National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 531, will lead this years food drive in the Charleston WV region.
This year’s National Association of Letter Carriers (NACL) annual food drive will take place on Saturday, May 9. United Food Operation (UFO) will again assist the letter carriers with unloading food at the downtown Charleston postal center.
UFO needs volunteers to help at the downtown post office from 1:00 PM until around 6:00 PM.
Volunteers are needed to help out on May 9 at the downtown postal center.
NACL uses United Food Operation to distribute the donated food to food pantries around the Kanawha Valley. UFO will truck the donated food from the Charleston post office to its distribution center at the Institute Industrial Park. At the warehouse the food will be divided into portions for each of the 12 participating food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties. The pantries will then pick up the food and use it to help with their missions.
Volunteer Contact
Those wishing to volunteer should contact Nancy Grist at ngrist@cwa-union.org or may call her at 304-342-2023 no later than May 1. Volunteers should plan to work at least a two-hour shift between 1:00 and 6:00 PM on May 9. Volunteers should be able to lift boxes weighing from 15 to 25 pounds. Food and soft drinks will be provided.
Volunteers will be working in the post office loading dock area, which is entered off Washington Street E., across the street from the Best Western Charleston Plaza Hotel.
On January 9, United Food Operation, Inc. (UFO) began its 33rd season of supplying food to 12 community food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties of West Virginia.
UFO Chairwoman Elaine Harris announced the start of the group’s winter food drive at the kickoff event. This year’s food drive is dedicated in honor of Sylvia Mae Jones, who was formerly a receptionist at Bayer CropScience and a long-time supporter of UFO.
The meeting took place at Charleston’s Mountain Mission, which is one of the food pantries that benefits from the UFO program. Fund raising activity heated up fast as several donations were received from area work systems. Bayer Corp., ICL Group, and Dupont all stepped up to provide significant support for this year’s campaign.
Bayer Corp. makes a much needed donation to support United Food Operation’s 2015 food drive. Pictured are, from left, Cliff Means, UFO Vice Chairman and Bayer CropScience employee; UFO’s Elaine Harris; and Connie Stewart, QSHE Manager, Bayer CropScience, Institute plant.
United Food Operation depends on the caring and generosity of workers and companies around the Kanawha Valley to provide the funds needed to fight hunger in the region. UFO is an all volunteer operation, with no salaries, and operates out of donated warehouse space at Institute, WV.
Elaine Harris accepts a generous donation from ICL Group, (formerly known as Clearon) represented by John Kadlec, Director of Operations, South Charleston plant.
Because UFO operates with almost no overhead, all the funds it raises in the annual food drive can go toward purchasing food, which it then supplies to the community food pantries free of charge.
Dupont shows its unity with the UFO 2015 campaign by making a welcomed donation of funds. Pictured from left to right are Jim O’Connor, plant manager, Dupont Belle Works; Pam Valentine, UFO volunteer and DuPont retiree; and UFO’s Elaine Harris.
Each Saturday from January through March, food pantry vehicles arrive at the UFO warehouse located in the Institute Industrial Park, to pick up a free load of packaged foods. This food is a big help to the pantries that are often strapped to meet the large need they find in their communities.
State Senator Chris Walters (at right) attended the program kickoff to show his support for the efforts of food pantries to feed the hungry. Also pictured are UFO’s Joseph Davenport and Elaine Harris.
United Food Operation receives support from a variety of employers and individuals around Kanawha and Putnam counties. Elaine Harris emphasized that more support is needed this season in order for the group to meets its goals. Business or individuals wishing to help can contact Harris at 304-342-2023.
United Food Operation Chairperson Elaine Harris leads the discussion, as program volunteers and community food pantry representatives brainstorm on enhancing the 2015 winter food distribution program.
Many ideas were contributed as United Food Operation, Inc. (UFO) held its organization meeting for the 2015 winter food distribution season. With the treasurer’s report showing the group will begin the 2015 program season with about $8,000 less than last year, much of the discussion centered on fundraising.
“We understand money is tight, but still there are those who need our help,” said Elaine Harris, UFO chairperson as she expressed the group’s commitment to find more resources.
The organization will conduct its 33rd annual food distribution program from January 9 to March 28, 2015. The program helps 12 local food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties get through the tough winter months.
It was determined that UFO needs to raise an additional $36,000 between now and the end of March if it is to maintain the same level of support it provided food pantries last year.
Each year, United Food Operation program provides additional food to the pantries during a 12-week winter-to-spring period — a time during which many families struggle with high heating bills that cut into their food budgets. UFO provides this support to the pantries at no cost to them.
The 2015 program will again operate out of space donated by Bayer CropScience at the Institute Industrial Park.
“We really appreciate Bayer’s providing us warehouse distribution space for the upcoming year,” Harris said. “They have been so generous through the years. I don’t know where we’d be without them.”
The 2015 distribution center will be located next door to the building that has been used the past several years. The former distribution center building is scheduled for demolition as the industrial park continues to experience changes and redevelopment.
Pantry representatives and UFO volunteers discuss the upcoming United Food Operation program season, which begins January 9, 2015.
Food pantry representatives at the meeting included those from Five Loaves–Two Fish, Poca; Nitro Community Services; EnAct, Inc, which operates in Clendenin, Montgomery and Chesapeake; Christian Community Cupboard, Hurricane; Covenant House, Charleston; Mountain Mission, Charleston; Sissonville Community Food Pantry; The Salvation Army, Charleston; and St. Albans Community Food Pantry. Representatives from Heart and Hand of South Charleston were unable to attend the meeting but will also participate again this winter.
United Food Operation, Inc. is a total volunteer operation with no paid staff and operates out of donated warehouse and office space. All donations it receives from the public go to purchase food.
