Agencies need funds to fight hunger

United Way column

By Bill Baker

Have you ever stopped to consider the types of assistance that the United Way partner agencies bring to our communities? We know the money we give goes to a good cause, but seldom think of the variety of needs that we are helping to satisfy. Funds raised in the 2009-10 United Way of Southern West Virginia campaign will assist over 90,000 individuals in five southern counties. Twenty-nine agencies depend on these funds to deliver help with food, clothing, shelter, health care, counseling, protection, etc.

Agencies partnering with the United Way deliver this assistance in many different ways. All assistance offered by these agencies is critical at some time to some family or some individual.

Today I want to address one area of need that has become critical to a lot of children and families in our area. HUNGER. A recent study reported that one out of every seven children in the United States goes to bed hungry every night. If the kids are hungry, then so are their parents. Children are innocent, vulnerable and helpless and need us the most. In a country as great and compassionate as ours, no child or adult should go to bed hungry. There are at least seven of our partner agencies that believe this and concentrate on feeding our children and their families.

The United Way of Southern West Virginia has addressed this need by sponsoring a food drive in conjunction with John W. Eye’s Big Sandy Superstore last Friday, Oct. 30. More than 33,000 food items were collected to be distributed to food banks in all five southern counties. Marquee Cinemas is extending this drive by collecting nonperishable food items through the month of November. We encourage your continued support for this effort by delivering food items to Marquee Cinemas the remainder of this month. This is a great start to addressing hunger in our five counties.

However, the problem with hunger is so severe that more is needed. The demand for food has been greater this year, and our food pantries have been severely depleted. At least seven of our partner agencies have food banks that feed the hungry in our communities. Your financial donations help support these partner agencies that volunteer time and effort to feed the hungry.

A successful 2009-10 United Way of Southern West Virginia campaign is critical if our food banks are to keep up with the demand for food. Our goal this year is $350,000. Much of this money is allocated to food bank partners. Roy Shrewsbury, vice chair of the 2009-10 campaign, and I urge you to step up: Donate nonperishable food items and make a financial contribution to this campaign. Don’t let our children go to bed hungry. Let us LIVE UNITED and see that our children are fed.

— Bill Baker is executive director of the Jobs Foundation and the chair of the 2009-2010 United Way of Southern West Virginia fundraising campaign.