Additional state funding of $1 million for Virginia food banks is expected to provide more than 177,500 meals for the hungry of Southwest Virginia.

Gov. Tim Kaine announced the funding boost on Thursday when he presented a check to the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, a consortium of seven food banks across the state. The federation has decided to split the money evenly among all of the banks.

According to a news release from the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank in Roanoke, state food banks have recently seen a 20 percent to 40 percent increase in demand, which they attribute to the flailing economy

Jeremy Butterfield, spokesman for the Roanoke food bank, said they have already received two truckloads of food as a result of the additional money, including one filled with pork and beans and one filled with canned corn. They expect to receive five more truckloads by the end of September.

That translates into 227,290 pounds of food the bank did not expect to receive this year, Butterfield said. The Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank serves 26 counties and 10 cities in this region of the state.

Pamela Irvine, president and CEO of Second Harvest, was out of town Wednesday but sent her thoughts via e-mail.

"This is the first time that our leaders have allocated state funding to help support Virginia Food Banks," she wrote, "and that bold step makes clear the compassion that the state legislature has for the growing number of Virginia residents who are struggling in a weakened economy."

-- Lindsey Nair