Since it was founded in 1964, the Council of the Southern Mountains in McDowell County has seen a lot of change.

As part of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, the agency was formed to combat poverty in the heart of Appalachia. Now, as the nation undergoes an economic recession, the need for the agency's services remain as clear as ever although the types of help needed are different, said Randal Johnson, executive director.

"I think we all are evolving," he said. "We're trying to meet the needs of the people who need help in their lives."

One of the agency's newest programs is aimed at helping children whose parents are incarcerated, Johnson said. The program is funded through a three-year, $600,000 federal grant.

"We'll mentor the children of prisoners in eight counties of southern West Virginia," he said.

National statistics show that 70 percent of children with one or more parents incarcerated are likely to end up in jail or prison themselves, Johnson said.

"We want to break the cycle," he said.

The Council of the Southern Mountains is expected to receive the federal grant in June and start the mentoring program this fall, Johnson said.

The Council of the Southern Mountains is headquartered in Northfork, which is in the northeastern part of McDowell County. The agency operates 18 disaster shelters in the region, Johnson said.

"They are stocked and ready to be manned in the event of floods or other disasters," he said.

Another popular program started by the agency is the neighborhood watch, Johnson said.

"We have 250 volunteers in four counties," he said. "A lot of people are upset over the amount of crime in the area."

The influx of drugs has caused a spike in crime in the state. Those who have volunteered for the neighborhood watch program hope to put a dent in the crime problem, Johnson said.

One way to head off crime problems is helping children get off to a good start. To that end, the Council operates a large foster grandparent program, Johnson said.

"It helps 250 special needs kids and kids at day care centers," he said. "It's received statewide acclaim."

Each of the volunteer grandparents who take part in the program receives a stipend to help offset travel costs, Johnson said.

Like other parts of the state, southern West Virginia also has health care needs. The Council of the Southern Mountains, in conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Office of Minority Health, conducted a community needs assessment in the area, Johnson said. That study revealed the need for a diabetes education program for African-Americans.

"They suffer more from diabetes than whites," he said. "One in four black women ... have diabetes."

The agency now facilitates a program aimed at helping people prevent and cope with diabetes, Johnson said.

A more common problem in McDowell County involves housing, Johnson said. That is why the Council of the Southern Mountains runs a weatherization program to help area residents.

"About 70 percent of the housing here is substandard," he said.

As a result, most qualify for the agency's weatherization program. And that number has increased thanks to an influx of more federal dollars, Johnson said.

"The stimulus has been a tremendous help to the weatherization program," he said. "It will help people save money."

Information about the Council of the Southern Mountains is available online at www.councilofthesouthernmountains.com.