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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HELPING TO FEED FLOOD VICTIMS
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture's (WVDA) Donated Foods
program has shipped more than 600 cases of food as part of relief
efforts for residents of Mingo County affected by recent flooding.
"The Department is proud to be able to help fellow West Virginians
in need," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.
"Our Donated Foods program is always ready to provide emergency
assistance whenever and wherever it is needed."
The food was trucked to mass feeding centers set up in three elementary
schools in the Mingo County area, according to Jean Smith, Director
of WVDA's Marketing and Development Division and supervisor of the
Donated Foods program.
"Approximately 1,500 people were being served at the mass feeding
centers," said Smith. "We've delivered over 16,000 pounds
of food to the area, including canned fruits, vegetables and fruit
juice, plus ground beef, ham, chicken, pasta, pudding and cheese
slices."
Donated Foods employees remain on standby and are ready to go into
the area again if needed, Smith added.
Program food is provided to the states by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), and is typically distributed to school systems.
In the case of a state-declared emergency, the state is allowed
to draw upon the stockpile to feed those in need. The food is then
replaced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
At any given time, the Donated Foods warehouse in Charleston stores
between 100,000 and 200,000 cases of food; however, Commissioner
Douglass would like to see that capacity expanded.
"There is less than a seven-day supply of groceries in any
city at any given time, and a disruption in the supply chain could
be devastating," said Commissioner Douglass. "The Donated
Foods program needs more warehouse space so that the public can
be assured of a substantial strategic food supply for the State
of West Virginia."
Contact: Buddy Davidson
Communications Officer
304/558-3708, 361-9484 (pager)
bdavidson@ag.state.wv.us
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal
and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and
consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner
of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West
Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving
agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit
www.wvagriculture.org.
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