CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The uncertain economy is not making Mountaineer Food Bank's job any easier.

As if it was already a simple task to maintain supplies to hundreds of hunger-fighting programs across West Virginia.

The Braxton County organization distributes food, hygiene products and some clothing to 469 food pantries and programs in 48 of West Virginia's counties. But their food supplies are getting harder and harder to maintain, said Carla Nardella, executive director.

Last year, the amount of food Mountaineer distributed dropped by about 1.8 million pounds.

"That is a lot of food," Nardella said. "We have been working this year to try to fill up that gap."

Mountaineer Food Bank is concentrating on local food drives at schools, stores and religious organizations to compensate for receiving less food from national sources. Through a Benedum Foundation grant, they hired a food resources coordinator to promote local drives.

The food that fills the shelves at pantries usually comes from four sources. Government commodities are free, but their supplies are down, Nardella said. Pantries cannot control the kind of food that comes from the government and some of its provisions are more nutritious and filling than others.

Part of this is due to computerization. Companies are able to better track their inventories so they are not producing as much excess.

Mountaineer Food Bank also funnels food to its member organizations from the national hunger relief organization Feeding America. The individual pantries pay 14 cents a pound for the deliveries from Mountaineer and have better control over what they receive.

However, the food bank has to compete more than ever for supplies from Feeding America. These products are provided on a bidding system based on population. Because other food sources around the country are down, food distributors from more populated areas also need more from Feeding America, where they relied on their own sources in the past, Nardella said.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The uncertain economy is not making Mountaineer Food Bank's job any easier.

As if it was already a simple task to maintain supplies to hundreds of hunger-fighting programs across West Virginia.

The Braxton County organization distributes food, hygiene products and some clothing to 469 food pantries and programs in 48 of West Virginia's counties. But their food supplies are getting harder and harder to maintain, said Carla Nardella, executive director.

Last year, the amount of food Mountaineer distributed dropped by about 1.8 million pounds.

"That is a lot of food," Nardella said. "We have been working this year to try to fill up that gap."

Mountaineer Food Bank is concentrating on local food drives at schools, stores and religious organizations to compensate for receiving less food from national sources. Through a Benedum Foundation grant, they hired a food resources coordinator to promote local drives.

The food that fills the shelves at pantries usually comes from four sources. Government commodities are free, but their supplies are down, Nardella said. Pantries cannot control the kind of food that comes from the government and some of its provisions are more nutritious and filling than others.

Part of this is due to computerization. Companies are able to better track their inventories so they are not producing as much excess.

Mountaineer Food Bank also funnels food to its member organizations from the national hunger relief organization Feeding America. The individual pantries pay 14 cents a pound for the deliveries from Mountaineer and have better control over what they receive.

However, the food bank has to compete more than ever for supplies from Feeding America. These products are provided on a bidding system based on population. Because other food sources around the country are down, food distributors from more populated areas also need more from Feeding America, where they relied on their own sources in the past, Nardella said.

"If you have a food bank that has high poverty and population, they have more shares to bid on the donations," Nardella said. "We still get supplies from [Feeding America]; it's just not as much."

Besides those sources, organizations must acquire food from local drives or buy it themselves.

The amount of people needing assistance has also increased. Mountaineer's member pantries are seeing a lot of new faces this season, Nardella said.

"These people are the working poor. They are at a point where they have to decide whether to put gas in the car to get to work or to try to buy some groceries for the children," she said.

"It's really tough because those people are really trying to help themselves."

Mountaineer Food Bank hopes the increased local food drives will bring in enough to continue fulfilling its mission. Donations from the holiday giving season will also help them provide for people during the difficult summer months and the end of the year, when people are less inclined to donate.

"We're trying to be reactive and trying to make sure we have enough in our warehouse. We have enough contacts and donors, we hope not to suffer too much, but last year was a good lesson to us," Nardella said.

For more information, contact Mountaineer Food Bank at or 364-5518 or visit www.mountaineerfoodbank.com.

Reach Kellen Henry at khe...@wvgazette.com or 348-5179.