Commissioners in Greenbrier County proclaim September as Hunger Action Month

By Angela McGill

The Greenbrier County Commission signed a proclamation supported by our local food banks designating the month of September as Hunger Action Month. Commissioners Lowell Rose, Michael McClung, and Tammy Shifflet-Tincher unaminously approved the proclamation. 

It reads:

“Hunger and poverty are issues of vital concern in West Virginia, where over 14 percent of people struggle with hunger and one in every five children do not know where their next meal will come from; Whereas, the state of West Virginia is committed to taking steps to combat hunger in every part of our community and provide additional resources that those in West Virginia need; Whereas the state of West Virginia is committed to Mountaineer Food Bank, a member of the nationwide food banks, about the role and importance of food banks in addressing hunger and addressing awareness of the need for more resources and attention to hunger issues. 

More than 250,000 individuals in West Virginia rely on food provided by the members of the Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger Food Bank annually. The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating health and economic impacts across the country and is projected that 71,686 more people could face more hunger in West Virginia in the wake of the pandemic this year. The members of the Mountaineer Food Bank distributed more than 29 million pounds of food to 48 counties in 2020 through this network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community organizations. 

The month of September has been designated Hunger Action Month in order to bring attention to food insecurity in our communities and to engage the public in action, including volunteer-ship, social media shares, donations, and helping one [person] at a time. 

Across the country, as well as members of Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger food banks will have numerous ways to take action throughout the month of September to bring awareness and help with hunger in our community.

Therefore we, the Greenbrier County Commission, do hereby recognize the month of Sept. 2021, as Hunger Action Month, and we call this to the attention of our citizens.”

Commissioner Shifflett-Tincher said, “I would like to thank all of our local food banks our volunteers that put a tremendous amount of time and energy into making sure that food is available.”