Neighbors helping neighbors: Nonprofit launches to tackle flood recovery across West Virginia

Dominion Post

12-07-2025

MORGANTOWN — In the wake of devastating floods that struck Marion and Ohio counties in mid-June, a new, community-based initiative is rising to meet the moment.
The West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund held its inaugural fundraising event Wednesday at 123 Pleasant St. in downtown Morgantown — marking the beginning of what organizers hope will become a powerful, statewide network for flooding relief. Appalachian Bands prepare to perform at 123 Pleasant St. on Wednesday evening to raise funds for flood relief across the state. (Benjamin Powell/ The Dominion Post)
The benefit event, organized in partnership with Ohio Valley Mutual Aid, brought together a crowd of supporters and featured performances from local Appalachian artists and bands. Ohio Valley Mutual Aid, known for its on-the-ground relief work throughout the upper Ohio Valley area, is currently helping to coordinate aid for flood-affected residents in Wheeling.
All proceeds from Wednesday's event are going directly toward flood recovery efforts in Wheeling, where families are still reeling from significant damage caused by last month's flash flooding. A sign outside the front doors of 123 Pleasant St. on Wednesday evening announces the fundraising event. (Benjamin Powell/ The Dominion Post)
'It really will be neighbors helping neighbors,' said Becks Lipshultz, co-organizer of the West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund. 'And so, as we expand our nonprofit, we'll partner with mutual aid and flood relief organizations in places across the state so that when these floods happen — whether it's in Wheeling or McDowell or anywhere else that has flooding — we will be able to allocate funds to them to help with their flood relief efforts across the state.'
The event also served as a celebration of Appalachian culture, resilience, and unity. Local musicians and artists took the stage not just to entertain, but to inspire a collective sense of purpose in addressing the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding across the region.
'We're in Appalachia, and it's such a culturally and musically diverse and creative place,' Lipshultz said. 'Community is so important. We thought, what better way to not only raise funds but also gather the community around this cause — and continue to gather the community around this cause.'
Organizers say this is just the beginning. The West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund plans to host benefit concerts and even larger-scale festivals on a quarterly basis, using art, music, and entertainment as tools to sustain long-term relief efforts across the Mountain State.
As the organization works toward securing its official nonprofit status, it is already building partnerships and planning future events. The goal is to ensure that when disaster strikes anywhere in West Virginia, help will already be on the way, powered by neighbors, artists and communities.
For more information or to support current relief efforts, donations can be made through Ohio Valley Mutual Aid's online platforms (ovmutualaid.org) while the West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund finalizes its own donation systems and website.