckle re runs from Cartoon Planet.

[38rebel]

"The folks in this region speak a purer form of English than is spoken most anywhere in the world . The English spoken here is more closely related to Shakespeare's English than any other dialect in the world. So, the pronunciation issue doesn't lie at the feet of the people in the mountains. Just because folks on the news want to pronounce a word a certain way doesn't mean that is the way the word was originally meant to be pronounced. Appalachia should be pronounced as APPLE-AT-CHA

[OlYeller21]

Hey, you used a qutotation mark wrong. I'm going to ignore the subject of what you said and pick on something small and meaningless. Get a life.

[OlYeller21]

Who cares how it's pronounced. The way it's pronounced has nothing to do with this video. It's such a great cause and all you can do is pick out a word you don't like and criticize it? Quit being a troll, get out and do something great like the people of this organization.

[xsarahxsceleticx]

Its crazy that some of you are saying "just move to a better place". I've lived in these mountains all my life. Its home to me. It is a neglected area in the U.S. but it is getting better. These mountains won't be here much longer due to all the coal mining. :( But more businesses will go up in place of them giving us more job opportunities.

[cowboyrich6]

I live in Pineville, Ky, and i'm pretty sure that all of the schools around here have heating and air conditioning.  Most let out during snow because road conditions in the mountains get bad. Our curvy roads are hard to maintain during the winter.

[georgiepinkle]

I'm from a poor community in Appalachia. I "got out and tried" for over ten years (like some of the sheltered commenters here suggested), and it didn't work. I've learned from living in several "more opportunistic" cities that the land always provided better than dependence on shotty government welfare or corporation employment ever did.

[alinsatx]

i would like to help. we have issues here also but being hispanic i can see where we all need to pay attention to each other irregardless of what part of the country we are from. we are still USA all of us. ill try to get info see how i can help. Peace to all from Texas

[GrandmasGifts]

Thank you for your wonderful comment!!! We are all still American's... and we all do need to help each other regardless of where we're from...

Thanks Alinsatx

[alinsatx]

i agree. id love to travel there and try to help someone.who knows maybe even meet someone as well who can show me around

[annacronism]

alinsatx, come on, and welcome. I would be glad to show you around. I live in a small town, but it's situated right in the heart of the Tennessee hills. There is a lot that needs doing to help people right here. If you send me a message, with a valid email address, I will be glad to give you directions on how to get here from wherever you are. We really do love our mountains and most of us would not trade living here for anywhere else on earth.

[wagers1234]

listen, i know your trying to help by making this vid, but please dont, where i come from already has a bad enough name for no reason. we can amke it on our own.

[GrandmasGifts]

thank you for the comment........ but we help millions of people and will continue to do so. We are young people who want to make a difference... not to be famous or rich... not to victimize Appalachia peoples... just because we know it's the right thing to do. My entire family is from Appalachia and I spent all of my childhood summers and holiday's there... I've seen many things and while I've lived in Columbus all my life, home is where the heart is.... and my heart lives in southern Ohio.

[shadylady639]

at least they are gettingg the word out and they do help people who do you help yourself. please shhh

[collegebabe08]

dont judge us till u have lived in our shoes. just b/c u watch all these things on T.V. that is showing us as a bunch of redneck, tooth less hillbillies, doesnt mean its true, i have lived in eastern KY my whole life and i wouldnt trade it for the world to be in the city with a bunch of stuck up idiots.

[collegebabe08]

Ok for those who dont live in Eastern Ky u dont know what its like living here. It may be a struggle, but we got family and friends to lean on when things get tough. Love gets you through the toughest times. So dont diss us till u have lived in our shoes.

[oilhammer04]

Some of my ancestors came from up and down the Appalachian mountain area in Eastern Tennessee. My Great Grandfather left with his family ( I suppose at about 1900) There probably wasn't much opportunity, since, I assume, the soil (what there was of it) was worn out. Grandfather went to New Mexico then to Oklahoma. He was a smart business man an did well for his family.

[jameswillis2008]

I am 20 years old i was born and rasied in Appalachia .Boyd County Kentucky. I might have been poor but i was happy. people want call us not but rednecks and stuff they need to grow up. My dad and my mom work there whole life so me and my sister could go to college.

[MPCHustle]

I don't call people from Appalachia red necks, but I wish they would just pick up and leave to another state, get on welfare, and build from there. I know it's hard to do but it's a tough decision. I am in the Northeast and I can only say I've seen pictures of what looked to me was a small town in Puerto Rico where poverty was just as bad. but you have move, plain and simple

[GrandmasGifts]

I think it's totally crazy that people say this because if it was that simple & the answer, more people would do it! What if we told you that you had to pick up and move away from your family and everything you know and love?

Try to put yourself in that situation... you have little money, not a great education, your family has lived in the same area (if not the same house- so no house payments- for yrs)... how can you pick up & leave everyone you know & love... with nothing?

[charitylmc]

how would picking up and moving north to live on welfare in ghettos better than living in poverty in appalachia. i would pick the mountain life anyday.

[GrandmasGifts]

Really, put yourself in that situation... you have little money, not a great education, your family has lived in the same area (if not the same house for years)... how can you pick up & leave everyone you know & love... with nothing...?

I think it's crazy that people make that comment because if it was that simple & the answer, more people would do it!

While there is evidence of poverty & pain, there is also a rich heritage, beauty, & culture embedded in the region that is truly amazing...

[FluxCapacitor2008]

GrandmasGifts

AlessioDAlessandro has a national health care plan in Italy so they dont know what its like to have no health care or how it is to get screwed by your insurance company. The burden of health care is put on our employers and the workers.

[MPCHustle]

why not move and rent the house out to someone from there? all you need to do is come up with legal papers or a Lease agreement and do as such would do.

[Ahkanemarie]

I've lived in Appalachia my whole life, I'm a college student, and I have NEVER seen anything like you are describing here. Maybe my poor poverty torn eyes just can't see things though, huh?

[bro1945]

So many who down play Appalachia are the same ones who bad mouth VietNam vets. They read about it or seen videos and pictures. They have never been in either place...but they know all about it.

Live it...then talk about it!

[chainswimmer]

its app-a-lat-cha lol im from marion in southwest virginia and i personaly love it down here.

[amerikanerMarinen]

You are? I've been there plenty of times, I don't know if you've ever been this far east in southern Virginia, but have you gone through Danville, or maybe a little further north in Climax County?

[block1538]

Yeah I'm from the city too

[flyboymd82]

I grew up in a suburb of a major City. A good friend lives in southeast KY and I fell in love with the people who live down there. They are good, decent, hardworking, proud and strong people. They may not have a lot of material wealth but they have plenty of other types wealth if you know what I mean.

If I ever won the lottery, these are the people I'd spend the rest of my life helping out.

Good people!

[MPCHustle]

I have to commend you on that, because I would want to do the same thing

[melissacarl2002]

i'm from appalachia and i don't have a proper sewer system. I wish I could ask someone for help about it but as soon as i tell someone I'm afraid i will get in trouble or even go to jail because i didn't have it. I put a trailer on my da's land and i dont think it is legal because of building permits

[clarkbailey1973]

AppleATCHA...not ...Aplle A shuw...lol

Actually it doesn't matter but down here we pronounce it that way but hats off to the help you are providing

[GrandmasGifts]

It really is pronounced either way depending up on where you are... I've heard it easily 5 different ways... haha :)

Thank you for your comments and support!

[NewRiverValleyEMT]

I'm from Pulaski County, Southwest Virginia-New River Valley and I speak Appalachian. I probably live about 2 hours from benwastyxx.

[TexWalker138]

I'm from Appalachian Ohio. I went to college to become a teacher to try to make an impact in my community only to find that all of the schools in my area are cutting budgets. I ended finding work in FL and I was floored to see what it is like to go school in these areas compared to home. In my home state, Appalachians are set up to lose because of how the tax system is structured. It takes people like you to rally people to support these special communities and create positive change. Thanks.

[ShaneShalu]

I am so happy to have found this video and the work you are doing. I was born and raised in Australia but some of our ancestors go back to the Appalachian hills in NC and Tennessee. We still have family there to this day in fact. That being so, I am rapt to see folk doing work within this area to bring hope and also dignity to the culture that many of us are either a part of or come from.

I look forward to getting onto your web page and doing what I can from here to help.

[GrandmasGifts]

Thank you for your wonderful message... supportive individuals like youself make what we do more rewarding!

[rmstudio]

Hey kid I commend you for what you are doing. Not many kids your age have these things on their minds. IT takes a pretty special person to recognize or see the things you do. People really forget what the people of these regions have done for this "Nation" in war efforts and many other areas that made us have what we have. They so often overlooked. Their heritage goes way back. I come from California and always respected these people and their contributions. Hats off to you for helping them.

[TheLetterJ]

App-uh-latch-uh.

[GrandmasGifts]

People from Southern Ohio say it both ways!!! :) thanks for the comment.

[cknightfan]

People from east KY say it like this

[clarkbailey1973]

amen

[benwastyxx]

i live in wise county va and remember being sent home from school because it was too hot.

[clarkbailey1973]

I used to live in Lee County Va. Still have lot's of family there. I've lived in Harlan and Lee county most of my life