Staff 10/27/26 Staff 10/27/26

Street Stickies

Community members answer the question ‘What makes you feel confident?’

Niamh Coomey 10/27/26 Niamh Coomey 10/27/26

Vendor Spotlight – Maureen Mitchell

Independent thinker, cat lover, poet and aspiring motivational speaker are all words Maureen Mitchell would use to describe herself. And, as a writer, words are everything to Maureen. A Mustard Seed Mountain vendor and contributor, Maureen is passionate about sharing her story and uplifting those who struggle with mental illness.

Maureen’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. She began experiencing severe symptoms of Bipolar Disorder when she reached college, and spent time in and out of psychiatric institutions. It took her several years to truly accept her diagnosis, Maureen said. For her, writing has become a way to manage her illness and learn to love herself.

Natalie Triveri 10/27/26 Natalie Triveri 10/27/26

The Love of Labor: The Story of the Reuther Family

I was visiting The Mother Jones Center for Resilient Community when a conversation came up about how all people are people, deserving dignity and respect. This led to the mention of Walter Reuther, some of the incredible things that he did in his lifetime, and that he grew up right here in Wheeling, West Virginia. I did not know much about him, but I love to learn, especially about history. I asked if I could write a piece about this Walter Reuther for Mustard Seed Mountain. This endeavor became so fascinating that it has turned into a multi-part series.

Ashlie Howard 10/19/26 Ashlie Howard 10/19/26

Actually, Asking for Help is a Skill

One of the biggest misconceptions I've ever believed was that asking for help should come naturally.

I thought people either did it well or they didn't. I assumed the people who reached out when they were struggling were simply wired differently than I was. Stronger, maybe. More open. More comfortable being vulnerable.

Actually, I think asking for help is a skill.

Niamh Coomey 10/19/26 Niamh Coomey 10/19/26

Mountain Mover: Sarah Williams

As a registered nurse at a behavioral health center, Sarah Williams has devoted her adult life to treating people struggling with addiction. She has a fierce drive to help others heal.

But just over a decade ago, Sarah sat squarely on the opposite side of the provider-patient relationship.

Josie Burkhart 10/19/26 Josie Burkhart 10/19/26

An Impossible Choice: Domestic Violence a Cause of Homelessness

The YWCA receives at least three calls a week regarding domestic abuse in the Wheeling area and beyond. But for many survivors, escaping the abuse is only the first barrier.

Staff 10/14/26 Staff 10/14/26

Wheeling’s Homeless Ban: A Three Year Retrospective

This fall marks three years since Wheeling’s city council passed legislation banning eating, sleeping, cooking food and storing belongings in public spaces – effectively making it illegal to be homeless. As many have observed, homelessness is perhaps more visible now in Wheeling as the ban merely displaces but does not alleviate homelessness, just as several dozen homeless service providers warned.

Mustard Seed Mountain’s staff looks back on the past several years of local anti-homeless legislation, which can be closely traced back to the national political climate and rhetoric about unhoused communities.

Niamh Coomey 10/12/26 Niamh Coomey 10/12/26

Editor’s Desk: Issue 9

Dear reader,

I’ve opened up a blank google doc countless times over the last several weeks and just stared at it. I’m doing it again now. Hopefully, this time, words will fall from the sky and land on the page so I don’t have to keep agonizing over its blankness and what it says about me – Am I blank? Google: is “blank” an adjective I can use to describe a person? Have I already emptied out all of my thoughts? Will they ever replenish?

Kate Marshall 10/12/26 Kate Marshall 10/12/26

Director’s Desk: Issue 9

Turning on the news and hearing concerns that there is a 1 in 10 chance AI and computers could destroy the world in the next 10 years feels like stepping into a sci-fi movie. Compound this with news of war, children being killed by it, the rise of climate-related disasters, the cost of living and increased poverty, and the future can feel very bleak. What makes this feel even darker is the realization that, intended or not, each of these things is a product of someone’s work. It is easy to think of “work” as something we just have to do to make money to pay the bills – but in reality, our work creates the culture, community, and world we live in.

Hannah Hedrick 8/10/26 Hannah Hedrick 8/10/26

A Roof Over Your Head

Test your crossword solving skills.

Staff 8/10/26 Staff 8/10/26

Arts & Culture

A place for the community to submit poems, drawings and art.

Staff 8/10/26 Staff 8/10/26

Obituaries

Mourning our dead is one of the oldest and most important functions of a society; but it is one that tragically too many members of our overlooked communities miss out on - either the opportunity to do so for their friends and family, or at their own passing. We offer this section - with as much information as possible and certainly in the Dorothy Day spirit that “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly” - to try our meager best to show our friends and neighbors the dignity in death that we know every person possesses.

Vincent DeGeorge 8/10/26 Vincent DeGeorge 8/10/26

Faith Leaders and Our Homeless Neighbors - A Walk that Continues

With the convening of Wheeling’s new clergy-led Homeless Taskforce, we reflect on Wheeling’s long and active tradition of faith-based accompaniment with our homeless neighbors. It gives us hope that the City is now adopting this time-tested approach.

Timothy Harriman 8/7/26 Timothy Harriman 8/7/26

Local Artist Spotlight: Mel’s Alternative Images

Located on Chapline Street in Wheeling's Centre Market is a small 10 foot by 20 foot photography studio. It is the “home base” of Melody Rae Petras’ artistic passion – specifically analog photography. Melody works with film, VHS, and tintypes.

Niamh Coomey 8/7/26 Niamh Coomey 8/7/26

Get your fresh, nutritious foods at the Public Market, and make it SNAPPY!

Hey you! Did you know that you can get 50% off your produce and grocery items when you pay with SNAP at the Public Market, Wheeling’s premier nonprofit grocery store downtown?

The Public Market, a project of Grow Ohio Valley, partners with local and regional farmers to bring fresh produce, eggs, meat, and dairy products to Wheeling. The Market receives funding through the WV Food and Farm Coalition as well as a private donor for their SNAP Stretch program, which allows them to offer extensive discounts for SNAP/EBT customers on a wide variety of grocery items and produce.

Staff 8/6/26 Staff 8/6/26

Street Stickies

Community members answer the question ‘what makes a good neighbor?’

Niamh Coomey 8/6/26 Niamh Coomey 8/6/26

Vendor Spotlight – Mike and Devin

Wheeling natives Mike and Devin are lifelong best friends who can often be spotted around Wheeling “horseplaying around,” as Devin likes to say. They are also two of Mustard Seed Mountain’s hardworking vendors, who sell the paper on the street and at several locations around town.

Mike and Devin’s moms were childhood best friends, so the pair met when they were in diapers and spent much of their time growing up together. Now, both in the latter half of their thirties, Mike and Devin say they’re still more like brothers than friends.

Vincent DeGeorge 8/5/26 Vincent DeGeorge 8/5/26

“The Social Question” - Answers for Today from Our Response to Poverty A Century Ago

“What to do about all these poor people!? Especially in the face of a new age of American innovation, prosperity, and wealth?” We are asking it today, in Wheeling and across the country, too often fraught with overwhelm at the unsurmountable complexity of the seemingly unprecedented situation.

Polly Barks 8/5/26 Polly Barks 8/5/26

Feel helpless? Think smaller. (Smaller.)

When I first moved to Warwood, no one knocked on my door.

That's not an indictment of Warwood. I've lived in many places in my adult life, and there's rarely been more than a wave from our porches, a smile in passing, and a quick retreat to our own private lives. But I moved to Wheeling for a sense of community, so I’d be damned if I didn’t cultivate that in my own little piece of the city.

Ashlie Howard 8/4/26 Ashlie Howard 8/4/26

Actually Ashlie: Actually, Rock Bottom Isn’t the Same for Everyone

People talk about “rock bottom” like it’s a specific address.

Like if you follow someone’s story long enough, you’ll eventually arrive at the same place. A dramatic collapse. A moment where everything falls apart so completely that change becomes the only option left. It’s the version of the story we see in movies and headlines. The job lost. The relationships shattered. The public unraveling that makes the turning point obvious to everyone watching.

But actually, rock bottom isn’t a place. It’s a moment.

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Street Stickies

Vendor Spotlight – Maureen Mitchell

The Love of Labor: The Story of the Reuther Family

Actually, Asking for Help is a Skill

Mountain Mover: Sarah Williams

An Impossible Choice: Domestic Violence a Cause of Homelessness

Wheeling’s Homeless Ban: A Three Year Retrospective

Editor’s Desk: Issue 9

Director’s Desk: Issue 9

A Roof Over Your Head

Arts & Culture

Obituaries

Faith Leaders and Our Homeless Neighbors - A Walk that Continues

Local Artist Spotlight: Mel’s Alternative Images

Get your fresh, nutritious foods at the Public Market, and make it SNAPPY!

Street Stickies

Vendor Spotlight – Mike and Devin

Feel helpless? Think smaller. (Smaller.)

Actually Ashlie: Actually, Rock Bottom Isn’t the Same for Everyone

Mustard Seed Mountain Street Paper