Iaeger relief drive helps McDowell County families with basics

In a county where many households still struggle to buy food, water and clothing, a relief drive in Iaeger became a direct test of how far neighbors can stretch to cover the basics.

The need behind the drive is easy to measure. McDowell County’s estimated population was 17,147 on July 1, 2024, its median household income was $31,559, and its median gross rent was $643. Nearly a quarter of residents, 22.9%, were age 65 and over, a sign that fixed incomes and aging households remain a central part of the county’s poverty picture. County Health Rankings defines food insecurity as the share of people who lack adequate access to food, and updated county data released March 25, 2026 used 2023 figures, underscoring that the problem is current, not distant.

At the center of the effort was Teldia Haywood, who has spent roughly 20 to 30 years helping people out. Haywood said she started by opening her own house and using her own supplies before the work grew into a larger pantry and relief operation. That long-running effort has made her a familiar figure in a county where emergency help is often not enough to meet everyday needs.

The drive brought in food, clothes, shoes and other supplies, and it drew about 300 people. Haywood said the people who come most often are among the county’s most vulnerable, especially elderly residents and people who do not work. In practical terms, that means the drive was not serving occasional hard luck cases. It was filling gaps for residents who need help getting through ordinary days.

Pastor Kevin Parson of Mountain Home Baptist Church said it was rewarding to see children and adults leave with the essentials they needed, a reminder that churches remain part of the county’s informal safety net. The need is also being met year-round by Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank in Kimball, which says it provides non-perishable food items, hygiene products and household goods to McDowell County residents so limited income and benefits can go farther on fresh food.

McDowell County was formed in 1858 and later became one of West Virginia’s most populous counties by 1910 before decline set in. More than a century later, drives like the one in Iaeger show how much of the county’s daily survival still depends on local people stepping in when families cannot wait for broader solutions.