History

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank began in 1980 in Staunton, VA with four board members and a few staff. In the first year, the Food Bank distributed 500,000 meals to the hungry through 35 member agencies in Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Lexington, and five surrounding counties.

As the need for emergency food assistance grew in other areas of the Blue Ridge region, the Food Bank expanded and relocated to a new facility in Verona, VA, now the headquarters of the organization. Three other branches were established in Charlottesville, Winchester and Lynchburg between 1982 and 1985.

Today, the Food Bank provides emergency food assistance in 25 counties and nine cities throughout the Blue Ridge region. Thanks to a largely volunteer-based network of approximately 250 member agencies, the Food Bank has provided millions of meals to the hungry over the past 30 years.