Hearts of Appalachia

Appalachian Community Cookbook Project Appalachian recipes & stories have always lived at the heart of mountain kitchens and family traditions. From cast-iron skillets on wood stoves to handwritten recipe cards tucked inside flour tins, these dishes carry the stories of our families and the communities that raised us. But across Appalachia, many of those same communities are facing a growing challenge: food insecurity . In towns and hollers throughout the region, families often rely on small...

Meet Kentucky Appalachian Author Laura Lea Cupp Rooted in Faith, Family, and the Hills Laura Lea Cupp – Appalachian Author Spotlight Kentucky Appalachian author Laura Lea Cupp writes the way Appalachia breathes, steady, honest, and unafraid of the truth. A Kentucky writer shaped by faith, family, and the mountains that raised her, Laura’s words are not polished for shine, they are polished for meaning. Writing first took hold of Laura when she was a child, but it deepened in her early teens....

How the Human Animal Bond Supports Healing Loneliness, illness, and long days inside medical facilities are realities many Appalachian families know well. In places where community once filled the gaps, isolation can creep in quietly. Sometimes, what makes the greatest difference isn’t a treatment plan or a tightly scheduled program, but the steady presence of another living being and the simple feeling of being seen. One such program is HABIT, a volunteer-based initiative that brings...