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WVU students provide lending hand in Hundred

Photo Provided Miguel Henriquez was among students with the West Virginia University Student Government Association who assisted with flood clean-up in Hundred.

WHEELING — Student leaders at West Virginia University this past week went without cell phone service and pitched in to help with flood recovery efforts in Hundred.

WVU Student Government Association members — led by Student Goverment President Blake Humphrey of Wheeling — were scheduled to convene for their annual retreat early last week at Dallas Pike just as Humphrey learned volunteers were needed in Hundred.

Humphrey said he had checked in with the WVU Center for Service and Learning on the campus in Morgantown, where he was first told volunteers were needed in McMechen.

He volunteered in McMechen on Aug. 3, and mentioned to volunteer organizers he had 25 student government members coming to Wheeling the week of Aug. 7.

Humphrey was told the group should go to Hundred, which was in need of help.

“They told me a lot of people didn’t know where Hundred was, and there were not as many volunteers going there,” he said.

Ohio County Schools provided a bus and a driver, Bob Pockl, to take the SGA students from Triadelphia to Hundred on Monday. Their job was to relocate the volunteer center from Hundred High School to another facility so the school could be readied for the start of the school year.

And he said Pockl was quick to join the students in their efforts.

“Without hesitation, he began lifting lifting boxes and helping out,” Humphrey said.

The first thing the SGA students discovered was there is no cellphone service in Hundred.

“It’s crazy to think where we are wired into everything, there are parts of the state left in the dark,” Humphrey said. “But the people there are truly remarkable. Not only are they living against the odds without basic amenities, they are hit with something like that. But their spirits are high, and they want to get back from that. They appreciated students on the ground helping them.”

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