WV AARP Helps Mountaineer Food Banks

WEST VIRGINIA - The Mountaineer Food Bank in West Virginia is getting a much-needed boost to their pantries, thanks to the AARP's National Day of Service. WHAG's Nikki Burdine interviewed Gaylene Miller with the AARP on how the program works. Click the picture to see the interview.

Also, if you want to paste the press release below, here it is:

AARP West Virginia and AARP Foundation employees are teaming up with the Mountaineer Food Bank to help families put healthy food on the table during AARP's 2010 Day of Service on September 14, at Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway.  The Mountaineer Food Bank assists the hungry in 47 counties across West Virginia.

As part of its "Create The Good" campaign, the AARP Foundation has launched a national anti-hunger initiative that includes distributing outreach and planning toolkits on helping older Americans who are food insecure; working to simplify and eliminate barriers to enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and encouraging and helping older adults apply for SNAP benefits. While more than 7 million older Americans are eligible for SNAP, less than one-third - approximately 2.4 million individuals - are actually receiving benefits.

Tuesday's service activity by AARP West Virginia employees is part of AARP's annual National Day of Service, with nearly 30,000 AARP staff, volunteers, chapter members, and National Retired Teachers Association unit members expected to participate in similar Day of Service activities across the nation.

AARP West Virginia and its employees are partnering with the Mountaineer Food Bank and community organizations on a statewide level, through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, to continue to find solutions to address the problem of hunger in the Mountain State especially with older citizens.