An Interview with Sister Bernie Kenny Dickinson County, Virginia Introduction Deep in the Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia, generations of miners and their families live in narrow hollers between beautiful tree-covered hills and mountains.
Towns are often only four or five blocks long, and one block wide.
Between the steep sides of the valleys flow rivers, winding roads, and train tracks travelled by load after load of coal. In these surroundings, a threesome team of women are considered by many in the area to be healthcare providing angels. Because people are so dispersed and healthcare facilities so remote Sister Bernie, Teresa Gardner, and Tracy Gilmore travel from community to community in a converted healthcare bus. The following interview with Sister Bernie took place at a community meeting in Dickinson County. The meeting was called by Sister Bernie as part of a national networked press conference to announce the 20th anniversary and update of the Pastoral Message on Sustainable Communities in Appalachia .