West Virginia Wild & Wonderful & Hunger Free

West Virginia suffers from a poverty rate of 17.9%, five points higher than the national average. Thirty-one counties are classified as either At- Risk or Distressed. These counties rank in the worst 25% of the nation’s counties according to economic status indicators. Poverty is the #1 influence on food security and hunger.

Many families struggle to access healthy, nutritious foods. These families live day to day, and often have to make a choice between healthy foods and living expenses. Hunger and Food Insecurity Exist Right Here in West Virginia people will visit a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other feeding program in These people may be your neighbors, friends, or family members. 1 in 8

Mountaineer Food Bank is a non-profit hunger relief organization that partners with over 400 agencies in a 48 county service area to provide emergency food services to income residents in need.

Our mission is to continue to develop and maintain a hunger relief network for food acquisition, storage, distribution, and usage in West Virginia. Mountaineer Food Bank receives food from retailers, corporations, manufacturers, and food processors. We also distribute USDA commodities from the TEFAP program (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) in West Virginia. Donations come from local and statewide food drives, the Hunter’s Helping the Hungry program, and Feeding America donations. Our Mission

Feeding America is a national hunger relief organization that networks food banks and donors. As a member we have access to donations from manufacturers such as Kraft Foods, Kellogg, Tyson Foods, Del Monte and many others. Mountaineer Food Bank is part of the store donation program. Through this program we receive donations from Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Kroger, and Target stores in West Virginia. In total, our trucks visit 74 retail stores for 141 weekly pickups

Inside Mountaineer Food Bank Our warehouse is located in Gassaway, WV, centrally located in Braxton County. Our warehouse includes 20,000 sq. ft. of dry storage, 39,000 cu. ft. of freezers, and 15,000 cu. ft. of refrigerators. All donations are brought in, weighed, sorted, packaged and then distributed to feeding programs. On an average day, our employees receive, process or distribute 150,000 lbs. of product inside the warehouse.

Feeding Programs Where does the food go?  Food Pantries  Soup Kitchens  Emergency Shelters  Back Pack Programs  Senior Centers  VOAD (Disaster Relief)  After School Programs

Mountaineer Food Bank supports over 400 feeding programs in West Virginia These feed over 260,000 people each month. Programs order food from the MFB website or our direct order line. We delivery the food to each county to reduce program expenses and time through our distribution network. Our trucks are on the road 4 days a week with an average load of 41,000 lbs. In 2008, the average load was 26,000.

Back Pack Program The Back Pack Program was implemented in order to meet the needs of children when food resources are not available. This program provides children with healthy, easy to consume foods that can be taken home on the weekends. Many groups are finding that this program helps younger siblings at home, as well as the child in school. There are currently 13 programs in eleven counties.

Fresh Produce/Dairy Initiative This program focuses on distributing healthy, nutritious foods such as fresh produce, fruits, dairy products and whole grain breads through feeding programs. Low income families, single parents, and the elderly have a difficult time accessing nutritious foods. Studies have shown that insufficient diets of nutritious foods can lead to health problems and learning disabilities in children.

How You Can Be Involved Advocate for the Food Bank Become a Donor Volunteer at the Food Bank Volunteer at a food drive Stay Informed about hunger in West Virginia