HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A group of church volunteers from Lexington spent the day in Harlan County, helping out-of-work miners struggling to get by.
Members of the Heritage Baptist Church have been collecting school supplies for children of the miners. The former Blackjewel workers have been protesting for weeks, demanding back pay after the company abruptly filed for bankruptcy more than a month ago.
We caught up with some of the church members before their drive this morning...and they told us they were eager to see where the donations were going.
“Just to be able to make eye contact with a person, then it becomes very personal. It's not just an idea or a cause...that's the big thing,” said Pastor Greg Waltermire.
The miners learned last week that Kopper Glo mining would take over operations in Harlan County. The company's president said they plan to rehire as many displaced miners as possible.
