Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Family Resource Network executive director Laura Young got a big gift in her stocking this Christmas – a $10,000 check from Dominion for the FRN Food Pantry.
Since the FRN took over the Food Pantry, originally organized by North Central Community Action, Dominion has made an annual donation to assist with pur- chasing food.
Most of the food is provided through Mountaineer Food Bank which collects donations throughout the state and delivers a truck load once a month to Pocahontas County.
“Once a month, they bring us a truckload,” Young said. “It will have between 7,000 and 12,000 pounds of food on it. It has three different orders on it: ours, the senior citizens and the food bank in Durbin.”
FRN volunteers unload the food from the truck and prepare it for families and individuals who come the next day to get the food.
The food is a great supplement to help families, but it doesn’t have a lot of protein, which is where the Dominion donation comes in handy.
“We get all kinds of baked goods, breads and things like that, but not very many fresh fruits and vegetables, and hardly any meat, so that’s what I used that Dominion grant for – pretty much all the protein,” Young said. “We have some individual donors, as well. Without them, I couldn’t do meats. Meat is expensive. Every little bit helps and it is all definitely spent on food.”
The FRN Food Pantry works with the Pocahontas Cooperative Parish to ensure that they spread the food out as much as possible.
“The parish has a pantry; they do their’s once a week,” Young said. “That’s a good thing, too. We kind of work together. On the weeks we serve, they try not to serve so we’re not double-dipping.”
The Food Pantry is open to individuals and families living on a fixed income and below the poverty line. It currently serves between 150 to 200 households or approximately 400 to 450 individuals.
Anyone interested in participating in the food pantry may contact Young at 304-799-6847.
Donations for the food pantry may be made to FRN, P.O. Box 3, Marlinton, WV 24954.
Suzanne Stewart may be contacted at sastewart@pocahontastimes.com