ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Thanks to the help of local businesses, several local food pantries are receiving a helping hand.

Five buyers purchased market hogs at the Belmont County Jr. Fair in September to be donated back to Belmont County Farm Bureau. Those buyers were T.J. Jefferis, Buckeye Steel Inc., Bridgeport Equipment, EQT Corp. and Equitrans Midstream Corp.

WesBanco bank helped pay for the processing of the hogs, and a total of 804 pounds of pork were donated to 10 area food banks. Devin Cain, Belmont County Farm Bureau program coordinator, delivered the pork.

As a result of these joint efforts, food banks in Flushing, the Daily Bread Center in Martins Ferry, Barnesville Thrift Store/Saint Vincent De Paul Society of Barnesville, First Christian Church Five Loaves Food Pantry in Barnesville, Bridgeport Christian Friendship Council of Churches Food Pantry, Bethesda Project, St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church of Colerain, Bellaire Salvation Army, Shadyside Fellowship UMC Pantry and St. Clairsville Council of Churches Food Pantry were recipients of the packages of pork.

The farm bureau thanks the buyers and WesBanco for the generous help and support.