Article Photos

Fact Box

Area Food Pantries

OHIO

* Belpre Food Pantry, 2300 Washington Blvd., Belpre; (740) 423-2069.

* Beverly/Waterford Food Pantry, P.O. Box 7, Beverly; (740) 984-2807.

* New Matamoras Food Pantry, P.O. Box 205, New Matamoras; (740) 865-2990.

* L.A.M.B. Food Pantry and Thrift Shop, 309 Walnut St., Lowell.

* Marietta Church of God Food Pantry, 501 Colegate Drive, Marietta; (740) 373-4219.

* Community Food Pantry, 318 Front St., Marietta; (740) 373-5741.

* Newport Food Pantry, P.O. Box 145, Newport; (740) 473-2900.

* Tri-County Food Pantry, 1040 Paw Creek Road, Lower Salem; (740) 585-2143.

* Western Washington County Food Pantry, P.O. Box 151, Vincent; (740) 678-1065 or 678-2189.

WEST VIRGINIA

(Wood County)

* Salvation Army, 534 Fifth St., 485-4529

* Old Man Rivers, 703 Pike St., 428-6677

* North Parkersburg Baptist Church, 3109 Emerson Ave., 428-3293

* Christian Community Cupboard, Washington, 863-6082

* Christ United Methodist Food Pantry, 715 16th St., 422-3016

* Calvary Memorial Food Pantry, W.Va. 2, Box 6, 422-1772

* 19th Street Church of God, 505 19th St., 428-5625

* Baptist Temple Church Food Pantry, 1825 Park Ave., 428-4694

Hot Meals Served Here

* Extreme Encounter Ministries, 517 Market St., 485-7736

* First United Methodist, 1001 Juliana St., 428-0111

* St. Paul's United Methodist, 219 11th St., 422-2552

* Grace Gospel, 6239 Pike St., 489-1209

* Salvation Army, 534 Fifth St., 485-0669

* North Parkersburg Baptist, 3109 Emerson Ave., 428-3293

* Trinity Episcopal, 430 Juliana St., 422-3362

* St. Francis Xavier Parish Hall, 609 Market St., 488-6786

* Crossroads United Methodist, 7390 Old St. Marys Pike, Waverly, 304-464-4430

* Zion Baptist, Eighth and Clay streets, 422-0091

* Old Man Rivers, 703 Pike St., 428-6677

* Stephens United Methodist, 805 Liberty St., 428-1574

* South Parkersburg United Methodist, 1813 Rayon Drive, 428-1195

* Lubeck United Methodist, 2406 10th Ave., 863-6082

* Bethany United Methodist, 900 Lynn St., 679-3761

* Beechwood Presbyterian, 703 30th St., 422-6067

PARKERSBURG - Volunteers and donations keep area soup kitchens and food pantries up and running during the busy winter months.

Pat Riffle, director of Old Man Rivers Mission on Pike Street, said she has seen an increase in the homeless population who get meals from the mission's truck on Saturdays and Sundays.

"We're busy all the time, but now that it's getting colder, we're seeing more homeless," Riffle said. "But the number of meals we deliver is pretty consistent."

Old Man Rivers Mission serves meals out of a truck near Point Park on Saturdays and Sundays, and its food pantry is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from noon-4 p.m. There are no income requirements, and the food pantry is open to everyone, Riffle said.

While there has been an increase of homeless being served, Riffle said there has also been an increase in donations to the food pantry.

"God supplies the need as the need arrives," she said. "We've had enough food to serve well around 350 people every Saturday and Sunday and deliver about 200 meals to the elderly on the weekends."

Riffle said she's seen more young adults in their late teens and early 20s coming in for hot meals.

"Everything we do, we do with volunteers, from food donations to serving people meals," she said.

Norman Flinn, a lodge monitor at the Salvation Army on Fifth Street, said the Salvation Army receives donations from schools, local organizations, community members and churches. The food pantry is at the main building and the soup kitchen is behind the thrift store on Fifth Street.

"This is a busy time for us," Flinn said. "I would say the last two weeks of every month we see more people coming in for hot meals. That's the time when food stamps and paychecks start to run low."

Flinn said the soup kitchen gets an average of 35 people every night for dinner, with around eight volunteers who serve food every week.

"It varies from night to night, but last week we had an evening where there were 52 people and no volunteers except for myself. We just can't get by without volunteers," he said.

Beverly Burke, coordinator of the Zion Baptist Church soup kitchen, said food donations have been running low in recent months.

"Every Friday we get around 50 people for the lunch meal," she said. "But we absolutely need food donations. Most of our food donations come from the volunteers who serve food for the Friday meal, and not a whole lot from the public."

Mister Bee Potato Chips in Parkersburg donates food to the Zion Baptist soup kitchen every month, said Burke.

North Parkersburg Baptist Church on Emerson Avenue operates a food pantry and sponsors the Friendship Kitchen.

"We serve a full-course meal to about 200 people three days a week," said Susie Meredith, Friendship Kitchen coordinator.

"We've been busy for a while, but because of the economic hardships, it's really picked up around here."

The church's food pantry is available to those who live in the neighborhood and meet certain income requirements.

"Based on how many people are in a family, we give them a certain amount of food and other items," she said. "We get most of our food items from our church members and local businesses."

North Parkersburg Baptist Church will host a Christmas lunch on Dec. 19, offering a full-course turkey meal and fellowship to all who attend, Meredith said.