Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Thanks Community for Providing 869,723 Meals on GivingTuesday

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Thanks Community for Providing 869,723 Meals on GivingTuesday

Verona, VA — December 3, 2025 — The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is proud to share the results of this year’s GivingTuesday campaign. Thanks to the community’s generosity and matching gifts from two local families, enough was raised to provide 869,723 meals for families, children, and seniors across the Blue Ridge.

This achievement comes at a critical time. Following the government shutdown, recent cuts to SNAP benefits, and rising costs for necessities like food, housing, and health care, more Virginians than ever are seeking help. Funds raised during the Food Bank’s GivingTuesday campaign ensure that neighbors living with hunger will have fresh, nutritious food on their tables this holiday season.

“We are humbled by the amazing response from our community,” said Kari Diener, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “Your donations unlocked matching gifts, raising enough to provide 869,723 meals. You showed what’s possible when we come together with care, ensuring more neighbors have fresh, nutritious food and the comfort of knowing they are not alone. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and compassion.”

Meeting Urgent Needs

  • 1 in 9 neighbors in the Blue Ridge area faces food insecurity.
  • GivingTuesday support ensures nourishing food during the holiday season.
  • Every donation provides meals and fresh produce for families in need.
  • Just $1 helps provide more than three meals.

A Community United

This milestone reflects the compassion and resilience of the Blue Ridge community. “Because of your support, we reached our goal—ensuring that more neighbors living with hunger continue to have access to nourishing food,” Diener added.

About Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization serving western and central Virginia. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank serves 25 counties and 8 cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester, and its headquarters in Verona. Each month, the Food Bank supports an average of 171,200 guest visits, reaching record numbers of Virginians through a network of 400 community partners—food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and program sites. As a partner food bank of Feeding America®, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank pledges to continue innovating and adapting to secure, store, and distribute more food to more individuals, families, children, and seniors experiencing hunger. For more information, visit www.brafb.org.

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Contact: Les Sinclair
434-962-5403
lsinclair@brafb.org
www.brafb.org