WOWK celebrates Founder’s Day through community involvement and service

KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – To give back to others is to be more connected to your community. That’s the mindset behind Nexstar Broadcasting’s “Founder’s Day of Caring” celebration, where Nexstar stations across the country, including WOWK 13 News, volunteer within their communities.

Friday marks 28 years of the Founder’s Day celebration, and 13 News staff partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam Counties to restore areas of the community through volunteering at the ReStore locations and aiding with the construction of a home.

“One of the hallmarks of Habitat for Humanity’s work is building affordable housing with volunteers in the community, so those volunteers are really the neighbors of the home buyers,” Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam Counties CEO Andrew Blackwood said.

Blackwood said when the organization partners with families in need of a home, the families are required to complete nine weeks of an education class, and nine weeks of a financial literacy program, and to invest 250 hours into building their own home.

“We call that ‘sweat equity,’ and so they are really investing their effort into their house and building their equity in their home,” Blackwood said.

On the job site, 13 News staff members picked up the shovels, the paint brushes and the brooms to aid Habitat for Humanity on their mission.

“It is rewarding. It is a chance to, it’s team bonding for us, but it’s rewarding to do something to give back to the community, especially give somebody a brand-new home and help build something,” 13 News Photographer Daniel Harris said. “Build something together from scratch, and I think it’s a rewarding time for all of us at the station to be able to just give back.”

For many 13 News volunteers, the day meant more than simply volunteering.

Harris said, “It means everything. I think we need to sometimes give back in the most important way. It means everything to me. I’m always big on lifting people up….Just giving back brings so much power and meaning and everything, so helping someone on their time, helping somebody in need brings a lot of emotion and brings a lot of great feeling.”

Meteorologist Chris Knoll echoed the same message.

“It just feels great to help reach back out and just help the community because the community is responsible for helping us out a lot, just through news tips or even cooperating with us for interviews. So, it feels good to give back,” Knoll said.

John Fawcett, WOWK’s Creative Service Director, is the one behind the coordination and planning between WOWK and Habitat for Humanity.

“A TV station is – basically, its job is to be a part of the community and help people in the community. Our news gives people information. Our weather, StormTracker 13 Team, they protect people and keep them safe all the time,” Fawcett said. “But every once in a while, we get this opportunity to help the community, make our surroundings stronger and do things to, kind of, make the community a stronger place.”

Fawcett said this is the sixth home that WOWK has worked on during Founder’s Day celebrations. He said there have been roughly 900 hours the station has contributed to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, both in Huntington and in the Charleston area.

On the job site with WOWK on Friday, Bill Hanshaw, also known as “Tiny,” supervised the construction project. He is the Construction Supervisor for Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam Counties.

“Yes, Habitat is always about a hand up, not a handout. We are not giving homes away. These folks work very hard to get their home, and we sell them their home. They do not get it for free. They pay a mortgage. That’s probably been the biggest misconception over the years is everybody thinks we give something away,” Hanshaw said.

He said he is thankful for groups like 13 News who partner with the nonprofit to improve the community.

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