The Town of Davis Council unanimously voted on April 12 to give $10,000 to the Blackwater Ministerial Association. The funds will support the purchase of property and the building of a permanent and independent food pantry to serve the residents in the area.
“We are very thankful and appreciative of Mayor Al Tomson and the Town of Davis Council members for this generous donation,” said Veronica Staron, director of the Blackwater Ministerial Association Food Pantry. “Once completed, the planned construction project will allow us to serve better individuals and families who are food insecure now and those who will be in the future.”
The food pantry is currently located in St. John’s Lutheran Church (The Big Green Church), the corner of 3rd Street and Blackwater Avenue in Davis. The organization serves 80 to 90 households a month, which has steadily increased over the past year.
“We have seen a steady increase in the number of people needing and asking for food assistance each month,” Staron said. “The food pantry relies on grants and donations to keep up with the rising demand in the community. Our generous donors allow us to serve each needy individual or family.”
Donations to the food pantry in Davis can be made out to Blackwater Ministerial Association and mailed to Treasurer Cathy Thomas, P.O. Box 58, Davis, WV 26260.
The Blackwater Ministerial Association Food Pantry gets its food in multiple ways, including buying it themselves, Mountaineer Food Bank, and collections from individuals, groups, and churches. The volunteers plan and source the items for the distributions six months to a year ahead of time.
The food pantry relies heavily on volunteers for its monthly food distribution day, the first Wednesday of each month starting at 1 p.m. The volunteers prepare and fill the bags for distribution on the first Tuesday of the month from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
“We always need volunteers to help and welcome anyone who wants to donate time,” Staron said. “If it weren’t for the volunteers and the people in the community donating, we wouldn’t be able to serve families in our area.”