At the start of 2020, CPD affiliate West Virginia Healthy Kids & Families Coalition launched their new name, Our Future West Virginia (OFWV)! OFWV envisions a West Virginia where every child, youth and adult has the justice, dignity and equity needed to thrive. To work towards this vision, we must support West Virginians in tackling a variety of issues on both a local and state-wide level. OFWV is building a grassroots movement to to create and execute plans that address issues of housing, child care, public education, discrimination, voter engagement and 2020 Census participation. 

Most recently, OFWV Northern Organizer, Amy Jo Hutschinson testified at a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing on poverty to speak about Trump's detrimental policies on children and families, reiterating her community’s support of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's Recognizing Poverty Act. At the end of her testimony, Congressman Mark Meadows asked that Hutschinson return to the sub-committee with three recommendations on what they need from this policy. Amy Jo's video has over 1 million views and is viral on Reddit and Twitter. 

Community leaders are coming forth in droves to address poverty in West Virginia. OSWV Housing Justice Organizer, Charkera Ervin, developed a nuisance ordinance toolkit in coalition with other state partners including the West Virginia Coalition to end Homelessness, West Virginia Coalition against Domestic Violence, ACLU and West Virginia’s Landlords Association. The toolkit guides and informs community leaders, renters, magistrates and landlords on how to combat these racist and classist ordinances as they permeate themselves into their local communities. Further, OSWV Eastern Organizer, Liira Raines, organized Morgantown's homeless population, folks in recovery, faith community, domestic violence survivors and city council to overturn the Morgantown nuisance ordinance viciously targeting their homeless and people with substance use disorder. Learn more and get involved with OSWV here.