BUCKHANNON — Thank you to our amazing Buckhannon community! Between the 5 drop-off locations for the Spread the Love peanut butter drive, 141 jars of peanut butter were donated to the Upshur Parish House. During the week, the Upshur County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) & Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce, Upshur County Courthouse, Buckhannon City Hall & Volunteer Center, Stone Tower Brews, and Sweet-A-Licious collected boxes full of the good stuff. Local schools, including Buckhannon Academy and Union Elementary Schools, and West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) will be delivering their contribution to the Upshur Parish House soon.

Why do we Spread the Love? Peanut butter has a high nutritional value, doesn’t require appliances to prepare, and has a long shelf life, making it the perfect snack for kids and adults alike. However, peanut butter can be expensive, so it is one of the least regularly donated items. Each family that comes through the Upshur Parish House receives a jar of peanut butter upon availability. Spread the Love allows the local food pantry to stock up on a very important item in preparation for the holiday months when they see the greatest need.

We expect the tally to continue to rise, as in 2015 WVWC donated over 1,000 jars, with the help of students, professors, and community organizations. A final tally for 2018 isn’t available yet, but will be soon. This is the first year that the City and other Main Street organizations participated, which was made possible through Buckhannon Volunteer Center coordinators Sarah Campbell and Casey Gilbert.

In 2012, WVWC established the collection drive in observance of Governor’s Day to Serve. For the 7th annual Spread the Love drive, this campus-wide collection became a collaborative effort between WVWC, the City of Buckhannon, and the Buckhannon Volunteer Center. We hope to continue to grow this effort to support such a vital organization within our community.

Didn’t have time to drop off your donation at one of the locations? No problem! You can bring it by the Upshur Parish House Monday-Friday from 9 am. – 1 p.m. While you’re there, you can speak to someone about becoming a volunteer! Help is needed in the pantry, kitchen, and at the Clothes Closet.