WESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito toured the new Mountaineer Food Bank facility Thursday in Weston. Leading the tour was Food Bank Director Chad Morrison. Morrison said the facility will be up and running by January.

The Mountaineer Food Bank serves 48 West Virginia counties, and with this facility, they will be better able to serve those in need. Morrison added they are also working to supply non-food items, such as sanitizer and toilet paper, as well.

“The warehouse will increase distribution across the state,” Capito said. The warehouse is roughly double the size of the facility in Gassaway, where the Mountaineer Food Bank is located.

Capito said the COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call to have a nationwide stock pile of supplies, after facing a shortage due to the importation of needed items from countries like China and Italy that were in need of items themselves to fight the pandemic.

Morrison said that as early as next week they should start receiving loads directly from the USDA. This facility will not be open to the public as a distribution site for individuals and families, he stated, but local food distribution locations will still be scheduled, like the one that has been regularly held at WVU Jackson’s Mill.

Morrison said that prior to the COVID-19 outbreak the food bank served approximately 250,000 families annually. Now they have seen a 30 percent increase in those needing assistance. He added 26 million pounds of food had been distributed already this year, saying they could easily distribute 60 million pounds.

“That’s a lot for anyone to take on,” Morrison said.

With schools closing in March it presented new challenges, but Morrison told Capito, R-W.Va., that many school systems organized pick-ups for families and several systems also coordinated delivery for those who could not get to pick up locations.

With remote learning still a possibility, Morrison said they are doing what they can to be prepared if that should come to pass.

“Having well-thought-out plans and having access to resources,” he said as far as working towards planning for schools to be closed for even longer.

Capito said on the federal level she and fellow senators are focusing on needs that may not have been met in the first relief package in March, with food assistance being one of those. She said they are also looking into schools and safety in schools for children and staff.

“That’s going to be a real challenge,” she said.

Capito said that while they have been able to drop some regulatory barriers regarding funding, there is a big push in some areas to make some of those changes permanent.

The facility could potentially employ three to five people in the Weston location.

A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 10. The facility is located at 395 U.S. 33 East in Weston, next to Giovanni’s.