×

Antero donates to food pantries

Linda Schaad, chairman of the Knights of Columbus community meals in Marietta, discusses food insecurity with employees of Antero Resources. (Photo by Janelle Patterson)

MARIETTA — An oil and gas company with operations across the region has donated $13,000 Tuesday to food pantries and soup kitchens in Southeast Ohio.

Sixteen operations from Cambridge to Marietta received saw donations between $500 and $1,000 to go toward the purchase of food and supplies from Antero Resources.

“It’s important to invest in the communities that invest in us and this is one philanthropic area that always comes up with our employees that work in these areas,” Kevin Sills, vice president of government relations for Antero. “These local food pantries are the ones on the front lines seeing and filling the need and making every dollar stretch the farthest. They know how to leverage to serve the most people and we wanted to do our part to help with that.”

Many discussions at the company’s luncheon at the Lafayette Hotel surrounded how the funds would be used to purchase perishable foods. Often, food pantries and soup kitchens don’t get as much meat, eggs and dairy products donated.

“This will help us purchase meat and probably some other needed foods we have a harder time getting,” said Linda Schaad, chairman of the Knights of Columbus community meal held every Wednesday in Marietta.

“We always try to provide a balanced meal with fresh produce and even dessert but meat is the hardest for all of us (food pantries and meal teams) to get affordably.”

Josh Minnich, 29, said growing up in the area and working for Antero has put him in the position to help others.

“It’s important to be a part of helping the people and the community that was here before us,” he said. “And to help those that are less fortunate.”

Pastor Gary Walker of Living Water Fellowship Church near Cambridge, said in the past year he has been struck by the need of those living food insecure in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Those who are food insecure are those who don’t always know from where each meal is coming.

“This is the first church I’ve been affiliated with that has had a food pantry,” he explained. “I’m always surprised with the number of people that need help and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

For Nancy Broughton, former director of the Marietta Community Food Pantry, monetary donations like the one from Antero was a testament to how locals continuously support the pantry.

“I’ve gone into our (storage) room before and we’ve been so low that I’ll worry what we’re going to do, but then it all works out,” she said. “Though we mostly get smaller donations like $10 a week or $20 a month from individuals. And we need those just as much in our general food budget as this.”

Candy Waite, head of the Gospel Mission Food Pantry, said she is still on the look out for donations or wholesale pints of milk to send home with the schoolchildren that come to her doors in Marietta.

“But praise God for people like Doug Mallet who donated the meat from a steer from the Washington County Fair, or those hunters that donate their deer from hunting season,” she said.

***

Donation Recipients

* Robert T. Secrest Senior Center

* Living Water Fellowship

* Pleasant City Food Pantry

* Gospel Mission Food Pantry

* Marietta Community Food Pantry

* Marietta Church of God Food Pantry

* Norwood United Methodist Church

* The Daily Bread Kitchen

* Gilman United Methodist Church

* Barnesville St. Vincent DePaul Society

* GMN Caldwell Senior Nutrition

* Samaritan House

* Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio Food Pantry

* Lewisville Community Center

* Monroe County Senior Center

* Woodsfield Manna/St. Paul’s United Church of Christ

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today