MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — An 18-month food box program in Morgantown provided more than 1,500 households with food during the period.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” grant writer with the city, Robyn Hess, said there was an opportunity to apply for unspent coronavirus relief funds through the state Community Development Block Grant program Community Advancement and Development (WV CAD) division of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. They decided to request $500,000 and were awarded the full amount.
“It was really exciting when we got it,” Hess said. “What it involved was working with a couple of nonprofits in town that distribute food boxes and this type of thing.”
The residents receiving the food boxes had to live in Morgantown and answer other demographic questions. The demographic information is part of the federal government data collection portion of the program.
“People had to live in the Morgantown area, and they also had to fill out a form that said it was COVID-19-related. Are they disabled, and are they seniors?” Hess said.
The program to fight food insecurity launched in June of 2023 and ran through May of 2024. The program distributed 5,626 food boxes, while Senior Monongalians, Inc. delivered an additional 2,234 boxes. The final numbers in the program show Meals on Wheels delivered 14,546 meals to homebound residents through the program.
“Twice a month we did it, and then for Meals on Wheels we paid for the preparation of the food to send out,” Hess said.
The food boxes contained a selection of shelf-stable and ready-to-eat items, canned goods, and fresh produce, and included fruits, vegetables, eggs, and other food items when available from the Mountaineer Food Bank.
“People were so excited about getting it, and a couple thanked us and told us they didn’t know where their next meal was coming from,” Hess said.
The work was a team effort between the city of Morgantown, Salvation Army, Senior Monongalians, Inc., Mountaineer Food Bank, and Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels.