1
Geography Project Plan: Helping the Homeless and Devastated in Buchanan County
Brittany Wimmer
Liberty University
GEOG200: Introduction to Geography (B06)
Dr. Getachew Demisse
February 2025
Introduction
My Mission is to give the homeless and everyone that lost everything in Buchanan County a
reason to keep going in life, I will provide a Clothes closet for them to come and get whatever
they would like. So many have come in to help them with the major supplies they need like
water, cleaning supplies, and so many other supplies. I want to also help supply them with
things they need, but by doing clothes closet it will feel like a little bit of normal activity. I will be
doing this with help from local churches, and other volunteers.
2
General Overview and Rationale
Natural disasters like flooding, hurricanes, and many others leave a community and the people
in it without anything and leave to start over. Buchanan County is a very small community with
an estimated amount of about 18,000 people. An estimated of 1,200 people lost everything in
this last flood on February 16, 2025, and 2 deaths. Buchanan County is a small town with very
little activity. The county is a very low incomed community and for people to have to rebuild
everything they lost is something most cannot afford. My church and other places like the
school system, and volunteers are helping by giving them places to stay, hot meals, and
showers. My clothes closet is not just supplying clothes for all ages but also food, blankets, and
hygiene supplies.
Region Relevance
Buchanan County is in the coal country of the Application Plateau. It is the only county in the
state of Virginia that borders West Virginia and Kentucky. The county is part of the Southwest
Virginia region and lies in the rugged Appalachian Plateau portion of the Appalachian
Mountains. Its county seat is Grundy. Buchanan County was established in 1858 from parts of
Russell and Tazewell counties, and it was named in honor of then-President James Buchanan.
(Online Wikipedia.)
Location Relevance
Buchanan Counties population a 40 years ago was 20,355 and it has decreased by double digits
in every census over the last forty years. As of 2012, Buchanan County was the fifth poorest
count in Virginia, when ranked by median household income. The county has been in the
bottom five percent over the past decade. We have had several devastating floods in the past
10 years and with just a low-income rate it is almost impossible for people to build back. I
believe that all these natural disasters are one thing that has made our population in the county
decrease the way it has.
3
Place Relevance
This county has been a stopping point for travelers since the 1700’s, Buchanan offers a
smalltown American experience. It is the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has two
hundred years’ worth of history. We have the James River, and the Appalachian Trail. I have
been all over the county and seen so much devastation since the flooding and wonder how it
can ever be the way it was.
Movement Relevance
Movement Relevance in Buchanan County is very different than most of the world. We are in a
very small location with many small towns. It is not a busy location, but a very peaceful place.
Most of the travel in this county is just community for work and personal reasons. Most of the
community consists of small local businesses for shopping and eating. The floods have affected
our small businesses a lot because the hardship of being able to build them back is harder for
them than big corporations.
Human-Environmental Interaction Relevance
Buchanan County suffers so much from climate change. We have had droughts, snowstorms to
heat and wildfires, to the biggest flooding. We are one of the counties that must look after the
people that live in the area. As a community we take care of our own stuff like our land and
homes, but we also help each other because it is such a small community and low income it
takes us all to keep our county going. The clothing closet gives people a place to stay, shower,
eat, and find items they need during such terrible weather conditions and disasters.
Budget/Summary
There is not a cost that we have to spend. Most of the items for the clothes closet is donated
from churches, and other people. We have had so many different people and churches give us
clothes, blankets, and a lot of other things to go towards our clothes closet. We have made
4
food bags, clothes bags, and supply bags. We do hot meals and shelters for people to stay and
take showers. All the hours are voluntary, and we do not have to pay anyone to keep it up and
running. In this I think I have learned most of the importance for Christians to look out and take
care of others.
Reference
Cardinal news www.cardinalnews.org
Wikipedia article www.wikipedia.org
Virginia is for Lovers www.virginia.org
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
