PARSONS, W.Va. — A private foundation gift in Tucker County is expected to ease food insecurity issues.
A gift of $50,000 from the Augusta Family Foundation, announced Tuesday, will be split between the Tucker County Family Resource Network (FRN) and the Blackwater Ministerial Association.
Tucker County Family Resource Network Executive Director April Miller said things were being stretched due to expanding needs and they were glad to have the extra support.
“We’re determined to serve the families, and we will serve them however we can,” Miller said. “This generous donation will really help us serve the community, and we’re glad to partner with them.”
The donation will not only ease the challenges at the dinner table for families, but it will also help local businesses in light of the suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) disbursements. Miller said they are beginning to have trouble finding some items, but they hope to be able to purchase fewer processed food options with this donation.
“We’re actually working with Shop’N’Save in Parsons and Davis; we’re going to try to order as much food as we can locally,” Miller said. “Because I know the SNAP issue not only hurts the people but also the businesses that serve a community.”
The increase in food requests began after the first part of October and has continued to inch up since that time. The increases have been felt across local distribution events with the Mountaineer Food Bank and the local Backpack Buddy program that sends food home with students on the weekends.
“We’ve seen a steady increase over the last several months,” Miller said. “Since school started, because that’s when we identify the families we’re going to be working with specifically.”
Increases reported in Tucker County are serious, yet not far away from increases felt in communities across the state.
“We also do a food distribution every other month; we just had one on Wednesday with the Mountaineer Food Bank, who’s a terrific partner too, and we doubled those numbers from the month before,” Miller said.
Food insecurity in Tucker County Schools is nearing a 100 percent increase as well, according to Miller.
“We get referrals from the school system, and last year I think we served 75 kids, and this year I think we’re serving 112 now,” Miller said.
The Augusta Family Foundation helps to meet area needs and is directed by Augusta Ann Dilley White and Augusta Julie Steinle Hotz.