Mountaineer Food Bank depends on financial donations from organizations, individuals, foundations and corporations to support daily operation and special projects. Continuous efforts toward special functions to generate funds are on going. The daily operations function very efficiently with a small staff and a limited budget. For every $1 donated to the Food Bank $12.95 in food is distributed.

A shared maintenance fee of $ .14 per pound is paid by member agencies to help offset the costs of transportation and other warehouse expenses.

Mountaineer Food Bank pioneered the concept of Truck Distribution Drop Sites. The Food Bank has extended its potential to serve more members agencies that can reach more people by scheduling monthly truck routes. These monthly truck distribution drop site routes reach into 47 counties at the present time. The schedule is prepared well in advance for member agencies to arrange for meeting the truck to pick up their food order. This transportation service saves both money and time for the member agencies.

"Shared Food Access Line" is a toll free line that the member agencies call to access a recorded listing of inventory items. This 24 hour a day service provides a recording of the item category, item name, case weight and break down of each product available for ordering.

A listing of the inventory is mailed twice monthly to each agency and is also made available via fax upon request.

Typical member agencies are emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, low income day care centers, emergency shelters, domestic shelters, homeless shelters and senior centers. These member agencies are the Mountaineer Food Bank's primary link to the needy people of West Virginia. Because of the network of member agencies in the local communities the donated products are put to good use. Mountaineer Food Bank distributes almost 4 million pounds of foods and other products annually.

The Food Bank has a paid staff of 8 people at the present time. Other programs support the Food Bank by providing additional staff to help carry out the daily operations of receiving and distributing donated products. Over the years the Senior Volunteer Community Project, Man Power, The Governor's Summer Youth Program, Community Work Experience Program, and Joint Opportunities for Independence program have contributed staff.