Category Archives: Program Updates

Help UFO on Giving Tuesday

On November 30th, 2021, United Food Operation is participating in GivingTuesday to bring attention to the great need we have for food in the Kanawha Valley.

Local news reports say Winter 2022 heating bills are set to jump as inflation hits home. Both natural gas and electric utilities in the Kanawha Valley have had rate increases over the past year. These higher utility costs could substantially drive up home heating costs.

Higher home heating costs hit middle income families hard, but affect lower income households the most, relative to their ability to pay. This is where United Food Operation’s food distribution program helps. Providing extra food to needy families this winter, frees up more funds to pay the utility bills.

Please Donate

You can help United Food Operation with its mission by making a donation on GivingTuesday, which is November 30, 2021. Use UFO’s secure online donation platform operated by MightyCause to help bring some relief to families in need in Kanawha and Putnam counties.

Check out our Donations page to see all the ways you can help.

About GivingTuesday

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Join the movement and give – each Tuesday and every day – whether it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your local community.

It’s a simple idea:  whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give.

FundRaising continues

Because the need for food never seems to lessen in our community, United Food Operation continues to collect monetary donations during the off year time before it does its annual wintertime food distributions to Kanawha–Putnam County-area food pantries. The 2022 food distribution program is expected to begin in early January 2022.

UFO supports 12 food pantries in the region each year from January to April — the months when the need for resources is highest. By providing extra food during the winter, more resources are freed to assist with other needs, especially for helping pay home heating bills (gas/electric).

Donations needed

If you can make a small or large donation to help with food security in the Kanawha Valley, please do so now. For more information, call Elaine Harris at 304-342-2023.

Donate by check: mail to United Food Operation, PO Box 20441, Charleston, WV 25362

Donate by credit card: use MightyCause

We use the MightyCause donation service because of its ease of use and low cost. It is a great service. You can use MightyCause to securely make a donation to United Food Operation with your Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card.

Donate through United Way: You can designate United Food Operation to receive part or all of your annual United Way contribution. You must write in “United Food Operation Inc, Charleston WV” when you fill out your annual United Way campaign commitment form.

Thank you for your support

2020 winter food distribution begins

Supporters help kick off the annual United Food Operation program for 2020.

United Food Operation (UFO) kicked off its 2020 winter food drive and distribution program on Friday. The food distribution will continue through March 28.

A nice turnout of supporters showed up to see this year’s program dedicated in the honor of some key folks, without whom the program would be so much less successful.

Fred Clark, owner of IVS Hydro, was recognized for his contribution to UFO by Elaine Harris.

The individual honored this year is very familiar to food charities around the Kanawha Valley. UFO Chair Elaine Harris said Fred Clark has been so important to the program since he’s been on the Board of Directors. She said Fred works tirelessly, not only to help raise funds for UFO, but he also helps out with other food drives around the community. Fred’s nickname is “The Potato Man” due to his purchase of truckloads of potatoes that he donates to food pantries.

Communications Workers of America, Local 2001, was recognized for its outstanding work on behalf of UFO. Local 2001 Secretary Treasurer Robin Young, center, and VP Susan Adkins, right, accepted the honor on behalf of the CWA Local 2001 membership..

The organization honored this year was Communications Workers of America, Local 2001. Harris recognized Local 2001 for their annual food drives, which they do for UFO. Harris said that in a couple of recent years, when UFO funds ran short at the end of the winter, Local 2001 has come through with loads of food and funds that they raise from their workplaces. It has been a real nice shot in the arm for UFO and the 12 food pantries it serves.

Marissa Skaff, Huntington National Bank WV Region assistant vice president, presents a donation from the bank to UFO Chair Elaine Harris. Chad Prather, president of the WV Region, Huntington National Bank, and Skaff are strong supporters of groups fighting hunger in our region.

An nice donation of $2,500 was received from Huntington National Bank. Two other significant donations of in-kind services were announced at the kick-off. MH Rents donated the use of a forklift vehicle for the food drive season and SGS Petroleum Services is sending a certified forklift operator over each Friday and Saturday mornings to assist with moving pallets of food around the warehouse.

Todd Gunter, field representative for U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, reads a message of support from the senator to United Food Operation..

Messages of support were read from United States Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin. Representatives from food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties, West Virginia State University, WV AFL-CIO, local businesses, and mayors from several cities served by UFO affiliated food pantries were on hand to show their support for the program.

As they have done many times before, WQBE-97.5 conducted a live remote from the event led by announcer Jeff Jeffries.

UFO regulars gather prior to the event.
Kick-off day 2020 was a warm one this year.
All the food along this wall was donated through Dutch Miller of Charleston.
Fred Clark is interviewed by a WOWK 13 News reported.

Let’s do plenty in 2020

Winter Food Drive Kickoff set for Friday

United Food Operation (UFO) will begin its 38th year of annual wintertime food distributions this Friday, January 10 at 11:00 a.m. The kickoff ceremony takes place at UFO food distribution center in Institute, WV.

UFO Chair Elaine Harris said that Friday’s program will honor one local individual and one local organization for their outstanding support of the organization’s mission through the years. The public is invited to attend the program, which runs for approximately one hour.

UFO annually raises funds with which it purchases food that is distributed free of charge to 12 independent food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties. UFO accepts both donations of money and non-perishable foods.

Founded in 1981, United Food Operation has been fighting hunger in the Kanawha Valley with support from working men and women in local industries and government agencies and from many corporations with local operations. Each year, the program distributes food to pantries for a 12-week period in the winter and early spring, which are times of heightened need.

UFO is a totally volunteer-run nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that operates out of donated warehouse space with donated equipment. Its extremely low overhead allows virtually all of the funds it raises to go to the purchase of food.

Donations can be mailed to:

United Food Operation
P. O. Box 20441
Charleston, WV 25362

A look back at the 2019 Kickoff

Last year’s kickoff was highlighted with inspiring words from our keynote speaker United States Senator Joe Manchin. We were pleased to have a big turnout of representatives of local businesses and labor organizations.

Enjoy some photos from last year’s kickoff program.

Senator Joe Manchin addresses the United Food Operation 2019 program kickoff
The 2019 UFO annual program was dedicated in memory of Al Woody.

Thank You Dutch Miller

Dutch Miller of Charleston recently collected non-perishable food as part of a dealership promotion and donated it to United Food Operation.

John Gray of Dutch Miller-Charleston with the food they collected this month.

UFO Vice Chair Cliff Means estimated the total amount of food at 4,000 pounds. Means said this kind support from local businesses is critical to UFO’s mission. Thes food is now safely stored at the UFO warehouse and will be used in this winter’s food distributions.

dutch miller
The donated food loaded onto Cliff Means’ trailer and on its way to the UFO warehouse.

UFO supports 12 independent food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties. Dutch Miller operates Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Subaru, and Kia auto dealerships in South Charleston and Charleston.

Help needed for Food Drive, May 11

On May 11, 2019 the National Association of Letter Carriers (NACL) will be collecting food in the Kanawha Valley with their Stamp Out Hunger food drive. United Food Operation will again be partnering with the Letter Carriers to distribute the food they collect to 12 food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties.

Continue reading Help needed for Food Drive, May 11

Winter food distribution 2018 comes to end

On Saturday morning, April 7, United Food Operation completed its 12-week winter food distribution program. We will be gearing up again in May for the Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive. Watch for it on Saturday, May 12.

United Food Operation
Joe Gresham moves the final pallet of food out of the warehouse and outside to the waiting food panty truck.

 

United Food Operation
The Sissonville Food Pantry gets the final pallet of food that wraps up the UFO Winter 2018 food distribution program.

 

United Food Operation
The final cases of food are loaded into the pantry vehicle.

 

United Food Operation
The United Food Operation warehouse is now empty warehouse. All food distributed until the Letter Carriers food drive on May 12.

 

2018 winter food distributions get started

United Food Operation completed its first weekend of food distributions for 2018 with a flurry of activity. Activities began Friday and concluded on Saturday.

Volunteers from the Nitro Food Pantry load pallets.
Volunteers from the Nitro Food Pantry load pallets.

Early Friday morning, food was sorted into pantry portions with help from a crew of volunteers from the Nitro Food Pantry. Earlier in the week the food was purchased and delivered to the warehouse so it could be sorted. Donated foods are also sorted. The first week’s foods included a large amount of cans and other non-perishable food from a collection conducted by Dutch Miller Auto of South Charleston.

UFO program kicked off Friday morning

Elaine Harris, UFO chairperson United Food Operation 2018
Elaine Harris, UFO chairperson, announces the official start of the winter food distribution.

Then at 10:00 a.m., Elaine Harris, UFO’s chairperson, and a group of guests and volunteers conducted the winter kick-off ceremony at the warehouse.

United Food Operation 2018
Elaine Harris (left), connie Stewart and Cliff Means

This season’s food distribution program was dedicated in honor of Clifford Means, a longtime UFO volunteer who also serves as the group’s vice chair. In recent years, Cliff has been employed as a machinist by Bayer CropScience, Institute Plant, which is closing out its operations at the Institute Industrial Park later this year.

Connie Stewart of Bayer Crop Science and Clifford Means
Connie Stewart of Bayer CropScience announces the 2018 program dedication to Cliff Means.

Cliff’s honor was announced by Connie Stewart, a manager at Bayer CropScience. During her tenure, Stewart has also done much to assist the UFO program. Since Bayer began operating in Institute, the company has been a strong supporter of UFO. Along with Dow Chemical, Bayer was instrumental in helping UFO obtain the permanent facility it now uses as its headquarters and food distribution center.

UFO 2018
Brian Aluise of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin’s office speaks at the kick-off.

Brian Aluise, of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin’s office, congratulated the group’s efforts on behalf of the Senator. He said UFO’s efforts were greatly appreciated.

Petroleum Services Corp. & MH Rents recognized

United Food Operation 2018
Standing from left to right are Chris Shinault, Andrew Ricks, Elaine Harris and Joseph Davenport, UFO board member.

Chris Shinault and Andrew Ricks of SGS Petroleum Services Corp. were recognized for their company’s commitment to provide UFO with qualified fork lift operators for the distribution season. MH Equipment of Cross Lanes was thanked for donating the use of a nice forklift. MH Rents also donated the forklift last year.

United Food Operation 2018
Use of Hyster forklift donated by MH Equipment  (MH Rents)

Local media come out to cover event

United Food Operation 2018
Jeff Jeffries of WQBE-FM interviews Alan Rezek of the St. Albans Food Pantry. Behind them, a reporter for 13 WOWK-TV interviews Elaine Harris.

Among those attending the ceremony were many United Food Operation volunteers and food pantry workers. Members of the news media were also there to cover the event.

United Food Operation 2018
UFO and food pantries depend on their volunteers.

Pantries pick up first bunches of food

United Food Operation 2018

On Saturday morning, pantry and UFO volunteers braved the cold, snowy conditions to load up pantry vehicles with donated foods. the 2018 food distribution program was officially underway.

United Food Operation 2018

United Food Operation 2018