The Posey Perry Emergency Food Fund is named for Gov. Jim Justice’s uncle, who volunteered to help feed the hungry for much of his life.
In his Thursday media briefing, Justice announced that the reserved $10 million, allocated from the current state budget, was now heading to the Mountaineer and Facing Hunger food banks.
“The food pantries will coordinate with the food banks, and we’ll get this money to them and hopefully be able to help a lot of folks,” Justice said.
Both food bank directors say this funding release will offer community partners needed resources to purchase food during a critical time of the year.
“The commitment to fighting hunger in West Virginia exhibited by the governor’s office is truly commendable,” Chad Morrison, CEO of Mountaineer Food Bank, said. “We eagerly anticipate the positive impact the Posey Perry Emergency Food Fund will have on those struggling with hunger in our state.”
Cyndi Kirkhart, executive director of Facing Hunger Foodbank, echoed the appreciation and the need.
“We understand that the work will continue and that we will always support the governor’s wishes for us to move toward living outside of poverty and diminished resources by pursuing food access infrastructure resources for ourselves, our community partners and our neighbors who live across our service areas, but remain at the center of our work,” Kirkhart said.
Pantries associated with both the Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger Foodbank networks are encouraged to seek funding by contacting these organizations directly.