McDowell County sheriff’s department announces community outreach event

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office will host its second “You Are Not Alone” outreach event at the McDowell County Commission building in War, near Grants supermarket, from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. The building was formerly the National Guard Armory Building.

The outreach is meant to give residents a place to talk with the sheriff’s office outside of an emergency call, a traffic stop or a court case. In a county where many people have to stretch limited transportation, phone service and internet access to handle everyday business, a face-to-face meeting with deputies and community partners can make it easier to ask questions, raise concerns and find out where to turn next.

The event’s name points to a support-centered approach rather than a routine law-enforcement appearance. Southern McDowell County Health and Recovery said it was supporting the sheriff’s office during the event, and McDowell County FSC / BCPIA also encouraged people to visit. Those partners suggest the evening will connect policing with local help networks, giving residents a chance to learn what groups are available when a problem involves safety, recovery, family stability or another need that reaches beyond a single agency.

Holding the event in War, at a site residents can find by the Grants supermarket, also matters. The McDowell County Commission building is a recognizable county landmark, and its location can help draw people who might not otherwise make a separate trip to Welch or another county office. For people worried about a neighborhood issue, a deputy’s presence in a familiar public space can be the difference between keeping a concern private and raising it before it grows into a bigger problem.

The sheriff’s office is also repeating the format, which gives the outreach a little more weight than a one-off announcement. A second installment means the department is not just asking the public to notice it during emergencies, but to step into a direct conversation about trust, access and community safety. For McDowell County residents, showing up could mean leaving with a name, a contact, or a clearer path to the right local help.