CHARLESTON – Given free tokens through an Upshur County nutrition program, Julia Harvey looked like a grown-up digging for change in her handbag to pay for watermelons, potatoes and her favorite, cucumbers.
Her mom Lori Ulderich Harvey laughs remembering the way Julia, now 7, approached the fruit and vegetable stand. She looked like she had a budget to balance and mouths to feed at home.
kAm“x D2:5[ ‘xE’D J@FCD[’” &=56C:49 w2CG6J D2:5] “‘xE’D H92E6G6C J@F H2?E E@ 86E]’ xE H2D 7C665@> @7 49@:46 7@C 96C[ D@ E92E 82G6 96C D@>6 @H?6CD9:A @7 :E]”k^Am
kAm&?E:= E9:D J62C[ yF=:2 92D 366? 2 C68F=2C 2E @?6 @7 E96 7656C2==J 7F?565 <:5D >2C<6ED 2E DE@C6D 2C@F?5 E96 DE2E6] $96 564:565 H96E96C E@ ECJ DH66E A6AA6CD @C 2?@E96C 7@@5 =:<6 =6>@?D 2?5 =62C?65 9@H E@ EFC? E9@D6 :?E@ 962=E9J >62=D]k^Am
kAmqFE E9:D J62C[ yF=:2 H@?’E 36 23=6 E@ D9@A E96C6] %96 >2C<6E D96 H6?E E@ 😀 4=@D:?8[ 2D 2C6 @E96C :?:E:2E:G6D E@ 96=A 72>:=:6D =:<6 96CD 7:?5 2?5 62E >@C6 962=E9J 7@@5D]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 2?5 $6?2E6 92G6 AC@A@D65 H:A:?8 @FE 2 ?FEC:E:@? 65F42E:@? AC@8C2>[ $}p!\t5[ H9:49 A2JD 7@C 96=A 7@C 72C>6CD >2C<6ED[ 962=E9 D4C66?:?8D 2?5 9@>6 82C56?:?8 :?46?E:G6D] r@?8C6DD 😀 H@C<:?8 C2A:5=J E@ 7:?2=:K6 2 7F?5:?8 3:==]k^Am
kAmp?E:4:A2E:?8 E96 6=:>:?2E:@? @7 E96 7F?5:?8[ (6DE ‘:C8:?:2 &?:G6CD:EJ tIE6?D:@? @C82?:K6CD[ H9@ @G6CD66 E96 AC@8C2> 😕 E96 DE2E6[ 92G6 4FE >F=E:A=6 AC@;64ED 7F?565 3J :E]k^Am
kAm{@42= 962=E9 65F42E@CD 2C6 E6==:?8 A6@A=6 ?@E E@ 4@F?E @? 25F=E 2?5 27E6C\D49@@= ?FEC:E:@? =6DD@?D] r@F?EJ\32D65 H@C<6CD[ H@CC:65 23@FE ;@3 D64FC:EJ[ 2C6 >@G:?8 @? E@ ?6H H@C<]k^Am
kAmx? a_ac[ 23@FE f[___ <:5D D9@AA65 2E <:5D >2C<6ED =:<6 E96 @?6 H96C6 yF=:2 D9@AA65] (‘& @C82?:K6CD 7@F?5 E92E @? 2G6C286[ <:5D 2E6 2?@E96C G686E23=6 2?5 2 7CF:E 6249 52J]k^Am
kAm|@C6 2DD:DE2?46 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ 42?’E 277@C5 962=E9J 7@@5 😀 5:D2AA62C:?8 E9:D DF>>6C 2D H6==] (‘& AC@G:56D D665D E@ A6@A=6 H9@ =:G6 😕 2C62D H:E9 76H @C ?@ 8C@46CJ DE@C6D[ D@ E96J 42? 8C@H E96:C @H? 82C56?D]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ E96J H:== ?@E DA@?D@C E96 4@>A6E:E:@? E9C@F89 H9:49 E9@D6 8C@H:?8 AC@5F46 4@F=5 7F?5 4@>>F?:EJ AC@;64ED] %9@D6 AC@;64ED >FDE >66E 962=E9 8@2=D =:<6 :?4C62D:?8 2446DD E@ 962=E9J 7@@5 3J 5@?2E:?8 E@ 7@@5 A2?EC:6D @C D6EE:?8 FA D665 “=:3C2C:6D]”k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 7@C E96 ?FEC:E:@? AC@8C2> H2D 23@FE Sdc_ >:==:@? ?2E:@?2==J] (‘& C646:G65 Sc]` >:==:@? 7@C :ED AC@;64ED]k^Am
kAm|6>36CD @7 E96 &]$] w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D D2:5 E96 AC@8C2> H2D F?DF446DD7F=] w@H6G6C[ E96J 4:E65 2 a_`h 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E C6A@CE D2J:?8 E92E 2?2=JDED ?66565 >@C6 52E2 E@ 56E6C>:?6 :ED 67764E:G6?6DD]k^Am
kAmp?5 2 a_ac 24256>:4 DEF5J C6G:6H:?8 b_ J62CD @7 H@C< 7@F?5 E96 AC@8C2> “:D 2 4C:E:42= A:==2C 😕 E96 ?2E:@?’D AF3=:4 962=E9 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[” 2?5 (6DE ‘:C8:?:2 AC@8C2> 9625 zC:DE:? |4r2CE?6J 25565 E92E E96 H@C< C6BF:C6D =@?8\E6C> 7F?5:?8]k^Am
kAmx? a_ac[ 23@FE ?:?6 😕 E6? 25F=E A2CE:4:A2?ED 😕 E96:C 25F=E ?FEC:E:@? 4@FCD6D H6?E @? E@ DEC6E49 E96:C 5@==2CD 72CE96C 2?5 @? >@C6 ?FEC:E:@FD 7@@5]k^Am
kAm|4r2CE?6J 92D 24EF2==J 366? 6I4:E65 E@ D66 (2D9:?8E@? A@=:4J>2<6CD E2=< C646?E=J 23@FE 962=E9 42C6 2D 7@@5 2?5 6I6C4:D6[ ?@E ;FDE >65:4:?6] $96 925 9@A65 (6DE ‘:C8:?:2 4@F=5 H@C< H:E9 E9@D6 7656C2= @77:4:2=D E@ >2<6 >@C6 AC@8C6DD]k^Am
kAm(6DE ‘:C8:?:2’D C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 😕 E96 &]$] w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D[ #:=6J |@@C6 2?5 r2C@= |:==6C[ 3@E9 #6AF3=:42?D[ H@F=5 ?@E 2?DH6C 6>2:=65 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE H9J E96J G@E65 E@ 4FE E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm%96 $6?2E6 😀 2?E:4:A2E65 E@ G@E6 D@@?]k^Am
kAm“x @H :E’D D@>6E9:?8 H6’G6 366? >@?:E@C:?8 4=@D6=J[” D2:5 z6==6J |@@C6[ E96 5:C64E@C @7 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 7@C $6?] $96==6J |@@C6 r2A:E@[ #\(]’2]k^Am
kAm$6?] y:> yFDE:46[ #\(]’2[ 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ BF6DE:@?D]k^Am
kAm$E2CE:?8 7C@> D4C2E49k^Am
kAmpE E96 $@FE9 r92C=6DE@? =:3C2CJ =2DE H66<[ 2 8C@FA @7 H@>6? 82E96C65 ?@E 7@C 3@@
kAm%96J E2=<65 23@FE 9@H E@ 86E >@C6 42=4:F> 😕 E96:C 5:6ED[ E@ <66A E96:C E66E9 2?5 3@?6D DEC@?8 2?5 AC6G6?E 7C24EFC6D 2?5 @DE6@A@C@D:D[ H9:49 5:DAC@A@CE:@?2E6=J 92C>D H@>6?]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ DH2AA65 E:AD @? E96 36DE A=246D E@ D9@A 😕 E96 2C62]k^Am
kAm%96 7C66 (‘& =6DD@?D 925 366? 8@:?8 @? 7@C H66
kAm{@42= AC@8C2> =6256C y6??:76C |2JD 2=D@ 925 E96> 4@>A2C6 52:CJ AC@5F4ED]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 =236= 56E64E:G6D 7@C 2 >:?FE6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96J C62=:K65 E92E :E’D 2 4@>>@? >:D4@?46AE:@? E92E H9@=6 >:=< 92D >@C6 42=4:F> E92? @E96C >:=< AC@5F4ED]k^Am
kAm“x 42? 36 2 >JE9 3FDE6C H:E9 >J ;@3[” |2JD ;@<65] “(:E9 H2J =6DD 4@@= 6IA6C:>6?ED]”k^Am
kAm~?6 A2CE:4:A2?E[ s:2?6 w:==[ D2:5 D96 5@6D?’E F?56CDE2?5 H9J r@?8C6DD 😀 4FEE:?8 E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“%96 8@G6C?>6?E 😀 AFD9:?8 962=E9[ 962=E9[ 962=E9[” D96 D2:5] “qFE E96? E96J’C6 4FEE:?8 2== E96 7F?5D E@ E6249 A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAmtG6? :7 r@?8C6DD =2E6C @? 564:565 E@ 7F?5 E96 AC@8C2>[ ?6H H@C<6CD H@F=5?’E @H E96 =6DD@?D A6@A=6 =:<6 |2JD 92G6 A6C764E65 @G6C E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96J’== 36 DE2CE:?8 7C@> D4C2E49]k^Am
kAm|4r2CE?6J D2:5 >@DE 65F42E@CD[ H9@ 2C6 368:??:?8 E@ =@@< 7@C @E96C H@C<[ 925 366? 😕 E96:C ;@3D D:I J62CD @C >@C6]k^Am
kAm“%96J’G6 6DE23=:D965 566A C@@ED]”k^Am
This story originally appeared in the Statehouse Spotlight newsletter published by Mountain State Spotlight. Get coverage of the legislative session delivered to your email inbox Monday through Thursday; sign up for the free newsletter at mountainstatespotlight.org/newsletter
