KERMIT — Sisters Brendan Conlon and Janet Peterworth were honored today by West Virginia television station WSAZ NewsChannel3 as "Hometown Heroes."  The station recognized the nuns for their work in assisting Mingo Countians in need in a segment that will air several times later this month.

Also, the Mingo County Commission declared today, December 4, to be 'Sisters Day' in Mingo County, in honor of the two nuns.  They presented each of the two agencies with checks for $1,000 each, in gratitude for their work for people living in poverty in the county.

Conlon and Peterworth are both preparing to retire after several decades of service to the poor in West Virginia. 

Conlon is the founder of Christian Help of Mingo County, a nonprofit agency that provides food, clothing, transportation, and other services to people living in poverty.  Last month, as her agency marked its fifteenth anniversary, she was honored by WV Governor Joe Manchin, III, with a medal inducting her into the 'Order of the 35th Star' for significant contributions to life in the state.

Peterworth is the founder of ABLE Families, a nonprofit that confronts the systemic causes of poverty through a variety of successful educational programs. That agency's 15th anniversary celebration will take place in February 2010. 

 Today a crew from the Charleston-Huntington station traveled to Kermit, where the two agencies are located, for interviews and filming.  A surprise reception was held at noon at the Kermit Community Center, hosted by staff of the agencies.  About 60 people attended, including people who have worked with, supported, or been served by the two sisters over the years.

The reception included food and refreshments provided by the Mingo County Department of Health and Human Resources, which has collaborated in many ways with the two sisters and their agencies over the years. It was nominations from the employees of that department that brought the sisters to the attention of the television station.

The 'Hometown Heroes' segment featuring Conlon and Peterworth will air on WSAZ NewsChannel3 during the 5:30 p.m., news broadcast on Friday, December 18, and then again on Saturday, December 19, during the 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. broadcasts.