When the government shutdown halted SNAP benefits for nearly 80% of those it serves, Facing Hunger Foodbank had to act fast and get creative to fill the gap, its CEO said.
Leading the foodbank, Cyndi Kirkhart said the team at Facing Hunger serves nearly 130,000 individuals a year. Facing Hunger is equipped with the proper resources without having to supplement for the loss of SNAP benefits.
“SNAP is meant to provide support to family budgets for food,” Kirkhart said. “If you take away those SNAP dollars, families won’t be able to get what they need, and they are really going to struggle.”
With the hopes of combating this loss in mind, Total Media Radio and Kentucky Bluebird Grill & Pub are collaborating to host a benefit concert serving as a fundraiser for Facing Hunger Foodbank and River Cities Harvest.
The concert, known as “HANKSgiving: Songs for Sustenance,” will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, with doors opening at noon at the Kentucky Bluebird Grill & Pub in Ashland, Kentucky.
“It’s the perfect mix of entertainment in the Tri-State area where people can enjoy themselves and then contribute to helping families at a critical time,” she said. “It’s very close to the holidays, so it’s an easy way for people to provide support.”
Admission to the event will be either a monetary donation or a donation of non-perishable goods, with artists such as the Shelby Lore Band, Holly Forbes, Eddie Riffer and Wakita Young set to perform.
Even those unable to attend the event have no shortage of opportunities to support local food banks during this time, Kirkland said.
“Both providers have webpages. If you can’t make it to the event, you can go online early and make a donation,” she said. “At this critical time, everybody would benefit from volunteerism by showing up at pantries to help get an incredible amount of food out to an increasing number of people.”
Facing Hunger Foodbank serves those in need across a 4,538 square mile service area including counties such as Cabell, Boone, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Wayne and Wyoming in West Virginia. In Kentucky, served counties include Boyd, Greenup, Lawrence and Martin, and in Ohio, Lawrence County benefits from the foodbank.
“We are a main source of food resources to local food pantries and feeding programs,” Kirkland said. “If we don’t have food, a lot of those pantries and agencies don’t have food.”
No matter the size, Kirkland said donations and supporting local food banks is vital to families who depend on SNAP benefits that have ceased.
“This network of food distribution goes from one large facility out to a pantry that may serve 20 families,” she said. “In the course of a month, to those 20 families, it is still critical support.”
Kaitlyn Fleming can be contacted at fleming115@marshall.edu.
