Scioto County resident Robert Black is one of six Appalachian Ohioans selected to receive a 2024 Jenco Award.
The Jenco Awards, a partnership between the Jenco Foundation Fund and the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, recognize and celebrate Appalachian Ohio residents who go and above beyond in service to others outside their paid positions. Each recipient, nominated by fellow community members, exemplifies the difference we can all make when we give time, talent and passion to helping our neighbors and building community.
“Through their service, visionary leadership and caring nature, all of these individuals make the lives of others, their communities and our world better,” said Michelle Shively MacIver, Jenco Foundation committee member. “Their impact will be felt for generations and inspires each of us to make a difference in our daily lives.”
When Black and his wife, Julia, relocated to Portsmouth in 2008, they found a community struggling from the effects of the opioid crisis and the loss of major industries. An accomplished Appalachian singer and songwriter, Black wrote “Boneyfiddle, Boneyfiddle,” a song named in honor of Portsmouth’s historic shopping district that touted the city’s gems, in 2014. He also produced a compilation CD, “Welcome to P’town,” featuring local artists.
Black used proceeds from the CD sales to establish the nonprofit Boneyfiddle Project with the mission of uplifting the arts to stimulate the district’s economy. With a borrowed 16-foot car trailer and sheer grit, he and the nonprofit launched a “pop-up” outdoor concert series called Final Friday in Boneyfiddle. Now in its 10th season, the concert series is held in a permanent, accessible outdoor venue secured by Black and regularly draws crowds of more than 1,000 to enjoy local, regional and national acts.
Black’s commitment to community, which includes serving on the Portsmouth Scioto County Visitors Bureau board, has ignited a renaissance in Portsmouth, where 12 historic buildings have been renovated and house new businesses, artists and residents – restoring hope, vision and community pride.
The Jenco Foundation and the Jenco Awards uphold the legacy of Father Lawrence Martin Jenco, a Roman Catholic priest who dedicated his life to serving others. In 1985, Father Jenco was kidnapped while serving as director of Catholic Relief Services in Lebanon and spent 19 months in captivity. Even in confinement, Father Jenco continued to serve, providing a listening ear for other detainees, including journalist Terry Anderson.
In 2001, Anderson founded the Jenco Foundation to honor the legacy of his friend. In 2011, the Jenco Foundation joined FAO as an endowment, ensuring that Father Jenco’s legacy would live on in perpetuity. The Jenco Awards celebrate individuals who, like Father Jenco, have made a difference through community service and visionary leadership.
