For the past year, several organizations in Appalachia have been meeting to coordinate our work and to find ways to become stronger by working together. Four OVEC folks – Donetta Blankenship, Chuck Nelson, Dianne Bady and Janet Keating – represented OVEC at the April meeting at Jenny Wiley State Park outside Prestonsburg, Ky.

Left photo, Kevin Pentz from Kentuckians For The Commonwealth looks on as OVEC member Chuck Nelson talks about being arrested at the Marsh Fork Elementary action at the West Virginia Governor’s office. Right photo, from right to left, listening intently are Donetta Blankenship and Dianne Bady with OVEC, and Matt Wasson and Lenny Kohm with Appalachian Voices.