Food Bank Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Combating Hunger in Mercer County

In Mercer County, nearly 175 food-insecure families get free, nutritious meal deliveries via DoorDash to combat rural child hunger in the Mountain State.

Families in one of West Virginia’s most food-insecure counties will receive free groceries delivered to their door this summer. Food Insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.

In Mercer County, nearly 175 food-insecure families get free, nutritious meal deliveries via DoorDash – working in partnership with Mountaineer Food Bank, Save the Children and Mercer County Schools. The mission is to combat rural child hunger in the Mountain State.

The Mountaineer Food Bank received $100,000 in Innovation Lab funding earlier this year.

Gabriela Schoolcraft, the communications coordinator for Mountaineer Food Bank, said that money helped start their Extra Mile Program

“This program allows us to increase access to food for families who are facing transportation barriers within Mercer County,” Schoolcraft said. “Mercer County was selected to pilot the program because they have one of the highest food insecurity rates in the state of West Virginia.”

The summer meals project was started by Save the Children’s Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab. Cathryn Miller is Save the Children’s West Virginia State Director.

“With the Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab, we launched open invitations for partners here in West Virginia and across many other states as well to apply their innovative ideas for how they can help target food insecurity,” Miller said.

Project Dash is DoorDash’s initiative to empower food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations to leverage DoorDash logistics to increase access in their communities. Daniel Riff is a senior manager with DoorDash Drive.

“What that looks like is a partner like Mountaineer Food Bank, leveraging our platform in a similar way to a restaurant, a grocer, a retailer,” Riff said. “But instead of having those types of deliveries, our network of Dashers will come to pick up from the food bank or a food bank truck and distribute directly to clients of the food bank.”

Mercer County Schools’ Integrative Collaborative Assistance Resources Education (ICARE) team has worked to identify and enroll the student families in need who are now participating in the project.

“In many rural communities, such as Mercer County, there’s limited access to stores with fresh food,” Miller said. “And it makes it very difficult for these rural families to give their children the nutritious meals that they need to grow and develop.”

The deliveries have been underway for over a month and are planned to double to families this summer. The effort is meant to ensure kids and families can continue to have consistent, nourishing meals after area schools close.

“It’s critical for brain development in children to have the proper nutritious food so that they can fully reach their potential,” Miller said. “And it’s especially important in the summer because schools are often the lifeline for children. Families rely on the school to provide breakfast and lunch, and if the children are lucky, some schools offer snacks and even dinner at the end of the day. And it’s just critical. And so when school’s out for summer, I know it’s often a worrying concern for not just families, but the children themselves.”

Riff said one of the great things about the program is its convenience.

“So Food Bank trucks go around to a few different spots in Mercer County. And from there DoorDash drivers, -, go to those spots, pick up several orders of groceries at a time, and deliver those in a string of deliveries to the residences of people that are participating in the program,” Riff said. “It is convenient for anyone to receive food this way. And it also is a great opportunity for local Dashers in the area, to have earning opportunities by delivering for this program as well.”

Schoolcraft said the COVID-19 pandemic brought the issue of food insecurity to the light nationally, but especially in West Virginia.

“With the emergency allotments ending, that really hurts families who are struggling with food insecurity,” Schoolcraft said. “We hear in lines at our distributions and through our partner food pantries how much families are struggling to afford groceries right now and other basic living expenses because of inflation. So, families are really struggling, especially with those allotments ending.”

According to Schoolcraft one in five children are facing food insecurity currently in West Virginia.

“With the Extra Mile program, we’re really grateful that we could reach more children and reach more families because we know the need is so high right now,” she said.

In each bi-monthly delivery, families receive protein, produce, and dairy with a mix of shelf-stable items.

“One of the cool things about this program is that they’re neighbors centered,” Schoolcraft said. “So if a family doesn’t have access to an oven or stove, they’re provided with meals that they can cook at home based on their needs.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Unwinding Medicaid: Changes To SNAP Worry Food Security Advocates

Advocates and officials are warning that upcoming changes to SNAP benefits could put West Virginia households and food banks in jeopardy.

Starting March 1, some struggling families may have less government support for food as COVID-19 pandemic-era emergency allotments come to a close.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, provide temporary help for people going through hard times by providing supplemental money to buy food until they can get back on their feet.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 37.3 percent of West Virginia households receiving SNAP benefits have children.

Since April 2020, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has issued SNAP emergency allotments, increasing each household’s monthly benefit.

Now, those monthly SNAP benefits have returned to the pre-COVID-19 Public Health Emergency level based on the household’s income, assets, household size, and other non-financial factors. About 170,000 households will be affected.

“Early on in the pandemic, Congress and the USDA, allowed states to increase everyone’s SNAP benefits up to the maximum level, regardless of what they would normally be qualified for based on their household income, assets and expenses,” said Kent Nowviskie, deputy commissioner of the DHHR’s Bureau for Family Assistance. “As a result of the omnibus spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act that was passed in December, Congress brought that portion of the snap or that option for states to an end.”

According to Nowviskie, Congress plans to repurpose the funding of emergency allotments to allow states to set up a permanent ongoing summer EBT program for children who are eligible for free and reduced lunch in schools.

“SNAP benefits come directly from the federal government, and we disperse those to the clients in West Virginia. So essentially, those are federal monies, we determine eligibility according to a state plan that is essentially like a contract between the state and the USDA, for how will determine that eligibility. And then on a monthly basis, we draw down those funds from the federal government and push them out to eligible SNAP clients,” Nowviskie said. “We do have other sources of funding that support some nutritional efforts. One of the big ones is our TANF funding, which we have used to vastly expand some of the supports that we have available across the state.”

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, is also known as WV Works, a program assisting families near the poverty level to remain self-sufficient.

Advocates and officials are warning that upcoming changes to SNAP benefits could put West Virginia households and food banks in jeopardy.

“So, according to the DHHR, all households will see at least a $95 reduction, statewide, the average per household is going to be around $120 reduction,” said Josh Lohnes, a research assistant professor at WVU who directs the work of the food justice lab and the center for resilient communities. “And again, that’s based on size and income. So for some households, it may be hundreds of dollars reduced, and for others, it might be less, but every single household is at least gonna see a $95 cut in March.”

These changes will not only affect West Virginia families directly but food banks across the state as well.

“Food insecurity is pretty much a poverty problem and a low wage problem, the vast majority of those receiving SNAP benefits are working families that are simply not earning enough wages to be above 130 percent of the poverty line,” Lohnes said. “So that drives food insecurity, and low wages, as do increasing food prices.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a one-person household that earns $14,580 or less annually is considered to be in poverty. A three-person household is considered in poverty if they earn $24,860 or less annually.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, food inflation rates rose an average of 11 percent in December 2022 alone.

Cyndi Kirkhart is the CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank, based in Huntington. It is one of only two food banks in West Virginia. The other is Mountaineer Food Bank, based in Gassaway.

Food insecurity will only increase along with inflation costs, Kirkhart said she budgeted $2.5 million to purchase food for the Facing Hunger Food Bank in 2022. The bank actually expended $4 million to feed its community.

“That’s not sustainable for our work. We’re having to really kind of scale back and rather than prepackaged boxes, that we’ve distributed, our mobile pantries and stuff, now we’re getting down to staple items that will benefit a family,” Kirkhart said. “So at a time when the communities at the center of our work need us most, we actually are having to scale back in what we can provide to them as well as our pantries.”

According to advocates for food security, charitable programs are unable to support those facing hunger fully. A combination of charity and government assistance programs are necessary to help bridge the meal gap, especially in a post-COVID economy with record-breaking inflation rates.

“I can’t underscore enough, while the rhetoric may be that folks receive all kinds of money with SNAP benefits, that is patently not true,” Kirkhart said. “It is not enough for any family, to be able to live alone. It takes other financial resources to support a family and their food needs. All you have to do is try the SNAP challenge one time and try and live on what is about $4.20 a day.”

To mitigate food insecurity for West Virginia families, Nowviskie said the DHHR was able to use TANF funding to increase the number of family support centers throughout West Virginia. He said 37 centers were added to the grant cycle in 2022.

“And those are physical locations that offer a variety of services from respite for caregivers, to parenting classes, some of them do cooking, education, financial education, those sorts of things,” Nowviskie said. “They all also are required by the grant agreement with us to maintain a food pantry, a baby pantry, and a hygiene pantry.”

Furthermore, Nowviskie said any West Virginia family struggling with food insecurity after this rollback of SNAP benefits can contact their local county DHHR office and speak with a caseworker about options or visit the agency’s website for a list of resources.

Food Bank Grant Targets Hunger In Rural W.Va. Communities

Save the Children’s newly-launched Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab program aims to improve access to food in hard-to-reach rural communities like Mercer County.

West Virginia is among five states chosen to benefit from Save the Children’s newly-launched Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab.

The program aims to improve access to food in hard-to-reach rural communities like Mercer County.

Mountaineer Food Bank received $100,000 to help provide fresh and shelf-stable foods to food insecure children and families through a ride-share delivery service.

Chad Morrison, CEO of Mountaineer Food Bank, said in a release the funding will be put to good use.

“The $100,000 grant funding from Save the Children will help improve food access barriers across rural communities in West Virginia,” Morrison said. “We are incredibly grateful to receive these funds, as it will help us better serve our food insecure neighbors, children, and families.”

Betsy Zorio, vice president of U.S. programs for Save the Children said the program will help ensure children in rural communities can thrive.

“Geographic isolation, lack of transportation, and limited access to stores with fresh food are making it very difficult for many rural families to give their children the nutritious meals they need to grow and develop,” Zorio said.

Nearly 90 percent of the U.S. counties with the highest food insecurity rates are classified as rural.

A recent survey indicates currently, one in five rural children are facing hunger.

Food Banks, Pantries Hit By Inflation As More Families Seek Help

As high prices force more Americans to ask for help to put food on the table, food pantries across the state are feeling the strain as well.

As high prices force more people to ask for help to put food on the table, food pantries across the state are feeling the strain as well.

A recent survey from Feeding America, a nonprofit network of 200 food banks, found that 155 food pantries reported a jump in the number of families facing food insecurity.

People line up outside Helpful Harvest in Speedway, Mercer County

Lisa Davis is the director of the Helpful Harvest Food Bank in the small rural community of Speedway just north of Athens in Mercer County.

The foodbank was originally run by a local pastor who moved out of state, so Davis stepped into the role of director a year ago. She applied for her own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status to run the operation.

The only food bank in the area, each week long lines of people stand outside juggling for a spot to pick up a meal.

For Thanksgiving this year, the food bank doesn’t have enough money to buy turkeys or ham. Instead, Davis said they will provide all the needed sides for a Thanksgiving meal.

During the coronavirus pandemic there was an overabundance of food coming to the pantry through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Davis said that’s no longer the case.

“We do get some government allocated food but it’s not enough to keep up with our numbers so we’ve been purchasing food,” Davis said. “And some weeks our food purchases are $1300 for two weeks supply and our shelves are empty, sometimes before the end of the second week.”

Local residents picking up food from the Helpful Harvest food bank in Mercer County

Helpful Harvest purchases approximately 90 percent of its food from the state’s largest emergency food provider, Mountaineer Food Bank. Sam’s Club purchases and donations supplement supplies.

The only other food bank in the area is 30 minutes away. For those without transport it’s not an option.

“Some of these people walk two and three miles to get this food and they walk back with it,” Davis explained. “I have no idea how they carry it that far.”

The food bank has outgrown its current location and Davis is trying to raise funds to move into a bigger building next door. The Mercer County Commission approved a grant through the American Rescue Plan in August to buy their rented space and the adjacent building which will provide up to 5000 square feet of additional space. Davis hopes to be able to afford heating and install a cooling system to keep produce fresh.

Food Banks and pantries are feeling the strain as inflation hits hard.

Along with its mission of feeding the hungry, the small food bank serves as an outreach for the local population. Volunteers recently purchased a tent for an older homeless couple living under a carport. Others receive help with items like medical equipment, baby clothing, car seats, and diapers and formula. Davis said the closest diaper pantry is an hour away.

“If they can’t afford a $10 package of diapers they cannot afford the fuel to drive an hour each way to the diaper pantry,” she said.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the food bank served 150 people a week. Over the next two years the numbers steadily rose. In recent months they’ve jumped to 450 people a week, a 260 percent increase. About 150 seniors qualify for monthly food boxes through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

“Once inflation hit we started receiving more participants,” Davis said. “Once the rise in the prices of groceries and fuel started, our numbers kept increasing by the week.”

Davis added that with food insecurity hitting more people it’s not just lower income families seeking help.

Helpful Harvest Food Bank provides monthly senior food boxes as part of the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

“The pandemic contributed to it, people weren’t as embarrassed to find other sources to help them,” Davis said. “We have lower income college students who utilize our services, and quite a few of them. We have seniors who can’t quite make it off of their fixed income. There seems to be less stigma around the food banks now.”

The Mountaineer Food Bank acts as a hub – distributing food through local smaller food pantries and soup kitchens and smaller food banks like Helpful Harvest.

It serves more than 460 pantries and soup kitchens throughout the state. The bank relies largely on volunteers and gets help from the USDA which purchases directly from farmers. In addition to pantries and soup kitchens food outreach programs cover shelters, senior and veterans programs, mobile food pantries and school and backpack programs.

Eric Peyatt is Mountaineer Food Bank’s vice president of operations. He says the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program provides most of their agency supply. Government programs like the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provide seniors with 5000 boxes of healthy food each month.

Food equals gratitude among patrons of the Helpful Harvest food bank

Peyatt said as funding fluctuates it’s normal to see cyclical ebbs and flows in USDA product supplies. Like Davis, he said during the coronavirus pandemic there was an overabundance of food through the government’s Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Mountaineer Food Bank also looks to other sources for its food supply.

“We can go to people like Big Daddy Foods, or Win Lings and buy products in bulk and then offer that up to agencies,” Peyatt said.

The food bank also gets donated products at locations across the state.

“We’ve been able to really work with a lot of farmers lately and get some perishable items, such as our produce,” he said. “We’ve been running a lot of our mobile pantries with produce and of course dairy items as well.”

The produce can come in large quantities – tractor trailer loads of 10-12 pallets of product. Peyatt said orchards in the eastern panhandle have been particularly generous with donations.

“Anytime we go there we can come back with a truck load of apples or peaches, or some of the other produce, they’ve been very generous to us on those donations,” he said.

Peyatt said he fully expects that sources of funding will come through as evidenced in previous years.

“It will pick back up,” Peyatt said. “I know there was an extreme amount of funding that was put in there by President Biden, I don’t have the number off the top of my head but we have experienced this before. It kind of goes in flows, it will definitely pick back up.”

On Tuesday Gov. Jim Justice awarded Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger Foodbank $500,000 each to support their mission of feeding the hungry.

The checks will go a long way to help sustain the food pantries and other feeding programs throughout the state, including smaller food banks like Helpful Harvest.

McDowell County Food Bank Trying Out Hydro-Panels For Clean Water Needs

In McDowell County, access to clean water can be a challenge. Aging infrastructure, a shrinking tax base and lack of oversight affect the region’s water quality. That is why one community food bank is trying something different, to provide cleaner water to some who are in need.

Earlier this month, the Five Loaves and Two Fishes food bank and outreach center in Kimball debuted its new set of hydro-panels to the McDowell County community.

They are like solar panels, but instead of using sunlight to create electricity, these hydro-panels pull moisture from the air and filter it with sunlight, to produce clean water.

According to information from developer Zero Amounts, each panel can hold up to eight gallons at a time in a mineralized reservoir. How fast the panels gather and filter water depends on how much sunlight is available, and the humidity.

Linda McKinney pours a sample of water from her food bank’s hydro-panels.

Altogether, food bank director Linda McKinney said her 24 panels should hold 192 gallons at full capacity. That might seem like a lot, but Five Loaves and Two Fishes provides food and other essentials to more than 800 McDowell County families each month. Bottled water is one of their most requested items.

“There’s no way with that amount of panels that we could, you know, supplement everybody in the county with enough water,” McKinney said.

“It is a small start, but it’s better than no water. That’s what I say about food. You know, a lot of times we don’t get the healthiest food, and I always tell people [that] in my world, some food is better than no food. You know, it keeps your stomach from growling.”

The food bank got the hydro-panels with help from a California-based nonprofit called Dig Deep, which McKinney said visited McDowell County over the summer for a water quality study it released earlier this month.

“Dig deep was here for about a week,” she recalled. “And then they went back, and I kept in contact with this lady named Nora Nelson … and then one day she said, ‘Hey, I have this great opportunity, I think that would benefit you guys.’”

Dig Deep connected McKinney with Zero Amounts and the one2one USA Foundation, which paid for the panels.

Linda McKinney’s husband shows a picture of a shed, from which they hope to pump water from their food bank’s new hydro-panels.

McKinney said she has not had to spend anything on the project herself. She added that she expects it to be fully operational by spring.

She and her husband were installing a shed a few feet away from the panels on Friday, where she will be able to pump water into one-and-five-gallon jugs for distribution.

Contractors still need to install pipes to connect the panels and the pump.

Advocates Fear Food Stamp Requirement Will Affect Food Banks

Advocates say West Virginia’s plan to make food stamp recipients meet a work or training requirement could increase the burden of food banks.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the state Department of Health and Human Resources announced last year that it would reinstate a requirement calling on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to meet a monthly work or training requirement of 20 hours per week or lose benefits. The changes took effect in January.

Chad Morrison, executive director of the Mountaineer Food Bank, says the changes will discourage people from applying for SNAP and the burden of supplying additional hunger relief would subsequently fall on food banks.

The Department of Health and Human Resources says there are fewer than 7,000 recipients who are most at risk of losing benefits.