BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WBOY) – What started nearly a year ago with 20 meals for those in need is now between 3,700 and 5,000 meals a month for area residents in Harrison, Barbour, Webster, Lewis and Upshur counties.
“God laid it on my heart to start it, so I went and got a $200 donation,” Lisa George, the Celebrating Volunteer for January 2023, said. “I was able to fill 20 bags with one meal per bag, and then every month, it just grew from that.”
George is the Director of the Faith Tabernacle Food Outreach, part of the Faith Tabernacle Pentecostal Church Of God in Buckhannon.
“I usually do about 10 or 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday,” George said.
That’s around 50 to 60 hour weeks, making sure people in the area are not only fed but that they have other hygiene products.
“We have people come out during the day to get food, clothes,” George said. “We do food, clothing, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene. On the 4th Saturday of each month, we have our big giveaway. We also do a mobile soup kitchen every Monday in front of the Buckhannon Fire Department, where we give out free food at that time as well.”
George isn’t doing this by herself though; she cites the help of loyal volunteers to get it all done.
Of course, items like food and hygiene products cost money, so how does the outreach pay for all of these?
“95% of it is donations. We are partnered with the United Way, the Mountaineer Food Bank, and the USDA,” George said. “We get some food for free, some that we have to pay for, and the rest is strictly donations.”
For her hours of work helping people and making sure all of their needs are taken care of, Lisa George has been named our Celebrating Volunteer for the month of January, scoring a $500 donation from the Miley Legal Group for the Faith Tabernacle Food Outreach to provide more items to people who need it.
