Tag Archives: food pantry

News Report, Program Updates

Dupont and Dow commit support

The E.I. Dupont plant at Belle and the Dow facility at Institute Industrial Park have both committed support to United Food Operation’s (UFO) 2013 winter food distribution program.

E.I. Dupont Belle Works donates to United Food Operation
E.I. Dupont’s Pamela Valentine (2nd from right) presents a contribution to UFO chair Elaine Harris (center) to help the 2013 program.

Dupont employee Pamela Valentine, who also serves as secretary for United Food Operation, presented a check for $1,250 to the group at the 2013 campaign organization meeting on Nov. 29, 2012. Employees at the Dupont plant have been long-term supporters of the UFO effort.

Dow’s Institute facility will supply the truck and driver needed to pick up bulk pallets of food and deliver them to the distribution center each Thursday. This will be done weekly for the duration of the 2013 food distribution program.

The bulk pallets are broken down on Fridays by UFO volunteers and reorganized into pallets for each of the 13 participating food pantries. The pantries then pick up the food on Saturday  mornings.

UFO Chair Elaine Harris said the organization couldn’t be nearly as effective without the continuing support of workers and management at local facilities like Dupont and Dow.

“We thank them for all they do,” she said.

Program Updates

UFO prepares for 30th winter food distribution

United Food Operation is preparing for its 30th annual winter food distribution program, which will run from January 13 to March 31, 2012.

During this 10-week period United Food Operation will make weekly food distributions to 13 area food pantries in support of their missions to assist needy local families and individuals. The pantries are located across Kanawha and Putnam counties of West Virginia.

Support for United Food Operation comes primarily from voluntary contributions by employees at Charleston, WV-area plants, public utilities, and government facilities. It was originally organized by and continues to receive strong support from local union members in the region.

The group’s board of trustees met with representatives of the participating food pantries on November 17. They announced that the warehouse distribution center would again be supplied free of charge by Bayer Crop Science at the Institute Industrial Park in Institute, WV. Distribution will take place each Saturday morning during the program period.