My wife grew up in Appalachia. If you saw the films in the 60’s and 70’s, that was where she lived. It was such a media event that the government sent food to all those barefoot, thread-bare, toothless hillbilly children through the schools. Church and civic groups sent mission teams and money to serve the poverty-stricken people in Appalachia.
Ironically, at the same time, people in Appalachia were sending mission teams and money to serve the poor in the poverty-stricken cities.
Service has its own value.