Nonprofits provide fresh food to people in need | Journal-news
March 10, 2023
Organizations that are dedicated to helping feed people in the community are participating in the Unity Campaign to help provide fresh produce and healthy food for those in need.
Jefferson County Meals on Wheels helps people who can’t provide for themselves. It has 12 volunteers, who cover all the routes and check up on clients every day.
“It’s just a good thing to do,” said Roger Dailey, from Jefferson County Meals on Wheels. “You get those warm and fuzzy feelings after helping people. It just feels good to help others in need.”
The organization asks for a $5 donation from its clients, but many of them aren’t able to afford it. Each meal costs $10 to prepare and deliver to clients. Clients pay what they can, and the organization covers the rest through grants and donations.
The Unity Campaign gives the organization the opportunity to raise money for food, so its clients don’t have to worry about their next meal.
“It helps us show the public what we do,” Dailey said. “We don’t have a PR person. Normally, we just do what we do.”
Berkeley County Meals on Wheels helps serve 52,000 meals throughout the county and is planning to work with local farms and the Kitchen Farm Market to use fresh vegetables and fruit in its meals.
“We have been around for 52 years, but this will be our first time using completely fresh products,” said Dianne Waldron, director of Berkeley County Meals on Wheels. “We want our clients to get the best possible food for their health. The money we get throughout the Unity Campaign will go toward getting fresh produce.
“Folks rely on our daily visits,” Waldron added. “To them, we are a lifeline. We help give them peace of mind one meal at a time.”
Faith Feeding Freedom began in the fall of 2018 to help feed those in need in Martinsburg. It started in the Martinsburg Public Library but moved to Truist Bank to help feed people every Friday. It also provides clothing to help people survive the winter, backpacks and children’s clothes as they prepare for school and women’s hygiene products during its Women’s Health and Self Care Day.
“It’s a real blessing,” said Toni Wiesberg, president of Faith Feeding Freedom. “Every time, there are people waiting to get their meal. We are blessed to have the team we have.”
One of the organization’s biggest concerns is helping people stay warm. Wiesberg hopes to work together with the churches in the area in the future to form a shelter for people during the winter months to keep them from freezing.
Berkeley County Congregational Cooperative Action Project, Inc. (CCAP) began in 1982 with 16 churches that thought the best way to help support the community and reach their needs was to work together to provide for their needs. Since then, the organization has grown and gotten more support from churches and other people within the community.
Recently, CCAP outgrew its location at St. Joseph Catholic Church and decided to move.
“We were at St. Joe’s for 20 years,” said Cathy Ruley, webmaster and board member. “They allowed us to use their space in the basement, but we started to outgrow the space. People had to wait outside in their cars, because our space was so limited. We were able to move to Otterbein United Methodist Church, which has allowed us to process clients better.”
CCAP partners with Orr’s Food Market to help give its clients fresh food, eggs and milk. In addition to giving food, it also helps people with rent, electricity, water, prescriptions and transportation as people are looking for a job.
“When money gets tight, people go to the grocery store and can’t afford fresh, healthy food,” Ruley said. “They just get whatever can fill their bellies. We are proud to provide our clients with fresh food.”
CCAP is always looking for volunteers and drivers to help transport food. Clients often come back to help serve others once they become independent, as they see first hand the impact CCAP can have on someone’s life.