Showing a heart for all

By John Veasey
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT October 26, 2008 11:01 pm

— Norma Rittenhouse feels she has been blessed in so many ways, she wants to spend all the time she can now helping other people.
And that she does.
She is described as having an infectious grin and a heart for all with so many projects to help others and the community.
That’s why she was selected as a Marion County “Everyday Hero.”
The shoe boxes are for Operation Christmas Child, a mission project for people to fill up their shoe boxes for Christmas.
“I’ve been doing this for five or six years,” she says, noting that the national leader for the program is the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. She is the relay coordinator for her church — Central United Methodist.
Not only does she encourage everyone to fill a shoe box, but she arranges for all the churches and schools to bring their shoes boxes to CUMC to be shipped to North Carolina.
“We send these boxes that are filled to Morgantown and then go on to North Carolina. That’s coming up the week of Nov. 17. We did more than 900 last year,” she said. “That’s the best year we have had so far. It just depends on the year. We’ve just gotten started. We’re hoping for a good year.”
She also assists with CASA.
Norma is involved with the Backpack program that is run through CASA. This was done back in April.
And Norma is a member of CASA.
“I am a CASA volunteer,” she says, adding that there is a lot of satisfaction that comes from this program — sometimes.
“It is a real eye-opener to see and hear the problems some children are living through,” she said, “but it’s really rewarding when you can either get
the children in an adoptive home or work with the parents and make their home a safe and happy one.”
She’s involved with the yearly drive for toothbrushes and toothpaste for Marion County’s needy
“I help with the toothbrush drive,” she says. “We try to wrap the toothbrushes and toothpaste. I think we had more than 1,500 last year. We try to collect them during the month of November and distribute them during December at the Food Pantry. Kathy Gaskins is in charge of this program.”
She is also involved with the KiWi and Dulcimer group.
“We average playing at five or six different places a month,” she said. “We play Appalachian Heritage music. We just go where we’re invited. We do historical things. We play for the Historical Society, Pricketts Fort, schools, where we introduce the dulcimer to many of the people, especially the young people in the school system.”
She is active in the Natalie Circle at her church.
“Our biggest project is doing things for HOPE,” she said, speaking of the local shelter for domestic violence.
“I’m not in charge but we try to do something each month. This month we’re providing pumpkins and candy for the children who are here. On Mother’s Day we fix up something for the mothers at the shelter. In the summer we provide hot dogs and watermelon. And we take ice cream for them during the summer as well.”
She said before the school year begins in late August, “We try to take clothing and school supplies to children who are living at the shelter for a while.”
These are some of the ways that Norma Rittenhouse helps people.
The Rittenhouses have two married sons and a married daughter.
Her two sons — Scott and Bryan — both reside in North Carolina, while her daughter lives in Friendly, W.Va.
E-mail John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

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