MORGANTOWN — Mountaineer Middle School is the newest in-school home to Pantry Plus More, a Morgantown-based altruistic effort that provides food, personal hygiene items and clothing to needy youngsters.
Administrators, students and others came out for the Tuesday morning opening, which was also attended by WVU student Roark Sizemore and Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom, both of whom are synonymous with the pantry.
Sizemore co-founded the pantry in 2016 as a high school student with the help of Bloom, then a guidance counselor for Monongalia County Schools, and Madison Thompson, a Morgantown native and WVU student.
Thompson, a WVU Student Government member, was able to offer a $3,000 grant for the effort.
“We’re from here, so we know that there are a lot of people in need right here,” Thompson said then.
Mountaineer Middle is the 11th school in Mon to be served by Pantry Plus More.
The pantry has elementary school satellite locations at Mason-Dixon, Ridgedale, Brookhaven, Cheat Lake, North and Eastwood.
It also operates out of South Middle School and Westwood Middle School.
On the western end of the county, the pantry serves middle school and high school students at Clay-Battelle.
Granola bars, Ramen noodles, tuna, pasta, popcorn and dried fruit are among the non-perishable foods on the shelves at any Pantry Plus location.
Students are able to “shop” for the items without paperwork or public scrutiny.
Sizemore said food insecurity — the state of literally not having enough to eat — is a bigger problem locally than people realize.
“I think people believe it’s a problem in other parts of West Virginia. It’s not my neighbors or the people around me, and that’s a false notion,” he said, explaining that 2,700 kids go hungry in Monongalia County every day.
To donate or for more information, call 304-282-1123 or email roarksizemore17@gmail.com.
JBissett@DominionPost.com
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