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News Report, Program Updates

Dates set for 2026 UFO food drive and distribution

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The dates are set for the winter 2026 United Food Operation (UFO) food drive and distributions, reports Elaine Harris, UFO Chairperson.

“We are excited to be opening our warehouse for the program kick off on January 16, 2026, at 11:00 A.M.” said Harris.

The 2026 UFO Food Drive will begin January 16 and conclude on April 4, 2026. She also noted that UFO will again participate in the National Letter Carriers Food Drive, happening on May 9. More information will follow.

UFO will be marking its 45th year of purchasing and collecting donated food and distributing it through a network of participating Food Pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties. UFO’s distribution center warehouse is located in the Altivia Institute Industrial Park.

Those wishing to set up food collection barrels at their workplaces this winter or anyone interested in volunteering for a two-hour work shift at the warehouse on distribution Thursday-Fridays should contact UFO by phone at 304-342-2023 or email at eharris@cwa-union.org

United Food Operation is joint effort of labor unions and employers in the Kanawha Valley working to fight food insecurity.

News Report, Program Updates

Letter carriers, volunteers produce results

Donated food poured into the main Charleston Post Office on Saturday, May 11, as letter carriers and volunteers unloaded the mail delivery vehicles.

United Food Operation (UFO) leader, Elaine Harris, was thankful for the generosity of Charleston area residents.

“The community always steps up to the plate each year for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive,” she said. “And our letter carriers, these men and women work so hard on this effort every year. We truly appreciate their work to collect all this donated food from across the region.”

Harris recognized the hard work of members of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 531. She noted that many of the letter carriers stayed after their shifts ended, helping pack up the food so it could be trucked over to the United Food Operation warehouse for sorting.

“The donated food collected will help provide needed nutrition to many families around Kanawha and Putnam counties. It’s always a pleasure working with the letter carrier food drive leaders, RD Henson and Troy Lahue, on this annual program.”

Beyond NALC members, volunteers from around the areaalso came out to help process the donated foods.

Some of the volunteers included Kanawha County Judges Jennifer Bailey and Lera VanMeter, along with Curt Zickefoose, Lora Walker. and Circuit Court judge candidate Rich Lindsay,

Harris says another group that turns out year after year to help unload food are Charleston Firefighters from IAFF Local 317. They were back in force this year.

As they have for many years, members of the West Virginia Army National Guard used their trucks to help bring in food from remote postal centers and they also delivered the food from the main post office over to the UFO warehouse.

UFO-affiliated food pantry representatives also came out to help. They included Jodie Breitkreutz from Covenant House Charleston and Ted Dues with Enact. Also helping out was Larry Stanley, retired NALC.

UFO board members were out working too. Kay Moffatt helped out at the post office, while Joe Gresham was stationed at the Institute warehouse to receive the trucks delivering food there.

In coming days, the foods will be sorted and then shipped out to the ten UFO-affiliated local food pantries.

Program Updates

UFO gears up for 2023 Letter Carriers food drive

United Food Operation of West Virginia (UFO) has begun preparations for the National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive, which occurs on Saturday, May 13.

UFO and the Letter Carriers are asking postal patrons in the Charleston WV region to fill a grocery bag with non-perishable foods and place it next to their mailbox that morning.

Letter carriers will collect the food as they deliver mail that day. United States Postal Service workers will then deliver the food to central post office facilities, where is is consolidated and then trucked to the United Food Operation warehouse in Institute, WV. Once at the UFO warehouse, the foods are sorted and organized into allotments for participating food pantries.

On Tuesday, May 16, trucks from UFO-affiliated food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties will pick up the food and take it to their locations, where it is added to the stocks of food available to families in the communities they serve.

Volunteers needed May 13

Volunteers unloading donated food at a past NALC food drive in Charleston, WV

On Saturday, May 13, volunteers are needed between the hours of 2:30 and 6:30 P.M. at the Main Post Office building in downtown Charleston. The volunteers assist with unloading food from the postal vehicles and consolidating it onto trailers so it can be hauled to the UFO warehouse. Food and soft drinks will be provided to volunteers helping at the at the main Post Office loading dock.

To get details about volunteering, please call 304-342-2023 or email UFO and say you would like to assist the Letter Carriers Food Drive. Any questions you have can be answered on the telephone. Alternatively, you can just show up on the afternoon of May 13 at the downtown Charleston post office loading dock off Washington Street, and the organizers will put you to work.

Food pantries meet with UFO

United Food Operation meeting at Covestro

Representatives from UFO-affiliated food pantries in Kanawha and Putnam counties met recently with UFO officials to organize for the upcoming Letter Carriers food drive. The meeting, held at the Covestro conference room in South Charleston, was designed to help everyone prepare for the receipt of food from the collection. The Letter Carriers food drive here is among the most significant single-day events of its type in the state.

Since 1981, UFO has worked to provide food to needy families in the Kanawha Valley region. Anyone wishing to donate to money to the all-volunteer United Food Operation efforts may send a check of any amount to P.O. Box 20441, Charleston, WV 25362. Donations go to purchase food that is distributed to participating food pantries. United Food Operation, Inc. is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Program Updates

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.