Volunteers on a 'Mission of Hope' set up Saturday afternoon at Oneida City Park in Scott County.
Community members say the free children's carnival couldn't come at a better time.
It's been a tough couple of weeks for Scott County residents. The recent closure of the area's only hospital, followed by a shooting that left the director of a Scott County homeless shelter dead have left many in the community shaken.
In a little town where everybody knows everybody, many share the same problems.
"I think that's the toughest we've got right now, there's not really a lot of jobs," says April Ferrell who brought her four kids to the carnival Saturday.
Ferrell says the event is a good example of why she's proud to raise her kids in Scott County.
"This stuff is amazing," says Ferrell. "Our community gets together and does something for the children."
She says it's a great diversion for many in the city.
"I think it brings hope that there's more to the community than just the
evil stuff they show you. There is life, there is family, there is a
tradition here," says Ferrell.
Appalachian Life Quality Initiative Executive Director Terrie Cross says the annual event brings something for everything.
"Everything is free and that's what makes it so wonderful," says Cross. "We have people here searching for compassion, they're out of work, they brought their children, it's something they could afford to do."