Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
Stacy Tallman, the new executive director of the Family Resource Network, has deep roots in Pocahontas County. She hails from Stony Bottom, married young, moved with her serviceman husband to Hawaii and started a family.
In 2018, Tallman moved back home to Pocahontas County and went to work making a life for her family.
Before she took a job with the Family Resource Network, Tallman worked as a waitress, bartender and a customer service agent at Snowshoe. In the process, she learned a lot about how to work well with people.
A couple of years ago, she saw a job posted in The Pocahontas Times when the FRN was looking for a case manager. She was wondering about it when Becky Campbell, a long time friend and the director of FRN’s Family Support Center, contacted her.
“Becky approached me about the job personally,” Tallman said. “She said she thought I’d make a great fit for the job and encouraged me to apply for it.
“I applied, then talked to Laura Young, the FRN director, and I guess we hit it off, because she hired me that very day, in July of 2022.
Tallman must have been a heck of a good case manager, because it wasn’t but about six months later when Young came to Tallman with a proposition.
“She said, ‘You remind me of myself at your age. I’d like to start training you to take over for me one day when I retire.’”
Young had been the executive director for 15 years.
In January 2024, a year and five months after she’d first started working at the FRN, Tallman was appointed as its new executive director.
Her responsibilities of overseeing all the ongoing programming, projects and direction of the organization, also include the fiscal responsibility for the FRN budget and expenditures.
Before she took the position Tallman had never written a grant. Last year, with the help from Young, she wrote 12 grants.
“Besides being responsible for the fiscal side of things, my main role is finding gaps in our resources and finding ways to close those gaps – and bring as many resources to Pocahontas County as possible,” Tallman said.
“Laura’s taught me so much. She was such an excellent director, so I am continuing to do things the way she did them, after all, she devised a solid system that’s been working for more than fifteen years. So, I’m continuing to do things the same way.”
The FRN is a state agency with independently managed offices in every West Virginia county.
The Pocahontas County FRN, like all FRNs, receives federal and state grant money.
A state DHHR grant – Partners in Prevention – helps support the Baby Pantry and biannual Community Baby Showers, the purpose of which is to help prevent child abuse and neglect.
Its two main federal grants are for the Family Support Center and Family Resource Network.
In addition to the grants, the budget is augmented by private donations, which annually accounts for about $40,000.
Along with a battalion of local volunteers, Tallman supervises three employees and several ongoing projects and programs and reports to a board of directors.
Under the auspices of the FRN, the Family Support Center, is managed by its director, Becky Campbell, who oversees all of its programming.
Under the Family Support Center is Outreach programming, which is directed by Outreach Coordinator Anna Cassell.
Under Family Support is Case Management. Rhonda Puffenbarger is the Case Manager.
The FRN’s Monthly Food Pantry, held the third Wednesday of each month serves 250 citizens each month.
Most of the food, except what is augmented by the FRN as needed, comes from the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway, which provides food for FRNs in 47 West Virginia counties.
Eligibility to becoming a food pantry client is based on income. The DHHR recently revised income guidelines. Put simply, anyone who receives any DHHR, Medicare or Medicaid benefits is eligible.
There is a pamphlet available at the FRN office explaining the eligibility requirements for becoming a food pantry client.
Tallman encourages anyone who thinks they may qualify to contact the FRN.
“It breaks my heart to see people who need help but are too proud to ask for it,” Tallman said.”
Tallman has had some personal experience with the subject.
“I completely understand that people fall on hard times, and it’s hard to have to ask for help,” she said.
“I come from that kind of background myself,” she continued. “I grew up in a household where we got SNAP benefits and Medicaid.
“And I’d like to let folks know that we don’t just serve people who come on a regular basis. We encourage people who have had a sudden need – an unusual event in their lives which has blown a hole in their household budget. Anyone who needs help should check with us, they qualify for help on either a permanent or temporary basis.
“We don’t want people not to come to us because they’ve never received services before or because they feel like other people need the help more than they do.
“I tell them that ‘you coming here is not going to take away any of the help we provide for others,” Tallman stressed.
Tallman discussed the many other programs for which the FRN is responsible.
The annual Easter Egg Hunt, which is coming up in a few weeks, naturally came to mind.
The Easter Egg Hunt has most recently been located at Stillwell Park in Marlinton the Saturday before Easter. This year it will be held on March 30. All families with children under the age of 10 are welcome to attend. There will be games, refreshments, prizes and fun for all.
The monthly Baby Pantry is not pre-scheduled, it’s held on various dates, usually at the end of the month. It’s open to any parent or caregiver in the county who needs support with parenting. Qualification for this program is not income-based, but rather on need. And also open to people who are financially okay, but have a sudden need. Diapers and baby wipes are available to participants.
The Grandfamilies program provides education and support for anyone who is raising grandchildren. Classes are held throughout the year.
The Diabetes Coalition and Support Group is managed by Tallman and Cassell, with help from FRN volunteer Terry Wagner.
“The need for education about diabetes and how people can manage it is so great,” Tallman said. “We began working with Dr. Samantha Minc, MD, M.P.H. (Master of Public Health), who is a West Virginia University Associate Professor, a year ago. She had some funding for diabetes education and reached out to us.
“We took the ball and ran with it, and created what’s becoming a pretty successful program.
“Terry Wagner has some experience with diabetes. She worked in diabetes care for several years at Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, and she’s been running a diabetes support group for us.”
Since the FRN has had to move out of the Community Care building, the Diabetes Support meeting is held the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at McClintic Library and the Wellness Center. A more permanent location for these meetings and other FRN meetings will be determined soon.
“The group has grown to about thirty people, and they have some really interesting programs. They work on recipes, plan meals and make food together. They hosted a fall picnic last year, and they’re planning a spring picnic this year,” Tallman said.
The bi-annual Community Baby Shower is for mothers-to-be or moms with children one year old or younger. The baby shower has long been helping Pocahontas County mothers who may have little or no family support.
“It’s an excellent resource for education and support for mothers – and fathers – with all the usual fun of a baby shower, as well as guest speakers who share their parenting expertise and experience,” Tallman said.
The baby showers sometimes provide hard-to-come-by baby necessities such as car seats, play pens and baby strollers.
The FRN ‘Farmacy’ Program is a new program, started just last year. In collaboration with Community Care of Marlinton and Community Care of Green Bank, the FRN is trying to make a dent in the rate of diabetes in the county. The program fills actual prescriptions, written for fresh produce, for diabetic patients.
The program begins at the end of June and lasts for 15 weeks. Participants meet once a week for a 20-minute education session and then receive a free weekly supply of fresh produce for the duration of the program. Ruth Bland provided the produce for the program last year and is expected to do so again this year.
This “food as medicine” program started with 20 patients last year and already has 60 patients signed up for 2024 with, unfortunately, no room for anyone else to join in this year’s program.
“Hopefully, we can expand the program for next year so we can include more participants,” Tallman said.
Diabetes patients who are interested in signing up for the 2025 Farmacy program may contact their healthcare provider.
Empty Bowls, the popular annual benefit for FRN’s Project Christmas, is held on an October evening made warm and cozy with volunteers bringing homemade soups and high school students and local artist providing a choice of handmade ceramic bowls for every guest. Live entertainment and a silent auction add to the fun.
Last year, 175 tickets were sold and $9,000, after expenses, was raised for FRN’s Project Christmas.
Project Christmas offers citizens a chance to provide Christmas gifts for Pocahontas County children who are in need. Each year, the FRN’s angel trees can be found at many businesses around the county. The trees are decorated with boy and girl angels, indicating the needs, the sizes and personal Christmas wishes of each child.
“Through the generosity of our local community, last year, two-hundred local children had a brighter Christmas,” Tallman said.
The S&D Diner generously hosted the FRN’s annual dinner until the restaurant closed in 2023. Seventy-five people were served a free Thanksgiving meal in 2022.
Warming Hearts and Hands is a program which, through the auspices of United Way of Greenbrier County, the FRN is able to help with an applicant’s overdue heating or water bill in an emergency situation. FRN may be able to provide heating oil, propane or firewood on a temporary basis.
The FRN is always looking for guest speakers and volunteers for their programs. Anyone interested should contact Tallman.
“We are always on the lookout for community members who would be able to share their time to help us,” Tallman said. “So many people, from all walks of life, have stepped up to make so many miracles possible.
“I wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity to say how much it means to live and work in such a wonderful community,” she added.
Tallman said she has a lot in common with the clients that the FRN serves.
“For a long time, I was a single mom, and I had to ask for help for myself and my kids, and it wasn’t an easy thing to do. So I can empathize with families who are struggling to make ends meet and may feel bad about asking for help,” Tallman said.
“Like so many of us, I see neighbors in need and elderly people – proud people – with health issues, who don’t know where to turn. I know how tough life can be for so many people. I hope my background makes it easier for our clients to communicate with me about their needs,” she added.
After 12 years in the Community Care of Marlinton building on Third Avenue, the FRN has had to look for a new home.
“Until a new, permanent location is found, I’ll be working from home, and Becky, Anna and Rhonda will be working at the food pantry location at 503 Third Avenue, the old Pocahontas Woods building,” she said.
The fact that the FRN is essentially, almost homeless right now, weighs heavily on her mind.
“The situation is critical,” Tallman said. “We really need to find a suitable building to buy or lease.
“Not only is the Third Avenue building too small for most of our programs and activities, we also have a wonderful Community Kitchen grant in the offing. To receive it, we need to have a suitable building where we can build a kitchen to meet the requirements of the grant.
“I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who may have a suggestion about an appropriate place for us,” she added.
“I know if we have faith, the right solution will present itself.
“We’ve always had amazing support of our community.
“For instance, when we were moving, it was so overwhelming, but we didn’t even need to ask for help – people just showed up and helped get it done,” Tallman continued.
“The people of Pocahontas County are the most generous people in the world. But really, you can’t thank people enough for that kind of support. Words just seem so inadequate. I guess the best way to say thank you is to just keep paying it forward.”
The phone number for reaching any of the FRN staff is 304-799-6847.