CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — More than one in five people in some southern West Virginia counties struggle to consistently put food on the table, according to newly-released data.
Advocates said the findings reflect a growing cycle of rising costs, changing federal benefit rules and limited access to food.
The latest county economic report from the Appalachian Regional Commission, paired with Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap estimates, shows food insecurity remains among the highest in Appalachia across much of southern West Virginia. Leaders at Facing Hunger Foodbank say those numbers are no surprise. They say families are stretching grocery budgets further than ever, while the food banks helping them are facing many of the same financial pressures.
“People have to eat,” Facing Hunger Foodbank CEO Cyndi Kirkhart said. “When they have fewer funds to spend, one of the first places that we see is that they become increasingly food insecure. SNAP dollars don’t go as far with high prices. If they’re being challenged with keeping benefits, the pot really gets smaller.”
Among the counties served by Facing Hunger, Mingo County recorded the highest estimated food insecurity rate at 22.5%, followed by McDowell County at 22%, Logan County at 19.9%, Wyoming County at 17.9% and Lincoln County at 16.4%.
The Appalachian Regional Commission also classified Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties as economically distressed for fiscal year 2026 based on factors including unemployment, income and poverty. Boone, Jackson, Mason and Wayne counties were designated “at risk,” while Cabell, Kanawha and Putnam counties were classified as transitional.
Kirkhart said the people seeking help often don’t fit the stereotypes associated with hunger.
“No one is out here just waiting for someone to take care of them,” she said. “People are budgeting. People are sitting in their car for hours to wait for a mobile pantry.”
She said many are working, volunteering and doing everything they can to maintain eligibility.
But she said new federal SNAP work rules have made that more difficult for some families, particularly in rural communities where jobs, transportation and volunteer opportunities can be limited.
“Look, we have folks that are doing all the right things,” Kirkhart said. “They’re doing volunteerism. They’re working to maintain their SNAP benefits. But if they can’t get to a place to volunteer or to work, or there aren’t those opportunities available, then automatically they’re going to lose their benefits. We’ve already started to see that happen.”
The same economic pressures affecting households are also increasing costs for the organizations trying to feed them.
Kirkhart said Facing Hunger is paying significantly more to purchase food and deliver it throughout its service area.
“The cost of food for us has gone up exponentially,” she said. “A long time ago, I could pay $2 a pound for ground beef. But now we’re paying $7 a pound. And we can’t buy as much because then, along with the high food prices, diesel went up over $6 a gallon. We have a lot of trucks — all of them are on diesel. So our operating costs to deliver food went up significantly.”
Those financial pressures are also changing who is turning to food banks.
“The demographic is shifting,” Kirkhart said. “It’s not folks who are unemployed. It’s folks who are underemployed, seniors, veterans. When any type of healthcare benefit is challenged, you see people because they’re paying more out of pocket. It’s really shifting to folks who never really had to access the charitable food system before.”
For many rural Appalachian communities, Kirkhart said the challenge extends beyond rising grocery prices. Long drives to the nearest supermarket, limited food options and higher prices at convenience stores can make already-tight budgets stretch even further.
Facing Hunger says it continues expanding food assistance across the region. Between June 23 and July 3, the organization distributed 76 pallets — more than 101,000 pounds of fresh produce — to 51 partner agencies serving 15 counties.
Kirkhart said she hopes the latest data encourages people to look beyond the numbers.
“When you’re out in the world, I would look around and count the five people and know that someone in that five does not have enough to eat,” she said. “Do something. Be part of the solution.”
Dining and Cooking