Sep. 5--GASSAWAY, W.Va. -- Last year, donations at food banks across the nation, including the Mountaineer Food Bank, declined sharply as the economy turned bad.

This year, the Braxton County food bank has worked harder to bring in donations, which are at their highest point -- but so is the demand.

"Even with it coming in, it's not like we have a surplus," said Cheryl Carder, the food bank's assistant director. "We've always put a lot out, but it's become harder with the demand."

The food bank, which serves 533 food distribution agencies in 48 counties, saw almost a 5 million pound drop in donations, said Carla Nardella, executive director of the food bank.

To stay ahead of the demand, the food bank has revamped its donation sources and has teamed up with several large grocery chains and private food drives.

"This is new territory," Nardella said. "We had been more reactive than proactive."

Every day the food bank has three to five trucks on the road, picking up produce and dropping it off at distribution sites across the state.

Through Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization, the food bank has paired up with Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Kroger and Food Lion to take on their extra food.

This month, the food bank also has paired up with the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council for a statewide food drive that will culminate on Sept. 11, a day that President Obama has named a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Businesses and individual participants can drop off canned and dried goods at collection sites at multiple locations, including Kroger, Wal-Mart, Weis Markets, and AT&T stores.

It's a chance for businesses and organizations to promote community service at their own pace and convenience, said Emily Schoen of Volunteer West Virginia.

Schoen said canned and dried goods are recommended, including cereals, rice, pastas and boxed dinners, in addition to personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies.

"I just love it," Nardella said. "It's the local businesses supporting the needs of the local people."

She hopes the food drive will become an annual event, and it will bring in enough food to sustain the food bank into the holiday season.

The food bank's pairing with large grocery chains has helped keep the food bank ahead of the demand.

"When we started in June 2008, we started with the five Sam's stores ... now we are picking up from five Sam's, 29 Wal-Marts and 34 Kroger stores," Nardella said. "It has just gradually grown."

"It's good stuff," said Shea Lytle, an inventory and preparation employee with the food bank. "Some of it, we can't really even afford."

Apples, coffee creamer, broccoli, orange juice, eggs, yogurt and cheese among a variety of meats, vegetables, produce and other items all come into the food bank every day.

Once in the warehouse, volunteers and employees sort through the donated food and put them in 25-pound boxes to be sent out to different agencies, who have placed orders with the food bank.

"We're grabbing at every source we can come up with," Carder said.

Carder expects this year will be one of the bank's busiest, both in distribution and donations. "People have actually stepped up to the plate," she said.

In the past, the food banks have been mostly associated with the homeless and soup kitchens. But today, with the current economy, it's the working public who are just scraping by and are need of help, Carder said.

"Because of the economy and the attention it's gotten, people are more aware [of the need]," she said.

Reach Veronica Nett at veronican@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5113.

-----

To see more of The Charleston Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wvgazette.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NYSE:WMT, NYSE:KR, NYSE:WMK, NYSE:T,

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.