Mountaineer Food Bank is West Virginia's largest emergency food provider, distributing more than 19 million meals a year across 48 of the state's 55 counties from its headquarters in Gassaway. It works through a network of more than 460 partner agencies, plus mobile pantries that reach into the Appalachian hollows where many residents live far from any grocery store. Chad Morrison serves as CEO, and the organization completed a major warehouse expansion in 2026. It is a Feeding America member.
Mountaineer Food Bank sources food at scale and distributes it across 48 counties through more than 460 partner agencies, plus heavy use of mobile pantries. West Virginia’s mountainous terrain and dispersed population make distribution unusually hard: reaching the hollows and small towns of central and southern Appalachia takes a logistics operation built around distance and difficult roads. A 2026 warehouse expansion added substantial cold and frozen storage to handle more fresh food.
Chad Morrison serves as CEO of Mountaineer Food Bank, leading the state’s largest hunger-relief network. He has framed the food bank not only as a charity but as an economic resource for West Virginia, and he oversaw the recent Gassaway warehouse expansion that significantly increased capacity.
The service area covers 48 of West Virginia’s 55 counties, most of the state outside the southwestern corner. West Virginia consistently ranks among the most food-insecure states, with poverty concentrated in the coal country of central and southern Appalachia, where economic decline and isolation compound the problem. Mountaineer Food Bank is the backbone of the response across that territory.
Yes. Mountaineer Food Bank is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member, the largest in the state. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations and volunteer shifts run through mountaineerfoodbank.org. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at mobile distributions across the mountains, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
Mountaineer Food Bank covers most of West Virginia, 48 of 55 counties, while Facing Hunger Foodbank covers the southwestern counties around Huntington and across into Kentucky and Ohio. For most of the state, Mountaineer Food Bank is the lead organization.
460+ agencies across 48 counties receive food.
A core tool for reaching remote Appalachian communities.
School and weekend food support for kids at risk of hunger.
Food assistance for older adults on fixed incomes.
Sources: Mountaineer Food Bank website (mountaineerfoodbank.org), and WV MetroNews and WDTV reporting on the Gassaway warehouse expansion. We are not affiliated with Mountaineer Food Bank and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More West Virginia and food-bank resources