West Virginia Free Food Banks And Pantries
If you need short term food assistance or referrals to longer term government benefits, turn to a pantry or food bank in West Virginia. These non-profit organizations listed below by county, which may be near you, provide the needy with a number of resources. Mainly they can distribute free or low cost food and groceries to individuals and families who are facing a hardship. Below you will find information on locations, phone numbers, and the primary centers in West Virginia.
In addition to providing free or low cost food, these non-profits are a great place to turn to for other help. For example, many of them can provide people information on government assistance programs, where to turn to for items such as clothes, counseling, and they usually have referrals to local charities, churches and local assistance programs. There are also usually free Thanksgiving dinners or Christmas meals served by many of the pantries as well as soup kitchens in West Virginia.
In addition to the food banks listed below, most counties in West Virginia also provide other forms of financial assistance and aid to the low to moderate income. These are in addition to the agencies listed below. So as you work with or contact a center below, ask a staff member or volunteer for more information on assistance programs in your county in West Virginia. If needed, a phone number is at the bottom of the page for additional locations of food banks near you.
West Virginia Snap Benefits Approval Rules Proofs Required
The DHHR has to verify the provided information and interview you before determining if the household is eligible for SNAP Benefits.
Here is a list of what the DHHR may require you to bring to the interview:
Additional information and proof may be required depending upon your situation.
Applicants for SNAP benefits in West Virginia should get a response within 30 days from the date they submitted their application to the DHHR office. When start getting food stamps benefits, households must report any changes of their situation in a set period of time in order to assure their participation in the West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Under the simplified reporting option, households are required to report changes in income between certification and scheduled reporting periods when total countable income rises above 130% of the poverty level or when work hours change for ablebodied adults without dependents.
SNAP regulations require all nonexempt household members to comply with work requirements. Work requirements include registering for work, not voluntarily quitting a job, and accepting a suitable employment offer. As per federal SNAP guidelines, individuals who fail to comply with SNAP work requirements without good cause are ineligible for program benefits and disqualified from SNAP for certain periods of time, depending on how many prior instances of noncompliance there have been.
Donations Are Made To The Foodbank
Food is either donated or purchased by Facing Hunger Foodbank.
Through our vast network of member agencies, efficient food sourcing practices, and program-focused approach to expense management, we provide a great return-on-investment to our donors and community.
A $1 donation will provide 9 meals to local families.
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A Million Going To West Virginia Food Banks
2 weeks ago in Local
11/23/22
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced Tuesday that a combined total of one million dollars will be given to two food banks in the Mountain State.
Facing Hunger Food Bank and Mountaineer Food Bank will each receive a $500,000 donation and Justice said during his press conference this morning that it is the second year the state has been able to donate the funds to the foodbanks.
Mountaineer Food Bank provides food to around 450 feeding programs across 48 of the states 55 counties, including Grant, Hardy and Pendleton Counties.
Food Pantries In West Virginia
Food pantries offer food directly to people that need it and who have the means to cook it. They usually receive food from local food banks and in turn distribute it to low-income individuals and households at no cost.
Food pantries are typically located in facilities where received food can be stored and handled in a safe and sanitary manner.
Each food pantry serves a designated local area and most of them require prior registration and approval before food can be distributed to a particular individual or a family.
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School Meals In West Virginia
School meals in West Virginia are offered mainly through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
The West Virginia school meals programs make nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals available to school children each school day in the year.
School meals nutritional standards are based on the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Government and teachers have reported that students perform better in class if they get regular meals.
Children getting school breakfast also had significantly reduced absence and tardiness rates, according to a Tufts University study.
Local Food Pantries By County And City
In addition to the regional non-profits, there are dozens of other distribution centers that can be contacted. Most counties have smaller food banks or charity run soup kitchens that focus only on the residents of that region. They may offer free groceries in an emergency, serve meals to senior citizens, feed children, and offer other support. Find the main counties below, or scroll down the page for other free food pantries in West Virginia.
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Our Role In Food Security
Central WV Community Action, Inc. serves as the coordinator for local food efforts in the counties we serve. While we don’t operate a food pantry, we ensure that those in our community are connected with the food resources and emergency food assistance that our local food pantries provide.
In 2018, we launched the New Life Food Project: From Food to Freedom. This project propelled the coordinated efforts of food and food resources in Central WV. The volunteers in our community are deeply passionate about serving those in need of food. They also desire a community where families experience food security. The Food to Freedom project is the first step in making that dream a reality.
West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or the Food Stamps Program as it is known by the public, is a federal program that provides grants to the States for purpose of reducing hunger and malnutrition in all eligible households across the nation. SNAP helps provide healthy food to qualifying low-income families with children, elderly or disabled in each State of the USA, including West Virginia. Learn more about SNAP.
It is important to know that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a federal entitlement program funded by U.S. Government grants. Any U.S. Citizen, even some legal alien residents, will get free food assistance as long as they meet the SNAP eligibility guidelines. In other words, there is enough Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for every American that qualifies.
In West Virginia, the SNAP is known as West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and is administered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources . The Federal Government pays 100% of West Virginia Food Stamp Benefits with federal grants appropriated for SNAP. The SNAP federal grants also pay a share of the West Virginia SNAP administrative cost.
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Governor Presents $500000 To Two Food Banks
Gov. Jim Justice presented ceremonial checks for $500,000 each to two West Virginia food banks, including the Mountaineer Food Bank and the Facing Hunger Foodbank for the third consecutive year.
I promised this money in my State of the State address two years ago and included it in my budget again this year, Justice said.
This will be the third year that well be able to donate these funds. As long as Im here, Im going to put this in my budget. We may try in every way to increase it.
The bottom line to the whole thing is we dont need people going hungry in West Virginia. I know a lot of people step up and make all kinds of donations and everything, but at the end of the day, we dont need people hungry in West Virginia. I mean that, that is so terrible. Its off the charts.
It chokes me up to think about it, but weve got to step up. We got to really step up, and make sure that we dont have people in our state that are going hungry not just this time of year, but all times of the year. Its just so, so, so important. But thank you all in every way. God bless you. I salute you in every way and thank you for all the great work you do.
Gov. Justice, youve been a true hunger hero and continue to support the Facing Hunger Foodbank since youve been in office, and we greatly appreciate that, said Tennyson Thornberry, Facing Hunger Foodbank operations project manager.
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Is There A Food Resource System In West Virginia
Published by Think Kids on October 28, 2021October 28, 2021
Quick question: How does the health care system connect with the food resource system in West Virginia?
Do you know?
Is there even a food resource system in West Virginia?
These are important questions, and in 2020, we embarked on a journey to find out. Heres what weve learned.
Through trial and error, we realized that theres no real food access infrastructure in our state. From the federal to state level, theres a well-developed infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides food assistance via several different programs and works with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to help distribute USDA commodities in our state. In addition, it works with our states two food banks Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger Foodbank to distribute food. Both food banks are members of Feeding America, a national system of 200 food banks across the United States. It coordinates with national partners to help food banks get their food.
But once you get off the proverbial interstate, the roads to access to services like pantries, soup kitchens, and backpack programs vary widely, depending on where you are in the state. People arent aware of where these roads are. Some roads are tough to get to. And most importantly, many people live in places where the roads dont lead to a place where they can access food.
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St C Students Donate To Food Bank
CARRI GRAHAM
Staff Writer
ST CLAIRSVILLE The St. Clairsville Middle School Council is helping ensure local residents in need have food for the holiday season.
Students recently donated around 2,000 items to the St. Clairsville Food Pantry and the Wheeling Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center, which serves families in Ohio and Marshall counties in West Virginia and Belmont County in Ohio.
The school wrapped up its annual Holiday Food Drive last week. Becca Schwertfeger, a middle school teacher and student council adviser, said students spent the morning Tuesday packing up the food items into two truck loads.
Its always fun to see the kids loading up the truck feeling that sense of accomplishment, she said.
SCMS Principal Mike McKeever and school resource Officer Mike Duplaga then delivered the items to each of the nonprofits.
Schwertfeger said they surpassed their original goal of 1,600 items and nearly doubled last years collection of around 1,300 items.
They blew our goal out of the water, she said.
Council members encouraged fellow students to donate food items, and reached out to the community to support the cause as well. Schwertfeger said many residents heard about the drive and contacted her to donate. She said she met up with residents to collect donations, while others dropped off items at the school.
We are grateful for all the communitys support, she added.
Schwertfeger said the students enjoy collecting the items and supporting the local charities.
How You Can Get Involved
It takes hundreds of volunteers in our community to ensure all families have their most essential food needs met. Food pantries in our community are always looking for additional volunteers to help them fulfill their mission. There are many ways to get involved. Volunteers can assist local food pantry efforts each week or help with school backpack efforts. Please contact the Central WV Community Action office or a specific food pantry below to see how you can get involved.
Our food pantries rely heavily on food and monetary donations from the community. We couldn’t provide for those in need without your generous donations. Please see the list below for the many types of perishable, non-perishable, and monetary donations that greatly serve our community.
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Food Banks In West Virginia
Food Banks in West Virginia serve hundreds of churches and other nonprofit agencies in distributing free food to those in need. Additionally, the phone book is a good place to find local churches, synagogues, and food kitchens that may be able to help you with food and clothing needs. We have listed a few West Virginia food bank websites to help you get started, but there are more if you take the time to search for them.
We have also provided information on Nutrition Help and Nutrition and Diet for Pregnant Women. Additionally, on the website Pregnancy And Children, you will find information about Eating and Nutrition During Pregnancy as well as Being Healthy Before and During Pregnancy and Weight Gain During Pregnancy.
Justice Awards $1 Million To Two Wv Food Banks
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice awarded $1 million to two West Virginia food banks.
The governor awarded a $500,000 check to the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway and another $500,000 check to the Facing Hunger Foodbank in Huntington. The funding was approved by the state legislature in the budget deal earlier this year.
As long as I’m here, I’m going to put this in my budget, Justice said in a statement. We may try in every way to increase it. The bottom line to the whole thing is we don’t need people going hungry in West Virginia. I know a lot of people step up and make all kinds of donations and everything, but at the end of the day, we don’t need people hungry in West Virginia. I mean that that is so terrible. It’s off the charts.
Tennyson Thornberry, the operations project manager for Facing Hunger Foodbank, thanked the governor in a statement.
“You’ve entrusted resources with us to take care of our communities throughout our region, Thornberry said. We just can’t thank you enough for that. It’s making transformational changes in our community. So it’s an honor and a pleasure to be able to accept this check. On behalf of the Foodbank and those in our community, we thank you dearly.”
This is the third year in a row West Virginia provided funds to these two food banks.
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How And Where To Use The Snap Benefits
When approved, West Virginia SNAP beneficiaries will get Electronic Benefits Transfer cards The Access Card. The monetary benefits of the West Virginia SNAP are transferred into the accounts of qualified beneficiaries and are accessible through West Virginia EBT Cards. Households and individuals can use their EBT cards and spend the benefits like cash at any West Virginia grocery stores and farmers markets that are authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture to accept SNAP benefits.
Check this list of West Virginia SNAP participating stores that are authorized to take EBT cards for purchasing of SNAP-eligible food items. Eligible food items are any food to be eaten at home by people, including baby food, non-alcoholic beverages, and seasonings. Seeds and plants to grow food for your own familys consumption are also allowed to be purchased with food stamp benefits. You cannot buy non-grocery items with food stamp benefits, such as cleaning products, pet food, paper products, alcohol, or tobacco.
I Need Food Assistance Now It Is An Emergency
Some households may get Expedited Services that is getting Food Stamp Benefits within 7 calendar days if your household has less than $150 in monthly gross income and liquid resources of $100 or less or your rent/mortgage and utilities are more than your households combined monthly income and liquid resources, or a member of your household is a migrant or seasonal farm worker. In order to get expedite assistance, if you qualify for it, provide all the required information and proof as soon as possible. Call 1-800-642-8589 for more information on West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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How To Apply For Snap Benefits In West Virginia
To apply for SNAP benefits in West Virginia download and print the Application for Benefits form offered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
In addition to SNAP the same application form can be used to apply for following West Virginia programs and services:
- Health Coverage
- Emergency LIEAP
More than one assistance program in an application is a common practice by a lot of the States since most of the people in need of food stamps are likely to be in need of cash and other assistance and services.
Applicants for SNAP in State of West Virginia have the right to file an application in person, through an authorized representative, by fax, by mail, or online. The SNAP application may be submitted to any West Virginia local County DHHR Office.
When applying for SNAP, if you do not have all the information that is needed to complete the SNAP application, provide as much as you can but you must include your name, address, social security number, and your signature for the WV DHHR office to accept it. All required information and its verification can be provided later at the interview or upon request.
However, if you provide more information, it will help DHHR determine your eligibility more quickly.
If you are eligible, your SNAP Benefits will start from the date the DHHR receives your application.
The SNAP benefit amount depends on the household size and its net income that is all countable income minus all allowable deductions.