United Food Operation

Founded in 1981, United Food Operation is an all-volunteer charity working in Kanawha and Putnam counties of West Virginia. It provides extra food to local food pantries during the winter and early spring months, which is the time of greatest demand. Originally driven mostly by workers at some of the region's larger employers, especially the chemical and telecommunications industries, UFO now reaches out to the broader community. As an all-volunteer group, all the funds it raises from individuals go to purchase food for needy families in the Kanawha Valley. Through the years, UFO has raised and distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars of food that has helped many tens of thousands of people.