West Virginia National Guard launches Operation Feeding Families

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — With SNAP benefits coming to a halt on Nov. 1, food banks across West Virginia are scrambling to fill the void, but a helping hand is keeping residents fed.

Governor Patrick Morrisey authorized the deployment of the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) to help food banks feed the hungry. Major General James Seward, the Adjutant General of the WVNG, is at the helm of the enormous operation.

“Sometime this past weekend, the governor gave me a call and said we’re gonna need the National Guard to assist with logistics,” Major General Seward said. “Many of those soldiers and airmen are in counties they’re familiar with.”

Major General Seward said 235 troops are currently deployed across the state supporting the mission, with some soldiers dedicated to a specific location while others move around the state.

“They are doing the full gambit, from unloading the truck to palatizing. There’s no greater service that they can provide to folks in their state than helping them with this basic need,” Major General Seward said.

Troops were already hard at work at the Facing Hunger Foodbank in Huntington on Sunday.
Soldiers and airmen rolled up their sleeves and helped with a wide array of tasks, including packaging food, delivering and supporting the pantry’s logistics and records.

“So I think that’s what made working with the guard today so smooth. They take orders, they’re well trained. And then second, we understand what the mission is,” said Cynthia Kirkhart, CEO of Facing Hunger.

While the future remains uncertain, Major General Seward said his soldiers will hold for as long as it takes to complete the mission. While it’s a tall order, he’s confident his troops will rise to the occasion to serve the communities that raised them.

“They absolutely love it. You can see the smiles on their face. This is different than the typical duty we get to do in the state, with like flood duty and things like that. They know some of the folks they’re helping out,” Major General Seward said.