Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $798,894 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. The funding is made possible through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and will support the operations of the Facing Hunger Food Bank in Huntington and the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway.
“To ensure healthier and more prosperous communities, every West Virginian should have access to quality, affordable food. Addressing food insecurity continues to be one of my top priorities, and I am pleased USDA is assisting the West Virginia Department of Agriculture in supporting the efforts of the Facing Hunger Food Bank and the Mountaineer Food Bank. The funding announced today will help these organizations provide emergency assistance for West Virginians in need, as well as strengthen food distribution infrastructure in underserved areas,” said Senator Manchin. “As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to combat food insecurity throughout the Mountain State.”
TEFAP provides funds to state agencies to address gaps in emergency food system coverage and strengthen food distribution infrastructure in underserved areas. With the resources announced today, Facing Hunger Food Bank will work to establish and support new partner agencies in remote and rural areas, in addition to increasing traditional TEFAP distributions, mobile pantry distributions and just-in-time deliveries in those areas. Mountaineer Food Bank’s project will focus on expanding local agency capacity through a competitive sub grant process, as well as identify underserved areas and prioritize projects in those areas.