Catholic Charities West Virginia (CCWVa) is a proud recipient of grant funding from Catholic Charities USA. The funds are available through the Walmart Foundation as part of a nationwide effort to address hunger. Thanks in part to their generosity, the CCWVa SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Outreach Program has helped hundreds of individuals and families across West Virginia. “Sharon Hughes is a 72-year old widow of a war veteran who lives on a fixed income and felt overwhelmed by the SNAP application process. She was referred to us by the Catholic Charities Kingwood pantry,” said Chris Garner, CCWVa SNAP Outreach Coordinator. “We met at her favorite local diner where we sat at a table dedicated to her and her husband before he passed. We helped her through the process and the paperwork, and she now receives a monthly benefit and was found eligible for help with her utilities.” In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, CCWVa was awarded $45,000 in grant funding from the Walmart Foundation for its SNAP Outreach and Enrollment Program. So far this year, the SNAP Outreach Program has filed 572 applications; of those, 482 have been approved. “The Walmart Foundation just wants to give back to the community and help folks out who need these types of benefits,” said Garner. “The grant funding we receive from the Walmart Foundation funds about 30-40% of what we do.” In addition to supplementing peoples’ budgets, the SNAP dollars received have a multiplier effect as those dollars are spent and re-spent throughout local communities. Using the USDA formula to calculate this impact, the CCWVa SNAP Outreach Program helps to contribute over $1.5 million dollars annually toward West Virginia’s economy. “This grant funding is a perfect example of how Catholic Charities collaborates with community partners,” said Beth Zarate, CCWVa Chief Executive Officer. “We are on a mission of love to end poverty, one family at a time, and we are blessed and thankful to have partners like Catholic Charities USA and the Walmart Foundation on this mission with us.” To find out more about the CCWVa SNAP Outreach Program and the lasting effects of the Walmart Foundation grant, visit www.CatholicCharitiesWV.org.