With more local families struggling to make ends meet, local food banks have become an important community resource. Diane Porter, director of Ironton First United Methodist Church’s Harvest for the Hungry said, “43 percent of people in Lawrence County qualify for [the Harvest for the Hungry] program.”

On Tuesday, in partnership with the Facing Hunger Food Bank in Huntington, Harvest for the Hungry will bring in a mobile food pantry to help more without exhausting the program’s resources.

“The food bank is tasked with getting so much poundage [of food] in the communities we serve,” said Porter.

 

Porter said people who attend the event will get bread, staples, canned goods and meat.

Registration for the event begins at 10:30 a.m. and Porter expects between 200-500 families to show up. They will need to show proof they are county residents.

“Word of mouth is a real good way to spread news,” she said. “I’m hoping we actually run out of food.”

Harvest for the Hungry, which Porter said is “more of a community” than an organization, provides services every other month. Porter said local food banks in the community have banded together to serve. The mobile pantry is a way to expand upon the resources normally offered through the program.

During her time with the program, Porter has seen unprecedented growth in the number of clients who come to agency for help.

“We grew faster than we planned on,” said Porter.

Although offering food to a large number of clients poses challenges, Porter said, “It’s a good struggle,” and wants to continue to help people through Harvest for the Hungry.

For more information about Harvest for the Hungry, visit them on the web at harvesforthehungry.weebly.com.