SW Virginia is where I am from, with older generations of my family also hailing from West Virginia. I left awhile ago, because at the time all I saw was the farmlands being sold off after the farmers died, to people from the north who turned them into horrible little middle class "neighborhoods", no offense towards yourself intended. With that, the subsequent loss of community became the norm. It depressed me immeasurably and made a lot of other people angry. Ended up moving to the most unlikely of places but have found that down here, community is still alive and well, even for interlopers like myself.

I've talked to folks a few times over the years about precisely what you are proposing but each time, the idea peters out within a relatively small space of time. People have forgotten the basic rules of how society managed to grow as it has, what it means to actually care about the welfare of their neighbor and how that, in turn, secures their own needs when problems surface. I applaud you for your call to like-minded individuals but not so sure you'll have a lot of response given the inherent issues I have already mentioned. Folks back home can be a little funny too and very close-knit, not to say they won't accept you but more that you have your work cut out for you in making in-roads into those groups, especially when it comes to those who are capable of the stuff you'd want help with. If things went bad, it would not be unlikely I would pack up the kids and get back up that way or to one of the other rural areas where friends and family have landed. Anyway, if you have interest in continuing a correspondence, I'd be happy to keep in touch with you and continue the discussion. If not, I wish you luck in your search.