Second annual campaign continues to fight hunger – one pig at a time
McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – The Morgan Community Fund (MCF) is bringing the Fill the Freezer campaign back to the Morgan County Fair for the second consecutive year and rallying the community to fight local hunger – one pig at a time.
The campaign invites buyers at the fair’s Sept. 12 junior livestock sale to donate their hog purchases to fill the freezers of Morgan County United Ministries’ food pantry.
In its first year, the campaign resulted in 13 hogs donated, surpassing a goal of 10 hogs and generating 1,450 pounds of locally raised protein to feed Morgan County residents.
“Fill the Freezer allows us to address a fundamental need in Morgan County and, at the same time, support the talents and hard work of our 4-H and FFA youth,” said Kelsey Wells, MCF committee member. “We’re incredibly proud of how our community members showed up in the campaign’s very first year, and we can’t wait to see our county’s generosity in action again.”
The campaign is held in partnership with the Morgan County Fair Board and Sale Committee, local 4-H members and Morgan High School’s FFA chapter, Hilltop Butcher Shop in Malta and the food pantry at Morgan County United Ministries. EOG Resources is serving as corporate sponsor of this year’s campaign and covering a portion of the meat processing costs.
The meat donated through Fill the Freezer not only helps individuals and families in Morgan County, where nearly 17 percent of the population experiences food insecurity, but also the food pantry, which serves approximately 450-500 families each month. The Southeast Ohio Foodbank, which serves food pantries in 10 Appalachian Ohio counties including Morgan County United Ministries’ food pantry, reports that only 12 percent of the commodities it receives and distributes is perishable protein like frozen meat, poultry and seafood.
MCF is one of a growing number of FAO’s affiliate foundation partners spearheading or supporting Fill the Freezer and similar campaigns. In 2025 alone, more than 33,000 pounds of fresh, local protein were donated through these programs.