Contact: Carla Nardella, Executive Director
(304) 364-5518
Email: Carla@mountaineerfoodbank.com
Stephanie Randolph (304) 644-6001
edensacres@yahoo.com
There is
One Issue All West Virginians Agree On;
Hunger In Our Community Is Unacceptable
This is not politics as
usual. Gubernatorial candidates Joe Manchin and Monty Warner joined
forces with Mountaineer Food Bank to take part in National Hunger
Awareness Day. Mr.
Manchin and Mr. Warner both participated in a “hunger strike” while
each met with representatives of the Mountaineer Food Bank to find
out how they, if elected governor, could help further the Food Banks
mission to alleviate hunger in West Virginia. Both candidates know all
too well that while today, National Hunger Awareness Day, is an
opportunity for them to learn about the issues surrounding hungry,
for far too many people, it is a reality of everyday life. National Hunger Awareness
Day is an opportunity for the candidates and general public to come
together on the issue of hunger, which is a reality of everyday life
for far too many West Virginians.
With gas prices
rising and the slow growth of the economy many more families are now
in need of help.
Working people are having to choose between eating supper and
filling up their gas tank so that they can get to work, to bring
home a paycheck next week.
Mountaineer Food Bank, your America’s Second Harvest
affiliate, provides foods and other products to more than 260,000
individuals monthly in 48 counties in West Virginia counties.
Through a network of 464 feeding program Mountaineer Food Bank
distributes more than 5.6 million pounds of food and other products
to help families and individuals fill in the gaps during hard
times.
To
help bring a face and picture to the real struggles in West
Virginia, Warner met with Bryon Minor, President of Mountaineer Food
Banks Board of Directors at Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center
in Wheeling. Together
they toured the facility that operates both a soup kitchen and a
food pantry. The
Neighborhood Center serves 500 families every month. Mr. Manchin, along with
Carla Nardella, Executive Director of Mountaineer Food Bank and Vice
President Marshall Snedegar, will met at Manna Meal Inc in
Charleston. Manna Meal
is a soup kitchen that serves two meals a day helping 12,000 people
every month. These two
facilities are representative of the hard work and dedication of the
464 feeding programs that work with Mountaineer Food Bank throughout
the State of West Virginia.
Carla Nardella is
anxious to meet with Secretary Manchin to reiterate to him that “this work is not about
politics it is about people, hungry people. Everyone has the
opportunity to join in the effort to fight hunger in our state.
Every day supporters
unite against hunger in each of the 464 feeding programs being
served by Mountaineer Food Bank while other supporters participate
in food drives. And yet
other supporters make financial contributions by being a caring
donor. As you are also
aware it takes the combined efforts of all these resources to bring
these services to help the hungry people of West Virginia. Many people already
participate in local food drives, some volunteer at soup kitchens
and food pantry’s, and many people around the state have supported
Mountaineer Food Bank by becoming caring donors. With these combined
resources with every $1.00 donated to Mountaineer Food Bank
$14.64 worth of food is distributed to hungry families. Now more
than ever Mountaineer Food Bank needs the financial contributions to
meet the rising number of people in need in each of the 48 West
Virginia counties.” demands in our community.”
“Economic Development
is important to the State of West Virginia, but even our best
workers employees would have a hard time meeting the
demands on the job while shouldering the worry of empty cupboards
and refrigerator when the work day is done and they return
home.” when
there is no food at home”, shared is the message that
Bryon Minor will relaying to Mr. Warner. This should be an
educating experience
for both candidates to learn learned more about
Mountaineer Food Bank’s role as an America’s Second Harvest
affiliate, in their efforts to collect and distribute
donations from processors, manufacturers, and retailers
around the state and nationally., distributing of America’s Second Harvest,
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP or USDA Commodities),
and coordinating the Hunters Helping the Hungry are a few
of the sources providing food and other products for distribution by
Mountaineer Food Bank. program with the WV Department of
Natural Resources. Mountaineer Food Bank has a
state-of-the-art on line ordering system that enables them to
quickly move perishable donations from the warehouse to feeding
programs and their clients around the State.
Conversations with
both candidates focused on how they, as governor, can help maximize
the effectiveness of federal feeding programs such as TEFAP/USDA
Commodities, increase donation incentives for local processors,
manufactures and retailers, and encourage statewide participation to
alleviate hunger in West Virginia.
For
some Hunger Awareness Day is a reminder that there are people
struggling in our community; for others it is a daily reminder that
they are just working hard to get by. Everyone can participate in
Hunger Awareness Day, on June 3rd or any day of the year
by joining Mountaineer Food Bank in the fight to end hunger in West
Virginia. Hunger
in the
land of opportunity and the land of plenty is unacceptable. For more
information on Mountaineer Food Bank and how you can help, visit www.mountaineerfoodbank.com or call
304-364-5518.
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