by Kristin Rhodes
Communications Coordinator
Presbytery of West Virginia
Brian Butcher (left) and the Rev. Zac Morton are co-founders of Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Project. (Photo by Amelia Knisely)
2020 was a hard year for everyone. Along with the pandemic, people felt isolated and had to maintain a safe distance from others. Some lost their jobs, which was especially difficult. Because of numerous tribulations thrown at many individuals during the year, there was an increasing need for warming shelters, particularly in Morgantown, WV.
A group of volunteers working at warming shelters in Morgantown quickly recognized the environment was not ideal for many situations. After coming to this realization, the volunteers and direct service workers affiliated with the warming shelter efforts began collecting data about the extent of needs.
The Rev. Zac Morton of First Presbyterian Church, Morgantown, is one of those affiliated with the group. He and the City Councilman, Brian Butcher, were two who recognized that families needed to stay together, mainly single mothers; and that individuals with health and recovery needs, and individuals with queer gender identities, could be better served. Together, they co-founded Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Project with their own funds while they began working with the local United Way to establish federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program (SFSP) grants. Funding was secured, and the volunteer group began approaching local hotels to establish relationships and provide shelter for those in need.
“We didn’t want these individuals to fall through the cracks,” Morton said. “They needed alternative solutions to meet their immediate and critical need for shelter. We began crowd-sourcing mutual funding to provide hotel options for individuals and families who could not be served well by the group shelter.”
The Morgantown Resources Applied for Mutual Progress (RAMP) Hotel Program was officially established in 2021 and is designed to be an alternative emergency housing solution for the populations previously mentioned. Morton manages relationships with hotels and relies on direct service employees and volunteers to identify those with the greatest need. Butcher helps him manage relationships with those in the hospitality industry. Initially, First Presbyterian Church, Morgantown, served as the single fiscal agent of this program, providing a funding account and bookkeeping services. At the beginning of 2025, the United Way of Monongalia County also became a fiscal agent after a private donor made a generous contribution through a grant, which funded the majority of the program for 2025 and 2026.
“Our program allows families to stay together, provides a stable environment for individuals recovering from health concerns, or gives people space to avoid traumatic situations and find a measure of rest and recovery,” Morton explained. “We rely entirely on local volunteers, so every dollar we raise goes directly to providing shelter, food or transportation.”
Working primarily with the volunteers at the warming shelters and direct service organizations, such as HealthRight and Morgantown Mutual Aid, they identify individuals with the highest risk. On average, people have been found to need anywhere from one night to 14 days. Over the past four years, Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Program has spent $22,000, on average. They provide about 300-350 hotel room nights annually, which serves between 300 to 500 individuals, including children. In addition to the EFSP grants, other forms of financial assistance come from personal donations from various church members and congregations in the city, as well as support from community partners.
With time and trust, the RAMP Hotel Program has established two hotels that they partner with regularly. Twelve volunteers are authorized to help people get checked into and manage the situations. They connect those in need with rescue networks to ensure future security.
“Without these people and groups, it would be extremely hard to execute and manage this program,” said Morton.
While there is a two-week maximum limit, Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Program has provided longer-term care in particular situations. Because of the resources in place and the desire to find permanent housing, most clients find a better place to stay or a better situation.
Through frozen funds and the government shutdown in 2025, Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Program faced several challenges, particularly in a time when the community needed them more.
“Our local food pantries have seen almost triple the need over the past six months,” Morton stated. “Our local permanent housing program recently closed its list to new recipients because the list of individuals waiting for permanent housing assistance has reached over 500 names and our city allocated nearly 40 percent more in funding this year to meet anticipated needs for the warming shelter.”
In addition to housing and connections to housing service, Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Project has provided food assistance, supply bag donations, tents, hygiene supplies, sleeping bags, heaters, winter clothing and bus tickets. Volunteers have been known to drive around the city asking the homeless what supplies they need and purchasing these items for them.
“There have been multiple instances where we were able to provide shelter for young single mothers, when they would have been in a very difficult circumstance to use the warming shelter,” Morton explained. “They are always incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have stability for a week or two and find the right next step for them and their family. We have also been able to provide a place of rest and respite for multiple individuals recovering from serious medical conditions. Providing shelter for them to recover makes an incalculable difference to their quality of life and ability to achieve long-term recovery.”
Morgantown’s RAMP Hotel Project can be found on Facebook at @MorgantownRAMP and Instagram @MorgantownRAMP. Donations can be made to the organization’s Cash App $morgantownramp and Venmo @morgantownramp.