Volunteer Mark Hardesty loads boxes of food into a car at Old Man Rivers, 703 Pike Street in Parkersburg. (Photo by Art Smith)

PARKERSBURG – On Thursday morning, volunteers and staffers at the Old Man Rivers Mission were busy cooking vegetable soup. Potatoes were being cut up and added with other vegetables into giant pans to simmer on top of a stove before 75 pounds of brisket from Sam’s Club was added to the mix.

The soup is just one piece of the complex process of feeding area residents that have food uncertainties, with the need only increasing since the federal government shutdown started a more than a month ago and paused many of the programs that people depend on to put a meal on the table.

“We have seen a large increase; we have served more than double the average number of families served,” said director Seth Franklin.

“I can’t imagine what the demand will be like if it goes on another month.”

Founded in 1988, the mission at 703 Pike St. in Parkersburg serves residents’ food needs with three primary programs.

Fresh fruit to be distributed at Old Man Rivers Mission in Parkersburg. (Photo by Art Smith)

A backpack program provides 400 school students with a Friday package of food that they can take home with snacks for the weekend.

Each week trucks are loaded up with 1,160 hot meals to be distributed to seniors and disabled people throughout Wood County. The soup being prepared Thursday was part of that meal.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do. We want to make sure to it tastes good and fills their bellies,” said manager Amy Blake.

Boxes of food are also distributed directly to 1,500 households that need them. On Friday volunteers and staffers were busy packing up canned goods, cereal, meat, vegetables and fruit for the people that would stop by all day to load them into their cars.

“The pause of the food funding has a direct impact on the neighbors who rely on charitable food organizations. It’s added demand.” said Franklin. “They are fearful they may have to go hungry.”

Peeled potatoes for vegetable soup. (Photo by Art Smith)

Old Man Rivers gets its food from a variety of sources. Much of it comes from the Mountaineer Food Bank, which helps distribute food around West Virginia provided by federal programs that are now paused because of the shutdown.

“We rely on those heavily to provide for families in need. Not only is there an increase demand, but also the uncertainty that we will receive the commodities that they normally provide. We serve the largest number of people in Wood County so we are the largest recipient of items from the Mountain Food Bank,” said Franklin.

Old Man Rivers has dipped into cash reserves to fill the gap, spending $15,000 to buy food locally since the shutdown started.

The organization also gets a lot of contributions from the community through food drives and direct donations, both in person and through their website: oldmanriversmission.org.

Area businesses contribute more than $1 million per year through in-kind donations.

Cans of foods that will be used to make meals. (Photo by Art Smith)

Denise Echart works on preparing hash brown casseroles. (Photo by Art Smith)

Amy Blake sorts plates that will be used to distribute meal on. (Photo by Art Smith)

Volunteer Fred Esker cuts up green peppers to be used in a dish that was being prepared. (Photo by Art Smith)

Hayley Waybright sorts through items donated at a food drive. (Photo by Art Smith)