OCEANA, WV (WOAY) – A nonprofit organization set to open a cafe gets a visit from Governor Justice–and a sizable check to go with it.
On Cook Parkway, One Voice plans to open a cafe as a safe place for the community to gather with loved ones while still offering their usual services to struggling families.
“We still do crisis referral, which means if someone calls us and needs a detox–short term, long term or residential–we just make that call and we help them do that,” said executive director Debra Davis. “We bring the family and ask ‘What’s missing? What’s going on? How’s your family falling apart?” because we know drugs doesn’t just affect the person that’s using. It affects everyone.”
Wednesday night, Davis got a surprising call: Governor Jim Justice would pay a visit today to present a $250,000 check from Coalfield Development funds.
“I jumped straight up,” said Davis. “I squealed, I cried a lot. It just seems surreal that this little town has so much good in it. We want to bring that out.”
“They’ve done fabulous work for a long time,” said Gov. Justice. “They’re spectacular, that’s all there is to it. It’s just easy to notice them because they’re just doing a great job.”
The money will go towards putting the finishing touches on the cafe, finally giving the community a safe place to gather and helping those battling addiction.
“If we don’t put a level of importance on trying to combat this terrible drug killer, if we don’t do that, it’ll cannibalize us,” said Justice. “It will take us down.”
One Voice plans on hosting a grand opening for the cafe in October.
