Chew On This
Thoughtful reflections on the work to solve hunger in central and western Virginia, and insights into the experiences of our neighbors in need, from Food Bank staff and guest contributors.
A “Culture of Collaboration”: Dinner Together in Front Royal
Written By: Jacob Matz, Partner Engagement Manager, Lord Fairfax Region At the Food Bank, we often say solving hunger is a community-wide effort and that we are better together. In my role, I see countless examples of the passion and drive that our network partners demonstrate every day to [...]
“It’s a Win-Win-Win:” Collaboration and Innovation Key to Advancing Health Equity
Written By: Maria Bowman, MPH, Director of Health Initiatives The first Nutrition Security and Health Summit was held in Richmond in April. Organized by the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, it was a truly incredible gathering of food bank staff, healthcare partners, funders, and community leaders. We were all [...]
Funding Grants to Build Network Capacity and Strengthen our Collective Impact
Written By: Tyler Herman, Director of Partner Engagement Over the last six years, the Food Bank, with the support of our generous donors, has been investing in the resilience and capacity of our partners through our Agency Capacity Fund. Through this Fund, we aim to help partners source the [...]
Good Food, Good Start: How You Are Helping Kids Succeed
[The following is a summary of material presented in a virtual CEO Forum event on March 31, 2022. You can watch the recording here.] In March 2022, we marked an anniversary we would rather forget: It has been two years since the onset of the pandemic. From March 2020 [...]
Growing Solutions to Impact Senior Hunger: Community Gardens
About 1 in 16 (6.2%) older Virginians are food insecure, according to Feeding America’s most recent Senior Hunger Study. Among those we serve, seniors face varied and unique challenges. These include specific dietary needs, declining health and mobility, social isolation, stigma associated with accessing food assistance, and limited options [...]
Women and Food Insecurity: Strength in Adversity
Women are strong, compassionate, and resilient. Yet, despite decades of progress in gender equality, women disproportionately experience hunger and poverty compared to American men. As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic crisis, an elevated need for food assistance is being fueled by an uneven economic recovery, especially [...]