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The Inter-Mountain selected Tyrand Cooperative Ministries as the very deserving recipient of a special holiday donation.
As part of a corporate program through Ogden Newspapers, The Inter-Mountain recently donated $396 to Tyrand Cooperative Ministries, which was selected after going above and beyond in the work it does to support needy families in the community, not only during Christmas, but throughout the year.
This holiday season, Tyrand Ministries provided more Christmas baskets for needy families than it has in any holiday season during the past 30 years, distributing meals to 202 families in Randolph County.
Tyrand Director Belinda Toms, who will retire at the end of the month after 37 years of service, said the donation from The Inter-Mountain went directly to buying meat for the Christmas baskets.
Tyrand Cooperative Ministries, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022, helps fill the needs of the less fortunate in Randolph County, including food, clothing, home repair, assistance with rent, utilities, prescriptions or other emergencies, through a food pantry, a thrift store and other services.
Tyrand Cooperative Ministries' history began in 1962. The Methodist churches in the upper Tygart Valley, including the Mill Creek, Huttonsville and Mingo Charges, became a cooperating parish within the Buckhannon District of the Methodist Church.
At first it was called the Upper Tygart's Valley Parish; then in 1965, it became known as the Tyrand Parish. The word "Tyrand" was coined by using the first syllables of the words "Tygart" and "Randolph."
"The first venture of the newly formed ministry was the birth of a clothing store set up in the home of Linda Zickefoose, Tyrand's first church and community worker," a history of Tyrand reads. Tyrand then "moved to the former Cox store building adjacent to the Huttonsville Post Office."
In 1969, Tyrand moved to the former operation center for the old Carnation Milk plant in Huttonsville.
In 1977, construction started on a new facility for Tyrand on a former farm in Mill Creek. Tyrand's current facility was built in the 1980s.
Here's hoping Tyrand is going strong and still helping the community after another 60 years.