With the launching of the Bud Young Emergency Response Team earlier this year, we have had conversations with community leaders all around
central West Virginia. These conversations have revealed a variety of needs specific to those communities. Earlier this summer, a conversation with
some representatives with the Lincoln County Board of Education exposed a very immediate need for the children in that county.

Due to supply and logistics issues surrounding the pandemic last year, the school district was unable to acquire the funding they usually receive to provide food for students during the summer months.

“Many people don’t realize that school food programs are the main source of sustenance for many children in rural counties,” says Jason Quintrell, President and CEO of Union Mission. “When school is out for summer break, there isn’t an obvious way for these kids to receive the food they get
during the school year. Schools have had to adapt and find ways to supply food to these kids during the summer vacation. We saw this immediate need for Lincoln County Schools and realized this is what the Emergency Response Team was formed to do.”

Last month, Union Mission organize the ordering, sorting, and distribution process to provide over 400 students food boxes on a weekly basis. The ERT trucks were loaded and routes were driven multiple times a week to supply the food to the communities. Deliveries are continuing through this
month until school starts again.

“This was no easy task to organize this effort so quickly,” Jason says. “Fortunately, our relationship with Gordon Foods allowed us to order the food we needed and receive it promptly. Our great team of volunteers came to sort and package the food boxes. Our volunteers also stepped up and drove the trucks on the delivery routes. While there have been some hiccups along the way, I am very pleased with this effort to get food to these kids in some pretty remote areas.”

While you are reading this story you may be asking yourself, why did Union Mission start with Lincoln County? Are there not other counties with similar needs? Additional conversations have shown that there are indeed many other counties that we could be helping in the future. In fact, the need far outweighs the resources we have. Starting with Lincoln County, however, included Providential direction as Jason explains below.

“Why Lincoln County first? Well, it will be obvious when I explain how this unfolded. I was having a meeting with my Development Director  concerning our next ERT effort. He lives in Lincoln County and knew there were food needs in the summertime for students. I asked him to reach out to one of his contacts at the school board to see if UM could help with food this summer. The response from the rep at the school board was quite emotional and motivating. She excitedly explained how they were just praying that God would show them how to get food to these kids this summer since funding wasn’t there. She told my Director that this was clearly an immediate answer to their prayers. I knew at that point, this was the next task for the ERT.”

Lincoln County’s extreme situation was an obvious fit for the Emergency Response Team regardless of the challenges it has revealed during the process. Serving rural communities comes at a cost of time, fuel, and food. Your faithful generosity allows us to step into these types of situations and be the bridge that spans the need. Please consider continuing your support of Union Mission. We are seeing more and more the needs of these rural counties and at times they appear to be overwhelming. We know, however, with God’s direction and your support, we can do our part to help the hurting people in these areas.