Submitted Photo Between 50 and 60 volunteers worked together on Nov. 4 to pack almost 2,500 food boxes for 496 families and several food banks in six counties.

PARSONS — The Tucker Community Foundation (TCF) packed almost 2,500 food boxes for more than 450 families in the area during their annual Day of Giving last month, almost doubling the number of families served from last year.

“Each (food) basket consisted of five full (food) boxes of assorted nonperishable food and cleaning supplies, and those boxes were distributed to 496 families for a total of 2,480 boxes,” TCF Development Director Angie Pase told The Inter-Mountain. “They also provided food baskets to Grant, Tucker, Mineral, Hardy, Randolph and Garrett County food pantries.”

Each of the food pantries received 10 to 25 food baskets, Pase said. Last year, the TCF donated 1,850 food boxes to 270 families in the area.

On Nov. 4, the TCF partnered with the Mt. Storm Power Station Outreach Committee, Martins Foods, WEPCO Federal Credit Union, Mineral Fabrication, A.L.L Construction, Infinity, March-Westin Company, Diamond Power and Dominion Energy to pack food boxes for local families and food pantries at the Mt. Storm Power Station.

In four hours, between 50 to 65 volunteers and workers packed around 2,480 food boxes containing food and household items.

“We had an incredible time partnering with Dominion Energy, WEPCO and Martins Foods at Mt. Storm Power Station today,” The TCF said in a social media post on Nov. 4. “We can’t think of a better way to spend our annual Day of Giving than giving back to the communities we serve.”

The TCF was formed when “a group of individuals endeavored to create a local philanthropic organization… the Tucker Community Foundation exemplifies the impact of rural philanthropy,” according to the Foundation’s website.

“We believe we have the duty to properly steward all donations that are received by the Foundation for the community,” the TCF value statement reads. “We must use the donations to create resources and benefits now, tomorrow and long into the future. We are a motivational model for a sounder, more productive future through commitment to our community: teaching giving without expecting monetary return.”

The TCF also believes in “high standards of conduct and ethics; in being open and honest with the community, donors, foundation grantees and ourselves; that avoiding conflict of interest in both acts and appearance is of the utmost importance; and that communicating our values to the public is an important part of our organization and its service to the community.”

To learn more about the Tucker Community Foundation, visit www.tuckerfoundation.net. To contact the TCF, call 304-478-2930 or email at edirector@tuckerfoundation.net.