[RedRaiderNation]

Last week in Middletown, Mass an article in their local newspaper portrayed Louisa and Lawrence County as Poorest of the poor in America, where they don't finish High School, don't have electricity, have outdoor plumbing, can't afford shoes to wear and don't have blankets and sheets to sleep with.

I for one am sick and tired of the stereotyping Eastern Kentucky is getting. This shouldn't be happening in the 21st Century especially with the technology of the Internet where one can look up information about anything.

Here is the link to the article.

Louisa article in Middletown Press

[Advance Eagles]

Don't you think some underprivileged families in the surrounding area will be in need of these items ? I know there are some very poor people in the area who do need it.
I think it's wonderful what this boy is doing.
We need more kids like him.Maybe he'll inspire more kids to do the same.

[15thRegionCrazy]

What he's doing is a good thing. I'm sure there are people like that living there... but everyone will take it as everyone is that way, which isn't true...

[BlueOval97]

i think Louisa is a striving little town. all the times ive been there its seemed normal to me.

[BCF4L]

It's good that he is doing this, but he needs to make it clear that it is not just Lawrence Co., or eastern KY that suffer from poverty.

[ComeFlyWithMe]

He makes it seem as all of Eastern Kentucky is suffering. Pikeville was name one of the 100 best small towns in America. Eastern Kentucky is a great place, great colleges, great schools, great athletics, it is not a bad place like it's made out to be. I used to live in Columbus Ohio, now that's a big time city, pro sports, top HS athletics, and I would much rather live in Pikeville than Columbus, just to be honest.

[RedRaiderNation]

I know what the boy is doing is good, but my point is that once again Eastern Kentucky is getting a bad rap for something that JFK made us out to be back in 1960 when he campaigned there. Eastern Kentucky is not the only place in America that poverty exist. I bet if this boy would look hard at his own state outside of the Boston Metro area (which is where he is) he will find the same living conditions he speaks of as if it is only in Louisa and the surrounding Lawrence County area.

I currently live outside of Columbus in London, OH but was born and raised in Louisa and lived there until 2004. Moved away because of work. I miss Louisa because I still have family there, and I still like the fact that America thinks people there are barefooted and talk funny. There is not much difference in Louisa than London, OH. Only thing I can think of is that Malls and places to go are closer.

[TheyKnowMe]

It is good that boy is trying to help but Louisa isn't as horrible as it tells.

[Brittany0121]

Like everyone has said, this is a wonderful thing, and it's rare that a young boy would think of someone other than himself, but come on. No indoor plumbing? Not wearing shoes? Get real. This is 2007, not 1807. It's a lot over the top, and just playing out the stereotypes. I hate reading garbage like that. Someone should send THEM a letter with pictures from the area to set the record straight. I mean I know there are poor people who need this stuff, but I'm sure there are plenty in Massachusetts who are in the same boat. Don't make it sound like its us poor hillbillies running around shoeless using the outhouse.

[RedRaiderNation]

Like everyone has said, this is a wonderful thing, and it's rare that a young boy would think of someone other than himself, but come on. No indoor plumbing? Not wearing shoes? Get real. This is 2007, not 1807. It's a lot over the top, and just playing out the stereotypes. I hate reading garbage like that. Someone should send THEM a letter with pictures from the area to set the record straight. I mean I know there are poor people who need this stuff, but I'm sure there are plenty in Massachusetts who are in the same boat. Don't make it sound like its us poor hillbillies running around shoeless using the outhouse.

:thumpsup: :thumpsup: :thumpsup: :thumpsup:

[jammin' jamey]

Someone should send THEM a letter with pictures from the area to set the record straight.

Maybe simply send an email to the paper with a link to this site? WOW, they not only have the internet in those hills, those hi-tech rednecks are running their website!

I've been to Boston and up-and-down the New England coast. There's beauty and poverty, depends on the direction you look, just as it is here in Eastern Kentucky. I applaud what the kid is doing, but until politicans from our area try to change things here by placing more education, jobs, infrastructure here in the hills, it'll never happend.

To most, all East Kentucky is good for is gas & coal they are sent to places like Boston in pipelines, barges, etc.

[crazytaxidriver]

haha I used to live in somerset, mass. and the only difference is there aren't any trailer parks there, and you rarely see a double wide. but they also don't sell a 1300 sq. ft. house for 195,000 dollars.