U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito traveled to Braxton and Kanawha counties on Tuesday of this week where she met with higher-education leaders and visited the local food bank.
Senator Capito stopped by the Mountaineer Food Bank location in Gassaway just after 10:00 a.m. August 16, where she received a tour of the facility and met with the company’s leadership team to discuss expansion efforts.
“For more than four decades, Mountaineer Food Bank has provided resources to communities and families in West Virginia when they needed it the most. I commend their gracious service and appreciate the chance to learn more about their operations and expansion plans today. Mountaineer Food Bank is a light in our state, and I will continue to help the facility gain access to the resources they need to continue successfully serving our state,” Senator Capito said.
Created in 1981, Mountaineer Food Bank provides food and other household items to an emergency food network spanning 48 counties.
“We enjoyed welcoming Senator Capito back to our main facility in Gassaway, especially during a time when even more of our neighbors are unsure of where their next meal is coming from,” Chad Morrison, Mountaineer Food Bank CEO, said. “Her continued support is critical to the 200,000 plus West Virginians facing food insecurity. We are excited to continuing working with Senator Capito to improve access and nutritious options for Mountaineers throughout our state.”
Senator Capito’s first stop Tuesday was the University of Charleston (UC) where she met with President Marty Roth and Vice President Gail Carter. During the visit, Senator Capito received a tour of the campus to learn about new additions and discussed with the UC leadership recent Congressionally Directed Spending funding she secured, as well as an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant she announced for the university in May.
“It is great to see University of Charleston continue to take steps to improve its campus and overall experience. I am particularly impressed to see how they are using federal dollars to support new and innovative advancements that will not only physically improve the university, but also continue to attract the best and brightest,” Senator Capito said.
“The University of Charleston is grateful for Senator Capito’s deep commitment to higher education,” UC President Marty Roth said. “We work closely with statewide employers to help them address their talent acquisition and development needs, which in turn drives our innovation around student learning and new programs. The recent support we have received from the US DOJ, EDA, HRSA, and NSF through Senator Capito’s advocacy is ensuring that we remain a premier university in West Virginia and the region.”