POCA, W.Va. — Reinforcements have come to help fight hunger in the state of West Virginia.
Governor Jim Justice along with representatives from the Mountaineer Food Bank and the Facing Hunger Food Bank helped cut the ribbon at a ceremony Wednesday to introduce a new Hunger Free West Virginia Cooler and Emergency Bucket at the West Virginia National Guard’s Regional Food Distribution Center at Rock Branch.
“This incredible cooler and the Emergency Bucket are going to help feed a lot of people, but it’s still not enough,” Gov. Justice said. “We can’t tolerate people in West Virginia being hungry. We have to continue fighting against hunger in our state. I can’t thank the food banks enough for the work that they’ve done.”
The governor also revealed a $10 million check that commemorates the initial funding for the newly established Posey Perry Emergency Food Bank Bucket. Posey Perry was a coal miner who volunteered at food banks for many years.
Also, a $10 million reserve account for the two food banks was established.
Both CEOs of the respective food banks thanked the governor for boosting efforts to address the issue of food scarcity.
“Gov. Justice has been our biggest fan at the Food Bank, helping us through the pandemic and combatting this hunger crisis,” Mountaineer Food Bank CEO Chad Morrison said. “We thank him so much for his continued support to make sure nobody in West Virginia goes to bed hungry.”
Facing Hunger Foodbank CEO Cyndi Kirkhart added, “His ongoing budgetary designation is something that we’ve never had before and certainly one of the reasons we’re here today with this new cooler and shared space.”
The distribution center in Rock Branch allows multiple organizations to assist in the fight against hunger statewide.