The Pantry is a community organization mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty, unemployment (and under employment) in eastern Nicholas County, West Virginia. We currently provide food, clothing and emergency shelter to residents of this area of central West Virginia.
The Pantry’s Schedule*
Monday through Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm Food and Clothing distribution**
Saturday 8:00am – 12:00pm Farmer’ Market**
*Note: the Pantry will follow the inclement weather schedule used by the Nicholas County School Board. This means that if school is closed due to weather conditions, the Pantry will also be closed. If the schools are operating on a two hour delay, the Pantry will also be operating on a two hour delay. If you have any questions, please call the Pantry at 304-846-4479.
**Note: The Farmers’ Market opens on Saturdays during the months of June through September, weather permitting.
Our Work
West Virginia has a rich history centered around the coal and timber industries. These industries are still a vital part of the West Virginia economy, but the influx of technology has substantially reduced the need for manual labor. As a result, this drop in manpower requirements has contributed to depression era levels of unemployment in central West Virginia. This area of West Virginia is struggling to transition from reliance on timber and coal for employment opportunities; instead attempting to diversify the economic base which includes agriculture, technology, tourism and year round outdoor activities(skiing, snowboarding, rafting, camping, off-road events, extreme sports, etc.). The Pantry has moved to the forefront in this economic diversification effort. We work closely with Five Rivers Cooperative, Inc., an urban farming training program starting by the Richwood Pantry in 2016. Five Rivers Cooperative, Inc., became a separate non-profit organization in 2019. Through this association the Richwood Pantry and Starting Points receives fresh vegetable.
Services Provided
Listed below are the services provided at the Pantry.
- Food Distribution: Twice a week, weather permitting, the Pantry is open to provide food to families. The majority of the non-perishable food distributed by the Pantry comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) Additionally, food contributions are also received from local grocers and individual donors.
- Clothing Distribution: Twice a week, weather permitting, the Pantry is open for community residents to receive clothing. Most of the clothing distributed by the Pantry comes from local citizenry donations.
- Emergency Assistance: For some families, who qualify through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, assistance is provided for emergencies. This assistance comes from a variety of sources and is kept anonymous.
- Disaster Assistance: The Pantry is one of the FEMA locations in the county. In cases of natural disaster, weather warnings, etc., the Pantry is open to provide shelter and other services to all affected families.
- Referral Services: Pantry Volunteers are able to provide assistance in preparing DHHR Applications, health care (Affordable Care Act) applications, and Starting Points Day Care Center applications. Referrals to DHHR, Parents as Teachers, the Family Center (for GED testing services), Family Resource Network and Community Outreach are also available at the Pantry.
- Baby Pantry: The Pantry has also expanded it’s clothing distribution to include infant any young children’s clothing. The Baby Pantry is open during normal business hours.
- Children’s Play Group: Every Thursday, from 10:30am to 11:30am parents can bring children, ages 2-4, to the Pantry to play. This is a good time for the parents to also plan on visiting the Baby Pantry.
Volunteer
Thinking of becoming a Volunteer? Why not! We can use the help…
Volunteers are the reason the Pantry can open its doors. Presently the Pantry operates two (2) days each week. We need volunteers so that we can open four (4) days each week. With additional volunteers more services can be offered.
Please, volunteer!
