By Rachel Maurer
The natural gas boom has significantly impacted the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia in recent years. Marshall County, specifically, has felt the impacts of this in several ways in its local communities. The Marshall County Family Resource Network (FRN), a nonprofit organization located in Moundsville, has been able to translate this energy boom into resources and projects that benefit local residents.
FRNs exist in every county of West Virginia and provide necessary services to residents. The Marshall County FRN has served its local communities since 1996 and worked on a multitude of issues during this time. The FRN is not a direct service provider; rather, the organization works collaboratively to develop innovative projects and provide needed resources to the area. The FRN often acts as a catalyst for change by utilizing partnerships and leveraging resources to address issues affecting residents. What makes the FRN unique is its capacity to address any need present in the community. This flexibility in function allows the FRN to be responsive to not only needs but also opportunities as they arise.
Noble Energy volunteers and Marshall County FRN staff working on The Purse Project, which sought to provide health and hygiene items to women in need in Marshall County.
The opportunities presented by the natural gas boom may seem, at first glance, obvious. However, in Marshall County, these opportunities extend beyond economic and work force development. During the early 2010s, the FRN saw the influx of resources into the area also created an opportunity for partnerships to be developed with the companies moving into the region. Over the past few years, the FRN has been able to cultivate relationships with several oil and gas companies that have proven to be mutually beneficial for all parties.
In 2010 and during the subsequent years, when oil and gas companies began operating in the area, the Marshall County FRN found they were often seeking a way to establish a presence and develop a connection to the local communities through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The FRN was able to act as a neutral third party that assisted these companies in becoming familiar with the local area and facilitated relationships with other pertinent officials and organizations. As a result, partnerships were created between the FRN and the companies that led to collaborative efforts that served local residents and also fulfilled CSR initiatives.
Chevron was one of the first companies to work with the FRN in this way and has been instrumental in supporting FRM initiatives that fill needs and opportunities in the area since 2013. The FRN has found great value in this partnership because Chevron understands that the FRN is attuned to the current trends in the community and has let that be a guiding factor when developing projects.
“The FRN provided knowledge of community need in addition to organizations that were really addressing those needs,” says Lee Ann Wainwright, policy, government and public affairs specialist for Chevron. “Having those connections are really valuable when trying to move as a new business into a community and help make an impact and support things that are happening in the community that matches those needs.”
Chevron Community Fund grant recipients for the fall 2015 grant cycle, which included the Marshall County FRN.
Chevron has acted as a sponsor for several of the FRN’s projects organized through the Carolyn Dalzell Closet of Hope, which seeks to provide essential health and hygiene items to those in need. A capacity-building training for nonprofits and a youth leadership program with high school and college students have both also been supported by Chevron. The company has been able to extend its reach by connecting with and supporting other organizations in Marshall County as a result of the relationship developed with the FRN.
Noble Energy has also worked closely with the FRN on several partner projects over the past year. The FRN and Noble Energy have collaborated to develop and implement project ideas that benefit residents of Marshall County and help fulfill Noble Energy CSR goals.
“Quite frankly, the FRN has become a really terrific partner for us for multiple reasons,” says Stacey Brodak, senior advisor for government, community and media relations at Noble Energy. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed about working with our FRN is not only do we work with the FRN, but they connect us directly with the agencies we’re giving to. The FRN gives us that relationship with those agencies, and that is really helpful.”
Because of the work the Marshall County FRN has collaboratively completed with Noble Energy, Noble Energy has sought out the FRN in other counties where they operate to look for ways to develop partnerships in those regions. Even though FRNs work on a multitude of issues that often vary by location, the same quality of work and level of community connectedness can be found at each FRN, which are qualities Noble Energy values when working with partners.
These partnerships have helped the FRN grow and sustain important initiatives in the county. Likewise, these partnerships have helped companies connect to the local communities in a meaningful way and gain credibility and visibility in the area. This model has permitted local needs to be met by opportunities created through CSR and will leave a lasting impact on the communities and residents of Marshall County.
About the Author
Rachel Maurer is a project coordinator with the Marshall County FRN, a nonprofit community support organization working to affect change in its local communities. She began working with the FRN after earning a degree in social work from West Liberty University in 2015. Hailing from Ohio, Maurer is a West Virginia transplant and currently resides in Wheeling with her family but remains an avid Ohio State football fan.
