Helpful Harvest was born out of the needs revealed by COVID-19, but food insecurity is not a new problem in Monongalia and Preston counties.
The pandemic changed the game, making it more difficult for families in need – some who were already struggling before and some who were not – to find and obtain food.
State food pantries reported a 53% increase in food requests during the pandemic alone.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust and the Milan Puskar Foundation, the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties is working to feed families even post-pandemic. The program is housed in the former hotel on Scott Avenue.
Food is dispersed from the Helpful Harvest headquarters at 20 Scott Ave., Suite D, Morgantown, with other assistance at Preston County Workshop. United Way staff, volunteers, and workshop workers give the food to area pantries and programs, which then distribute to families in need in both counties.
In addition to this work and helping to store produce in its industrial refrigerator, Preston County Workshop helped transport food through a partnership with Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Appalachian Harvest Food Hub, located in Duffield, Va., for 19 feeding programs in both counties. Along with the fresh produce purchased, that partnership also allowed United Way to receive about 500 boxes a week from them through the USDA Food Box Program during the pandemic.
The United Way purchases goods from local farms, as well as dry goods to distribute to pantries in both counties. We also distribute cleaning and baby items from Helpful Harvest to area pantries thanks to generous donations from Baby2Baby and Matthew Ministries.
The overarching goal of Helpful Harvest is to get food into the hands of those who need it most.
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If you are in need of food or want to learn more about this program, contact your nearest food pantry or email Caleb Graham-Sypolt at HelpfulHarvest@unitedwaympc.org.
Follow the Helpful Harvest Food Program on Facebook to hear about distributions and similar events in the community.
Learn more about how we work with other agencies addressing food insecurity.
