West Muskingum Feeds produce market to resume this weekend

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Severe weather forced a food bank to cancel a produce giveaway last month, but this weekend they will be back ready to feed the community.

West Muskingum Feeds typically holds a produce giveaway the first Saturday of every month. Two students from the Valley View 4-H club said the giveaway provides those who may be in need with healthy options.

“We are with the West M Feeds Group partnered with the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and we do this to provide the nutritious foods to low-income families in our community for free,” said Miah Lepi. “We usually have fruits, and then we have some vegetables, and then we have bread. And sweets.”

This time, recipients of the giveaway will also receive portable cups of cereal. Halle Peck said an anonymous donor donated around 17,000 cups of cereal.

“They get, like, the food if it’s packaged wrong. And they have to think about if it would cost more to repackage it,” said Peck. “And so, we got a call and they were like ‘we have 8 pallets of cereal cups’..and they were like ‘do you want some?’ and we’re like, yeah of course. We can donate to the food market.

Both Peck and Lepi will be at the produce giveaway working as volunteers. The girls said it makes them feel good to know they’re able to help someone else.

“It makes you feel really nice after because you realize how much people, other people, don’t have and how much you have and how lucky you are,” said Peck

“It means a lot to me because sometimes we don’t like to wake up in the morning where the weather is bad, but once we get started helping each other it’s fun. But sometimes people are shy and they don’t like to speak up for help, but once we’re there they need to know that we are there ready to help with smiles,” said Lepi.

The giveaway will take place at West Muskingum High School with doors opening at 8:00 a.m. Recipients will need to bring their photo i.d. to register at 9:15 a.m. and the giveaway will start at 10:00 a.m.