It is estimated that more than 800 million pounds of wholesome food is discarded from retail grocery stores in the U.S. each year. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank partners with grocery stores and other retailers to keep that food out of the waste stream and move it into homes in our community.
The Food Bank’s Branch Operations Manager works closely with store managers and receiving teams to identify food that is no longer shelf worthy but is still wholesome. From there, the food is picked up by the Food Bank’s refrigerated trucks or by our member agencies and distributed to neighbors in central and western Virginia.
In fiscal year 2025, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and our retail store donation program partners saved more than 11.5 million pounds of wholesome food from the waste stream.
Grocers who would like to donate should call Jessica Shover at 540-688-3351 to discuss a partnership. We will meet with your store management team to explain the value of donating and best donation practices.
