Ohio County Feeding Programs Get $75,000 in Nourishment | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo Provided – Rodney Cook, left, director of agency relations for Mountaineer Food Bank, and Becky Conrad, community engagement specialist, announce that a total of $75,000 in CARES Act funds is coming to Ohio County’s feeding programs. Recipients will receive checks for $5,000 each.

WHEELING — Charitable groups serving the hungry in Ohio County now have more money to do so thanks to the Mountaineer Food Bank.

Six years ago, the Mountaineer Food Bank, located in Gassaway, West Virginia, curtailed food deliveries to local providers amid their own financial difficulties. But on Thursday, Food Bank representatives came to the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling to announce they would distribute a total of $75,000 to Ohio County agencies that feed the poor — with those selected receiving $5,000 each.

In addition to the soup kitchen, other agencies present to accept checks included Catholic Charities, the House of the Carpenter and the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple.

Becky Conrad, community engagement specialist for the Mountaineer Food Bank, explained a full list of groups receiving the money would be available at a later date.

“And you don’t have to spend the money at the Food Bank on food,” she told those present. “This is your money to use as you please to do the work for your agency…. This is for whatever you need.”

Becky Shilling-Rodocker, executive director of the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling, was especially happy to hear the money came with no restrictions, as the soup kitchen has additional expenses during the winter months.

“We still have to pay for lights, electricity, gas and water,” she explained. “We can spread it out over our operational costs, and that means a lot to us.”

Conrad explained Mountaineer Food Bank recently received $2.3 million in CARES Act funds to distribute to the state’s feeding program after its advocates were able to convince state officials “we have an emergency need within our … feeding systems in West Virginia.”

“Now we get the pleasure of going out around the state and giving you guys money,” she said. “It’s so cool, because we get to provide you food and resources a lot.”

Conrad explained she is the grant writer for Mountaineer Food Bank, which serves 48 of the 55 counties in West Virginia.

“I am always writing grants to get money to do programming and things,” she said. “It’s a huge dream of mine to be able to do a lot more of this for you guys in the future.”

According to information provided by Conrad, Mountaineer Food Bank distributed 23.3 million pounds of food to charitable providers in their network in 2021, and this accounted for about 19.4 million meals in the state.