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All branches of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank will be closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday. If you need access to food, please call 211 or visit our FoodFinder to find free groceries near you.

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Black Leaders Who Shaped Our Food Assistance Programs

By Abby Hazekamp

School Breakfast Program Take the federal School Breakfast Program as a prime example. It was the Black Panther Party who, in the late 1960s, recognized the devastating impact of child hunger on Black communities. Ericka Huggins, a former leader of the Black Panther Party, played a key role in implementing the Free Breakfast for Children … Continued

Why We Need You More Than Ever

By Richard Alblas

In the last three years, the Food Bank and its network have seen a sharp increase in the number of people visiting a pantry for the first time. A perfect storm for our partner network It’s not just families struggling. The Food Bank and our community partners are facing a perfect storm. With demand for … Continued

How You Can Help Bridge the Holiday Gap

By Abby Hazekamp

Here’s what you can do As the holidays approach, there are many ways you can make a difference for families living with food insecurity. Here are three ideas: “Not so long ago, we had to sell our couch to get money for groceries. And when that money ran out, we sold the kitchen table as … Continued

Charity or Medicine? The Evolving Role of Food Banking

By Richard Alblas

Food banking is always evolving As CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, I can attest that our organization has evolved dramatically over the past few decades, especially the past 10 years. What began as a humble effort to provide emergency food assistance 43 years ago, has grown into a much larger organization, and … Continued

Food Is Medicine: How Food Banking Is Transforming to Transform Lives

By bryan

Meet Jessica and Juliza Jessica (right) and her daughter Juliza (left) visit the Neighborhood Produce Market in Harrisonburg to pick up free groceries for her household. She shares, “Everything is so expensive. Getting the fruits and vegetables here makes it easier on me to provide some food for my kids.” Jessica relies on the Neighborhood Produce Market … Continued

Honoring a Visionary and Forward-thinking CEO

By bryan

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank CEO Michael McKee is the 2024 recipient of the John van Hengel Fellowship Award. That award, commonly referred to as the highest honor in food banking, recognizes a food bank executive in the Feeding America network for excellence in leadership, local impact, national influence, and entrepreneurial spirit in the area … Continued