CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) — Mountaineer Food Bank and community partners raised awareness about West Virginia’s rise in hunger during the 2026 Hunger Free Day held at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 10.
Within the Capitol’s rotunda, hundreds of lawmakers and citizens engaged with organizations working on the frontlines to end food insecurity in the Mountain State.
“We know that food insecurity is hard to see,” said Chad Morrison, CEO of Mountaineer Food Bank. “For policymakers, this may mean not recognizing struggling families despite the real and growing need in our communities. We encourage members of the Legislature to learn the scope of hunger in West Virginia and to support efforts that strengthen our food assistance network. With thoughtful policy and collaboration between government, nonprofits, and local communities, we can make meaningful progress toward ending hunger in our state.”
Morrison was joined by leaders from some of Mountaineer Food Bank’s partnering agencies that distribute food directly to community members in need, including Scott’s Run Settlement House, Monongalia County, Always Blessed Connections, Braxton County, Clay Family Support Center, Clay County, Wellspring, Greenbrier County, and Step By Step, which works in several West Virginia counties.
“On our busiest days, we see neighbors who worked a full shift and still don’t have enough left for groceries. Hunger Free Day matters because it reminds people this is happening in every county, and it takes all of us working together to meet the need,” said Donna Rollyson, Pantry Director at Always Blessed Connections, Braxton County.
One in six West Virginians — nearly 280,000 people — struggle to regularly have enough food to eat, including more than 70,000 children. When kids lack regular meals, it can cause long-term harm, including cognitive delays, worsened academic performance, poor physical health and more.
Most food-insecure households include someone working full-time. Food insecurity creates real barriers to work, ranging from increased stress loads, missed shifts and chronic health conditions.
Mountaineer Food Bank is the largest food-assistance provider in the state. It supplies food to more than 460 community partners working in 48 counties with specific programs designed to serve West Virginia’s seniors, veterans and children.
