Staff photo STILL HELPING — Though they have retired or moved on to other jobs, former employees of Cleveland Cliffs' coke plant in Follansbe haven't stopped their workplace effort of collecting canned goods and other nonperishable food for the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program, a local food pantry. Among many involved, including independent contractors who did work at the plant, were, from left: Dustin Kinsey, Dan Sellers, Ray Metzger, Ed Wilkerson, chairman of the food pantry's board; Pat Smith, Dawn Fischer, Bert Colvin and Russ Dudek.

FOLLANSBEE — Some of the many men and women who worked at Cleveland-Cliffs’ Follansbee coke plant four years ago have moved on to other positions in the company and some have retired, but that hasn’t stopped them from carrying on a yearly workplace tradition of collecting food for a local charity.

Several former workers from the plant and others who performed work there as independent contractors delivered hundreds of canned goods and other nonperishable food items to the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program.

Based in the former St. Anthony School, with permission from the Wheeling-Charleston Catholic Diocese, the charity provides food to about 40 local families in need.

Surveying tables filled with stacks of canned goods and other food, Ed Wilkerson, chairman of the charity’s board of directors, said, “It’s a lot of food. It’s heartwarming.”

The workers said the effort was in memory of the late Chip Pellegrino, whose brother Timothy had worked with them.

Chip, who died Dec. 24, was a volunteer firefighter who also lent his time to fraternal organizations.

Dawn Fischer, one of several workers on hand, said though she and her colleagues have gone on to other places, they still meet socially and to plan the yearly donation.

Fellow co-worker Dan Sellers said, “It’s a blessing to be part of something bigger than us. And they (the food pantry) do a wonderful job here.”

The charity is run by a small group of volunteers headed by Karen Hager.

Hager said donations also have been received from civic groups, local churches and individual supporters.

She also is thrifty, watching for special sales and other opportunities to keep the food pantry’s shelves well stocked.

When recent high winds led to a power outage that forced a local store to close its doors, Hager was on hand to collect frozen food the business otherwise would have had to throw out, not only for R.E.A.C.H. but for neighboring charities as well.

“We took as much as we could just so it wouldn’t have to be thrown out,” she said.

Hager said she was moved by the continued support of the former coke plant workers.

“I just want to put them on a pedestal to show what good people do,” she said.

Financially struggling Brooke County residents in need of food are encouraged to call the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program at 304-527-3663.