By Esteban Fernandez, Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Sherry Kinder wants Fairmont to know more about its own roots.
“When you find out about your ancestors and things, it helps you grow and take a chance on yourself,” Kinder said. “So to me, it was all positive. It was fun. And it uses the resources that we have here that get overlooked.”
Kinder’s application to Cultivate WV — Fairmont is one of 24 projects selected for funding by the program. Cultivate connects applicants with training and up to $2,000 mini-grants for a project that aims to enhance the community. The program also provides guidance and training on how to best utilize the money, so that projects have the highest chance for follow through. Cultivate held its meeting Wednesday night at East Fairmont Middle Schools to celebrate those who were selected for funding.
Kinder works for Rising Stars RESET Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps educate and socialize local youth. Her goal is to encourage more young people to learn about where they come from, so to that end, her goal for her funding is to create workshops that will help people research their ancestral ties. She said learning about where one comes from can instill pride.
The money will go toward defraying the cost of Ancestry.com, a subscription-based genealogy service, as well as materials and training for individuals interested in the subject. Kinder said now that they have their funding, they’re working on turning the outline of their plan into something concrete for people to use.
