Our Family Assistance Pantry is a great resource for the community. Food, clothing, shoes, household items such as bedding and dishes, book bags, hygiene items, and diapers and baby items are available at the pantry- all at no charge.

The people in McDowell County, WV face many challenges. With a median household income of less than half the national average, 45.4% of our children living in poverty, and 30% of children under the age of 18 at risk of hunger every day, there is a great need to provide extra support to our families. We live in an area that is engulfed in poverty, illiteracy, drug abuse, and poor housing. We have no Walmart or department stores in our county. We only have Dollar Stores and they have very limited clothing choices.

Our Family Pantry has become an important resource for the community. We believe that:

1. Access to nutritious food is a basic human right and everyone has the right to be free from hunger
2. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect
3. Families need community support to be successful
4. We need to increase the understanding of food security as it relates to positive health outcomes, childhood development, economic stability, and overall well-being.
5. Children grow fast and the clothes they purchase at the beginning of the year, may not fit them by the end of the year. People can visit our pantry five days a week and pick out clothing for their children.
6. We have diapers, car seats, baby walkers, and even formula on an emergency basis to ensure parents have what is needed to take care of their infants.
7. Our family boxes that we give out monthly not only have food, but also hygiene items, cleaners, and other essentials.

Because of high unemployment, lack of transportation, and a limited selection of stores that sell food or clothing in our county, our Family Pantry has become vital to serving the needs of our communities.