Father Bob Rademacher—Clintwood, Virginia
Goal: Hunger-Free County

Father Bob Rademacher's ecumenical efforts in Dickinson County, Virginia, started a food bank nine years ago which, today, feeds 3,000.

When Father Bob Rademacher thinks back on his 10 years as pastor of the Glenmary parish in Clintwood, Virginia, one word comes instantly to his mind.

Food.

A Baptist minister was eager to start a food program, so the Baptist minister, Father Bob and a Methodist minister formed the area’s first Ministerial Association—and the Dickinson County Food Bank was started.

The food bank’s motto:  “To make this county hunger-free.”

“That was eight or nine years ago,” Father Bob recalls. “We had 50 volunteers. In the beginning we fed 40 or 50 families. It got so big we had to move to a warehouse. It now feeds about 1,000 families—or 3,000 people. It’s the largest food bank in Virginia.”

Funding for the food bank comes from various sources, but an average of $10,000 to $15,000 is raised in the local community—by selling food.

“We have a soup, bean and cornbread supper,” Father Bob explains. “We charge $10 for a bowl of soup. We send tickets all over. Last February  we raised $17,000.”

The food bank ministry also includes growing food.

“About five years ago we started to give people seed potatoes in the early spring,” Father Bob reports. “We asked them to bring a bushel of potatoes back each year for the food bank. About 70 percent of the people do it.”

The food bank remains an important resource in this county which depends on coal mining, but where there are fewer and fewer jobs for miners. Unemployment stands at 25 to 30 percent

The Binns-Counts Center, a social development agency, is another ecumenical operation, supported by Catholics and Lutherans. One of Father Bob’s favorite stories begins about five years ago, when a seven-year-old girl became fascinated by the Sisters she met at the center. Eventually the girl, her mother, father, uncle and grandfather all became Catholics.

“She became our first altar girl,” Father Bob says. “She helped to train others. Now we have about six altar girls.” Her grandmother is now the chairperson of the center’s board and her mother is a board member. Her father is a volunteer. 

Father Bob, who recently moved to senior member status in Glenmary, remains in Clintwood as sacramental minister for St. Joseph Parish. A newly hired Glenmary lay pastoral coordinator, Sister Edna Maier, will take over all other pastoral responsibilities. The parish has about 75 members and covers all of Dickinson County and part of Wise County.

“Sister Edna will run the parish,” Father Bob said. “I’ll take care of Sunday and the sacraments.”

And a few other things it seems.

Father Bob is on the board of the Appalachian Peace Education Center out of Abingdon, Virginia, which is expanding its racial harmony work from Washington County to Dickinson County. The Appalachian Women’s Alliance, which is spearheading the effort, has asked Father Bob to be part of the work.

Father Bob is also treasurer of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia. He is a member of Glenmary’s Commission on Justice and part of the Fourth World Movement, which is active all over the world on behalf of the poor.

Father Bob points out that there is plenty of room for others to join in the work—and plenty of work to be done. His effort in Clintwood proves that what starts as a small outreach can change many lives.

—Susan Stevenot Sullivan

For current assignment