Cathey Sawyer & Cindy Rowlands

Across the Mountain State, communities offer free meals on Thanksgiving as an expression of neighborly love. The Appalachian sense of family is broad, and the holidays offer the perfect time to make that love known…with a plate full of home-cooked food. From the Frankie Veltri meal in Charleston to Giving Back Day in Fairlea, it takes an army of volunteers to make these meals possible.

Cathey Sawyer and Cindy Rowlands behind the scenes of Giving Back Day to organize more than 100 volunteers in complimentary jobs over the course of several days of preparation, serving, and cleanup. They serve as co-directors of volunteers under the leadership of Kellen Leef & Mike Sheridan. Jobs ranging from greeters to waiters to servers to cooks to sanitation to delivery and more all fall to them. On the day of the event, not a second passes where someone isn’t calling out, “Cindy!” or “Cathey!” And they respond graciously every single time.

For Cathey & Cindy, and all those like them across the state who work behind the scenes to coordinate community meals, allowing Appalachians to spend the holidays together around a common table, we are proud to name them as the certified Real West Virginians of the Week.

If you would like to nominate someone in the future, please contact us at news@therealwv.com.