2025

West Virginia’s food insecurity rate hovers at about 14% statewide, affecting more than 270,000 people and ranking among the highest in the nation.​
Child hunger is especially severe: More than 1 in 5 of West Virginia’s children live in a food insecure household.
Federal programs such as SNAP support over 273,000 West Virginians with essential benefits, but inflation and federal disruptions have raised even more urgent needs.

Philanthropy West Virginia’s goal at the beginning of the project was to: Coordinate an effective collaborative philanthropic response to the growing needs created by the lack of access to food in West Virginia.

Planned outcomes included:
Facilitating better connected and collaborative response among funders and nonprofits and community members in regard to food insecurity;
Coordinating communication around and resources to the statewide philanthropic sector about the efforts addressing food insecurity;
Hosting regional conversations and/or discussion at our annual conference (among funders, government, nonprofit, community members and business leaders) about the lessons learned from these convenings to create an actionable plan.