WHEELING — Wheeling Heritage has awarded four Partnership Grants totaling $4,000 to support community projects that highlight Wheeling’s culture, history, and resilience. Four local organizations received funding in this round, including two whose projects aid in recovery following the recent June flooding.

∫ Rising Up Yoga LLC: Founded by Karen Shaw, Rising Up Yoga provides a space for movement, connection, and healing. The June 14 flood devastated the studio, destroying its lobby, furniture, and equipment. With grant funding, Rising Up Yoga will replace essential furnishings and yoga mats–items needed not only for in-studio classes but also for free community programs offered at the Warwood Farmers Market, The Highlands, and Russell Nesbitt Services, where yoga sessions serve individuals with profound disabilities.

∫ Naples Contracting LLC: Owned by Patrick Naples, this small residential contracting business lost its entire inventory of tools when the flood swept away Naples’ garage and home in Triadelphia. Grant support will help him purchase drywall tools, accessories, and a small scaffolding platform so he can begin rebuilding both his business and his livelihood.

∫ Ohio County Public Library: Led by programming director Sean Duffy, the library will create an interpretive sign for Wheeling’s historic Chapline Street neighborhood, once a vibrant center of African American life during the Jim Crow era. The sign will highlight the legacy of institutions such as Lincoln School, the Pythian Building, and Doc White’s Pharmacy, along with Wheeling’s ties to the Negro Motorist Green Book and the advocacy of attorney Harry H. Jones.

∫ Why Don’t You Stay Awhile Why Don’t You Stay Awhile, the Ohio Valley’s leading youth civic engagement and networking organization, will host its first anniversary celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Waterfront Hall.

The event will feature local speakers, business leaders, and a performance by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra while honoring two community members for their contributions to civic life.

The project will be carried out by Spencer Porter, Hilary Kinney, Nathan Heckman, Markita Thomas, Haley McFarland, and Tara Redford, who aim to connect young people with resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help shape the future of Wheeling.