Mountaineer Food Bank, Hard at Work Feeding WV

The first six months of 2022 have flown by! Mountaineer Food Bank has been on the road serving all of their 48 counties and working on new ways to eradicate hunger in West Virginia. “We’re constantly growing and evolving to streamline food accessibility and create an efficient system that better serves our community, especially those who may not know where their next meal will come from,” says a MFB spokesperson.
“None of this work would be possible without the continued support of our donors, volunteers and community partners. We are extremely grateful for each and every person who has dedicated their time, talents and gifts to Mountaineer Food Bank.”
With the help of their amazing staff and volunteers, they have distributed 10,658,529 lbs. of food and other household necessities to West Virginians in their service area!
From January 1 through June 30, 2022, MFB have conducted 236 mobile pantries, distributing 1,431,772 lbs. of food to 29,548 households (approximately 74,023 individuals). The Mobile Pantry Program allows people who live in “food deserts” to access fresh protein, produce, dairy and shelf-stable food items to sustain them and promote a healthy, well-balanced diet.
So far in the 2022 school year, the Food Bank has conducted 26 kids markets, serving 23,059 lbs. of food to 3,785 kids. Each child received a 7-10 lb. bag of fresh produce, as well as an educational component and recipes. “We look forward to teaching even more children the importance of incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into their diets!”
Mountaineer Food Bank values the bravery and dedication of all individuals who are currently serving and have previously served in the US Military. As their way of giving back to those who have given so much, they have provided 219,989 lbs. of food to 6,241 veteran households. “We are extremely grateful for our partnership with the VA hospitals throughout the state, as well as the DAV and our other partners who help us continue feeding these families and individuals.”
The Food Bank’s Feeding Families Prime (FFP) Program is a holistic approach to the traditional food pantry. Launched in 2021, this program focuses on clients with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, obesity and cancer. Although this program is free, it is not a handout rather a hand-up. So far, MFB has distributed 183,974 lbs. of food through their 6 distribution sites.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income elderly at least 60 years of age, and who meet income eligibility requirements. Through the CSFP, Mountaineer Food Bank provides nutritious monthly food boxes to local seniors. Each senior food box provides juices, milk, cereal or oatmeal, protein, vegetables, fruits, and cheese. “We’ve proudly distributed 30,000 lbs. of food to seniors this year.”
Like the FFP Program, the Rx Pantry Program works with healthcare companies to offer healthy food to people who are picking up their prescriptions. The Food Bank believes that food is medicine, and wants to help those struggling with pre-existing health conditions to improve their lives with fresh produce, protein and dairy, as well as reduced sugar and sodium products. So far, this program has served 22,072 lbs. to 716 households.
With such vast accomplishments in such a short period of time… one can only imagine what the next six months will bring. To find out how you can assist in feeding the hungry of West Virginia call 304-364-5518 or email: [email protected]