The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie MIke Cardinal, left, adjutant for the American Legion Post 29 in Elkins, accepts a donation from Inter-Mountain Executive Editor Brad Johnson this week for the Post’s Christmas baskets program.

ELKINS — Each year, H.W. Daniels American Legion Post 29 provides Christmas food baskets to area families in need of dinner supplies for Christmas.

Since COVID hit in 2020, however, the number of families requesting food baskets during the holiday season has been down. After handing out only 27 baskets in 2023, organizers of the event were happy to report a significant increase this year.

“After seeing less than 30 applicants last year, we are going to give out 70 baskets this weekend,” American Legion Post 29 Adjutant Mike Cardinal told The Inter-Mountain this week. “We have some new people getting baskets this year and there are some families that we see every year. 

“I’m not sure why we had so many more applicants this year. Of course, during COVID we couldn’t do anything, and after it, things really never picked up again until this year. The last large one we did was just before COVID and we gave baskets to 111 families.”

Cardinal said because of donations from businesses, churches and individuals, making the jump from 27 to 70 baskets this year wasn’t something that caused a stir for Post 29 financially.

“We received some money from some churches and The Inter-Mountain gave us a nice donation this week,” said Cardinal. “We have had other donations that have come in from the community and I will be receiving a pickup truck load of food from Jennings Randolph.”

Cardinal said a group of students at Jennings Randolph Elementary School had a food drive this year to provide some of the supplies the American Legion is donating for the baskets.

“The food from Jennings was collected by a fourth-grade class over there,” said Cardinal. “We sent letters out to all the schools and the class at Jennings is the only one that responded. They brought in all the food themselves.”

Each meal will consist of a turkey, a five-pound bag of potatoes, three pounds of apples, three pounds of onions, a loaf of bread, two boxes of stuffing, and peas, carrots, yams, beans and cranberry sauce.

“There’s one family that has seven members and of course they will get a little more,” said Cardinal. “We want to make sure that each family gets a decent amount of food to prepare a good meal for Christmas. We give them what we can.”

Those chosen for Christmas food baskets were selected after filling out an application at the American Legion.

“We base the qualification on income,” said Cardinal. “There’s enough people in our community who don’t make a whole lot of money or they have a big family where even if they are getting a decent pay, it doesn’t go too far. We try to help as many as we can.”

Cardinal has been heading the Christmas basket program for the past 15 years. Each year, he requests assistance from Boy Scout Troop 66, who help separate all the food, put the items in baskets, and load into cars.

“I’ve enjoyed working on the baskets over the years,” said Cardinal. “It takes a little work to put it together and get everyone in the right place, but it usually comes together well.”

The baskets will be distributed to approved applicants on Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon at the H.W. Daniels American Legion on Railroad Avenue.