As I reflect upon my time interning at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, I think about the first story I helped gather at the Timberville Mobile Food Pantry one cold January day. The woman we spoke to faced many challenges and relied on the Food Bank to feed her [...]
Grappling with big questions about the future of food assistance [The following is a written summary of material presented in a virtual CEO Forum event on Oct. 7, 2021] What an impact one year can have—on the world, on our country, on our state, and in each of our communities. While I wish that [...]
Food Bank pantry partner MESA demonstrates what it means to be a community food hub If you’ve ever spent time in Madison County, you’ve heard about the flood. In 1995, a thunderstorm stalled in the mountains and released a deluge on the rolling hills and farmland below. Flash flooding claimed three lives, and many more lost everything they had to the storm. Crisis is [...]
“It’ll take a lifetime to give back all that was given to me,” Sally Latimer said at the start of another busy day at the Monacan Indian Nation Food Bank in Amherst, which works with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Sally and her team of four were preparing for a contactless distribution, serving [...]
By Sarah Mallan As someone who works closely with events that benefit the Food Bank, I’ve missed being able to get together in person. But I’ve also been inspired by the many people who have found ways to continue to support the Food Bank over the past year. From virtual races to online fund [...]
An intentional activity in advance of Mental Health Action Day Many of us have struggled this year, and some are still struggling (an understatement!). This includes struggles with mental health issues. While we can take many actions for our wellbeing, serving other people is a win-win. That’s not a secret, but how can we [...]
When I volunteered to read through 40 years’ worth of minutes from the Food Bank’s Board of Directors meetings, my reasons were simple: I wanted to have an inside look at how this all started. I wanted to understand the “big picture.” I knew it’d be exciting to help prepare for the Food Bank’s [...]
Are you a supporter—a donor or volunteer—and interested in learning more about the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank? Discover our work alongside Leigh Kirchner, our director of development and donor relations, as she journeys through her first year in food banking. This is the third in a series of blog posts from Leigh in [...]
This month marks a year of historic hardship for all of us—but especially for the families we serve. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every part of our lives. And for our clients, the changes have been significant, including loss of wages, housing instability, and lack of regular access to nutritious food. Over the course [...]
The vision of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is that everyone has enough to eat. We are also aware that food insecurity often resides alongside the need for affordable housing. A community partnership between the Food Bank and the Windy Hill Foundation, located in the Lord Fairfax service region, addresses both critical needs. [...]