Organizations and public officials meet in Monongalia County to address food insecurity crisis

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — With the level of concern about food insecurity rising just as fast as inflation rates, community members of Monongalia County are banding together in order to help one another combat it.

On Thursday, the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties hosted a community gathering for food and feeding programs and public officials to network and develop strategies to better serve clients.

The meeting was held in Morgantown with various nonprofit and community-aid-based organizations in attendance as well as Monongalia County Commission president Tom Bloom and 13th district State Senator, Mike Oliverio.

Each organization shared its mission with one another to better understand what’s possible by working together in the same community.

“We really are facing a crisis with food insecurity. We thought that COVID was our biggest crisis here, but we are now facing inflation. Prices and things they need are even more expensive, especially for our seniors who are on fixed incomes who are struggling to pay for their groceries at the store and also to eat healthy,” United Way of Monongalia and Preston County’s Community Impact Director Janett Lewis

Lewis said that the best way for people to help in this crisis is to get involved and volunteer with these organizations, as manpower is always needed.

Thursday was the inaugural meeting, but Lewis said that she hopes to hold it every quarter, if not even sooner.

Mountaineer Food Bank will be holding a mobile food drive on Saturday, April 20th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or until supplies last at the Monongalia County Board of Education at 1751 Earl Core Road in Morgantown.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.