OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE & STATUS

The following outlines the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This statement will be updated periodically.

June 16, 2022

How is the Food Bank responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession?

Each month prior to the pandemic, the Food Bank provided enough food for about 1.8 million meals to an average of 115,390 people experiencing food insecurity across 25 counties and eight cities in central and western Virginia. That number soared to 141,000 in May 2020. While that number has subsided, we are still serving an average of 118,000 individuals in the Blue Ridge every month. The food we distribute is typically passed through a network of 207 community partners—food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters—and 187 program sites serving children, seniors, and families. We are grateful for the resilience of this network.

How are we protecting the health and safety of our community members?

As we do our best to protect the health and safety of all staff, volunteers, and visitors, we continue to make decisions based on CDC and Virginia Department of Health guidelines.

All locations of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank are mask optional at this time. Each individual can follow their preference on wearing a mask or face covering. We fully support those individuals who wish to continue wearing masks or face coverings when visiting Food Bank facilities and distributions.

Be assured that we continue to take the spread of COVID-19 very seriously. If hospitalizations surge, if a new health emergency is declared, or if we experience serious disruptions in operations due to COVID, we will revisit this policy on masking and other safety measures.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, and for doing your part to respond, adapt, and help keep yourself and others safe.

We’re also continuing the following activities:

  • providing guidance, technical assistance, and direct support to our food pantry and program partners so that they can continue meeting the needs of neighbors who come to their doors
  • acquiring food from multiple sources to distribute through our community food distribution network and nutrition programs
  • coordinating responses with other community organizations in the Virginia Voluntary Organizations Acting in Disasters (VOAD) coalition
  • building awareness to help people find local food assistance
  • working with community partners to assess and respond to the needs of especially vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, people who are homebound, and workers who may not have access to unemployment insurance, such as immigrants and refugees

We are committed to making sure everyone has enough to eat, no matter what.

You can learn additional details about our pandemic response and the impact we’ve had, working together, here.

What to do before visiting the Food Bank or a local food pantry or meal program

If you are in need of food assistance, please use our website search tool at www.brafb.org/find-help to find your nearest local food pantry. Our food finder tool also provides helpful information to help you prepare for a pantry visit.

If you want to help the Food Bank or our partner food pantries, here’s what you can do…

If there’s any silver lining in our new normal, it’s the evidence that we live and work in communities where people care about each other and about folks in need. If you are in a position to help those most impacted by this pandemic, here are some ideas:

  • Volunteer – If you are healthy and willing to share your time and energy, thank you for sharing those gifts at a local food pantry near you or at the Food Bank when opportunities arise. We update our online volunteer calendar frequently, and we have roles for volunteers outside our facilities (Specialized Volunteers). Create a volunteer account and we’ll contact you as needs arise, or you can check back often. (VIEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES)
  • Engage others –Share our emails; engage with our posts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter; or consider creating an online drive (virtual food!) or Facebook fundraiser to benefit the Food Bank. The more we work together, the stronger we will all be on the other side of this. (BE A HUNGER HERO)
  • Donate money – Making a financial gift—left unrestricted for the Food Bank to use where the need is greatest—will give us flexibility to respond as things change. Typically, we can provide 4 meals for every $1 contributed; thank you for sharing what you can. (DONATE HERE)