The PV Volunteers are an organization that works with the poor in Wyoming County, West Virginia, and Bedford Stuyvesant in New York City. The photos that follow were taken by two parishioners that spent two weeks in West Virginia this year. Click here for more information on the PV Volunteers.

Our home away from home. A new location this year, in a different part of the county took some adjusting. But in no time, we were settled in and ready for the challanges to come.

Before any volunteer is ready to go to work, they are commissioned. In a brief ceremony, all volunteers have their hands and head anointed, and are prayed for by the other volunteers. They then receive a medallion created by one of the leaders of the group, which incorporates the PV logo, and is different for each year.

Here we present a grant check from the Sacred Heart Mustard Seed Fund to the PV volunteers.

Down at the Food Bank, someone is in for a wonderful surprise. A generous donor gave this wedding gown to be given to whoever needed it.

If you don't neeed a wedding gown, there are plenty of other clothes to pick from. These are donated by people in the county, and from distant states as well.

And not just clothes. Plenty of food to help those in need. Again, donations come from far and near, major corporations like Wal-Mart, and parishioners from around the country.

Arnie and Kathy run the St. Vincent de Paul effort in the county. This involves not only the St. Vincent Food Bank, but also coordinating most of the volunteer groups operating in the county.

Ah, fresh air. Our co-directors join us in cleaning up at Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area.

A really beautiful area.

Even more beautiful when all this trash has been removed.

Here the volunteers enjoy a day away from work, and get to relax and do some community building exercises. As well as look over the edge. And what are they looking at?

This! An Army Corps of Engineers flood control project in a pretty part of the county. This is the R.D. Bailey Lake. On a clear day, you really can see forever.

But back to work on Monday. Plenty to do. A common problem in this part of the county is flooding. Many residents were flooded twice this year in the spring. Which means that the floors need replacing. At other sites...

...replace the facia boards, sofits, and siding. But look out for the wasps. They may be a problem.

Did I mention about the wasps. We went through this and more in one day trying to control the problem.

Back in the school, there were other problems. In a classic example of the shoemakers children going barefoot, we ran into a series of problems. This one announcing no lights in the women's shower. Other signs announced a lack of hot water, and on a couple of occasions, a lack of any water at all! All were met with good humor and overcome.

Even after dinner, there is work to be done. Planning for the next day's projects involved the team leaders, coordinators and our technical experts.

This is the group shot from the first two weeks of July. You may ask what everyone is doing. Waving? Scratching? No, there's a much easier explanation. They are making bunny ears. See how easy that was to explain. This all goes back to a community building exercise we did one weekend. And yes, bunny ears played a part in the community building. You see...well, maybe it's not so easy to explain after all. I guess you had to be there. Maybe you would like to be there next year and experience the PV Volunteer effort in person.