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Mountaineer Food Bank amps up services to feeding programs

In areas with high concentration of federal employees

GASSAWAY — Mountaineer Food Bank is sending extra food to Parkersburg and Glenville in light of the federal government shutdown.

Feeding programs at First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg and CRI in Gilmer County were to receive extra food on Thursday or today, a representative with Mountaineer Food Bank in Braxton County said.

These two locations in the Mid-Ohio Valley, along with six others across the state, were selected to receive extra food because of the number of federal employees in those areas, said Becky Conrad, director of development at Mountaineer Food Bank.

Also, the sites can house excess amounts of food and are willing to assist with this need, officials said.

Contact Susie McNemar at 304-295-5399 for feeding program hours at First Lutheran Church and Jenna Mims at 304-462-8698 for feeding program hours in Glenville, said Conrad.

The food bank will be assessing daily the member agencies needing extra food during the federal government shutdown, she said. Updates on locations receiving extra food will be posted at mountaineerfoodbank.org.

Some food pantries are experiencing food shortages anyway and the government shutdown is making the situation worse, Conrad said.

Mountaineer Food Bank will be working with member feeding programs to accommodate the influx of services being provided to those impacted by the government shutdown.

The doors at Mountaineer Food Bank are open and those in need are welcome to come to the facility Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

“It is anticipated that the longer the shutdown continues, the more agencies we will be adding to this list. Currently we are focusing on the increased need of the employees not receiving a paycheck,” Conrad said.

“Unfortunately if the government doesn’t reopen, those who receive SNAP benefits will be an added to our radar and after that it starts to affect our grocers and other businesses. Mountaineer Food Bank will continue to work to provide the food necessary to ensure all West Virginians affected have access to food,” said Conrad.

Mountaineer Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that serves 48 counties in West Virginia. The network consists of over 400 feeding programs, including soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, senior programs and Backpack Program.

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