Huntington Area Food Bank Changes Name

Officials at the Food Bank in Huntington hope a new name will make all the difference in helping those in need.

Leaders at the Huntington Area Food Bank think the name change holds the key to better representing their coverage area. Tiffany Tatum is the Executive Director at the food bank.

“I hope that it opens people’s eyes, we can have this warehouse stocked full of food and I can give it out in a day, I know that I could,” Tatum said. “I hope that it hopes up a lot of opportunities for food resources.”

The food bank which is now named Facing Hunger Foodbank covers 17 counties including Putnam and Mason which aren’t in the Huntington area. When the food bank started in 1983 it only served Cabell and Wayne counties. Tatum said many are unaware the service area has expanded and have asked why an organization outside of the Huntington area should donate food or money.

“Community centers in Putnam County they flat out told me, we had no idea, we never even considered that we could access your resources because you’re in Huntington and we’re in Putnam county,” Tatum said.

The Facing Hunger Foodbank serves more than 100,000 in 17 counties in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

WV: Cabell, Wayne, Putnam, Mason, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Boone, Wyoming and McDowell.

KY: Boyd, Greenup, Lawrence and Martin

OH: Lawrence County.

Tatum said the name change should allow the organization to better help people they’ve not been able to help before.

“When you take that barrier away, you don’t even have to have that conversation, we’re Facing Hunger Foodbank, and these are the resources that we can provide to you period,” Tatum said.

The Facing Hunger Foodbank had help from the Barnes Agency in the rebranding process. Tatum said they talked with other food banks around the country through their affiliation with Feeding America.