CLARKSBURG, W.Va (WDTV) – A local charity got more than it bargained for Thursday on First at 4 with Holly Baratta.

The Mustard Seed is a charity that has been operating in Clarksburg for over 50 years and currently has around 60 volunteers assisting the organization with its daily operations.

The community trusts in the mission of the mustard seed and hopes that it will continue to grow by strengthening faith.

Dolores Yoke is the charity’s chief executive. She says that in just under a decade, their annual food orders for families have grown from around 800 to more than 7,400 last year.

Yoke says they can only keep going with the support and generosity of the community.

“The number of people coming to us is increasing tremendously. On our record day, 74 families came to get help with food. This really motivates us and ensures that our shelves are really empty when we go shopping,” said Yoke.

But as the needs of local families grow, so does the need for The Mustard Seed’s mission.

To afford more groceries, they asked Holly to help them sell a line of antique jars made here in West Virginia.

But instead of the $80 they demanded, they received $8,000 from Hope Gas.

“As a utility, everyone gets a bill every month and we don’t want our name to be seen only when the bill comes,” said Morgan O’Brien, president and CEO of Hope Gas. “One reason is because we care about people and are committed to this community. We try to help people who are struggling economically with our programs, but also by supporting important organizations like The Mustard Seed.”

Mustard Seed is located at 444 East Pike Street and is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

They will also be hosting a fundraiser at the WV Italian Heritage Festival in downtown Clarksburg this coming Labor Day weekend.

“We have so many people to thank for making this happen. It’s just incredible. Whatever we need, you go out there, pray and really try to make it happen, and it works,” Yoke said.

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