MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The latest WVRC Media Cares for Community event raised more than $1,000 and 4,300 pounds of food. WVRC Media and Titan Roofing organized the event due to the lingering federal government shutdown, suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and some workers going without a paycheck.

Staff from WAJR, WVAQ, and WKKW collected the items at the University Town Centre Giant Eagle Friday over a 12-hour period.

The collection event is weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday and the first of several expected in the coming weeks, according to Executive Director of Pantry Plus More and Monongalia County commissioner Tom Bloom.

“We have about six or seven weeks of real crisis to make sure the kids and families get the nourishment,” Bloom said.

While food was being collected Friday, Bloom and others staged a pop-up food distribution event in the First Ward area of Morgantown. Bloom said neighbors in the area began to prepare and serve spaghetti meals during the Friday afternoon improptu distribution event.

“Over in the First Ward two people set up an emergency distribution event and the neighbors came out and cooked over 100 meals of spaghetti as the people showed up,” Bloom said.

Bloom said as the federal government shutdown has continued, the generosity of the public has changed their distribution plans. Four more distribution events are planned—the first two announced are this Saturday, November 15, at the Morgantown Mall and Saturday, December 13, at the Mountaineer Mall.

“Because we’ve had such great donations, Pantry Plus More is planning to have four more distribution events this month for our students and clients,” Bloom said. “There are over 2,500 children living in poverty in Monongalia County.”

The spike in demand has corresponded with a rush on items that have exhausted supplies. Bloom said places like the Mountaineer Food Bank can’t meet the needs currently and are giving the money to purchase food.

“If there’s no food in the Mountaineer Food Bank, our board members are all volunteer and amazing- they have gone from Clarksburg to Washington County, Pennsylvania to find 300 items of one specific thing,” Bloom said.

Pantry Plus More and other organizations in the region continue to make calls and trips to find what they can, but Bloom fears the problem will get worse before it gets better.

“The problem is we cannot find meat, ham, or chicken,” Bloom said. “So, we’re trying to use canned meat or canned chicken.”