Foundations and Local Business Partner to Provide Food Amid High Demand

From Left to Right: Heather Allender, President and CEO of Marietta Community Foundation; Mike Morrison, Store Manager of Warren’s IGA; Staci Matheney, Peoples Bank Foundation Chairperson and President

Marietta, OH – As the government shutdown continues, agencies and institutions are making contingency plans to meet increased demands of public benefits and services. It was reported on January 16 in the Marietta Times, that governmental agencies in the Washington County area, who disperse Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, SNAP, more commonly referred to as “food stamps,” are preparing local food pantries for increased demands.

This request for assistance did not fall on deaf ears. Marietta Community Foundation, Peoples Bank Foundation, Warren’s IGA, and Washington County Harvest of Hope, are partnering to donate and deliver $10,000 worth of food to local food pantries in Washington Co.

“This is a great example of different organizations working together for the common good,” said Mason Beuhring, Communications and Programs Services Director for Marietta Community Foundation. “As soon as we caught wind of this issue, Marietta Community Foundation immediately started working to ensure people would have access to food amid a potentially difficult time.”

"The Peoples Bank Foundation strongly supports this initiative because we know the impact that food insecurity has on the individuals and families in our communities," said Staci Matheney, Peoples Bank Foundation Chairperson and President. "We feel privileged to be a part of this effort to help those that are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the partial government shutdown."

Kin Brewer, owner of Warren’s IGA, is partnering to help leverage every dollar donated through his business. To maximize the impact of the $10,000, Brewer has agreed to supply the food at a highly discounted rate. “We at Warren’s IGA deeply care for this community. We are going to make every dollar count so people don’t go without food,” said Brewer.

Washington County Harvest of Hope, a local non-profit, is partnering to deliver the donated food to each food pantry in the area.

Marietta Community Foundation’s donated portion, for this out-of-cycle grant, will come from unrestricted funds. Unrestricted funds are donations given to Marietta Community Foundation to be used at the discretion of the Board of Directors to meet the needs of local non-profits.

Heather Allender, President and CEO of Marietta Community Foundation, said, “This is why unrestricted funds are so valuable to our community. These funds enable us to be efficient and proactive in times of urgency.”

The Marietta Community Foundation meets National Standards for operational quality, donor service and accountability in the community foundation sector. Founded in 1974, the Marietta Community Foundation has grown over the years thanks to a number of generous gifts.

If you would like to make an unrestricted donation to Marietta Community Foundation, or support local food pantries, please click the link below.