Chew On This
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is celebrating a milestone; the Mobile Food Pantry (MFP) turned 15 years old in 2025. This milestone is also a celebration of the Food Bank’s commitment to showing up when needed, for the duration.
Back in 2010, the idea was simple but bold: put a pantry on wheels and bring healthy food directly to neighbors who can’t easily reach traditional pantries. Today, the Mobile Food Pantry (MFP) is more than a program; it’s a lifeline for thousands of our rural neighbors.
As it turns out, this bold idea has changed the way we solve hunger in rural communities.
15 years, thousands served
What started with a few sites in Albemarle, Buckingham, and Nelson counties has grown into a network of 10 locations across our service area, from Arrington to Timberville, and from Highland to Scottsville.
In FY25 alone, the MFP distributed more than 1 million pounds of food, including 627,000 pounds of fresh produce, to 50,419 individuals in 24,641 households. Nearly 42 percent of those served were seniors, and 20 percent were children. On average, the MFP reaches around 2,000 families each month.
Why it matters
“Families living in rural areas face extensive barriers to food access, such as a lack of grocery stores, food pantries, and transportation,” said Colleen Berger, Programs Manager at the Food Bank.
“Mobile Food Pantries provide a vital source of healthy foods for these families, while creating a space to connect with neighbors. This program is known in the community as a place anyone can receive a warm welcome and healthy foods without judgment.”
Voices from the road
Berlin, a retiree who visits the MFP in Timberville, sums up what this program means to him:
“My finances aren’t the greatest, so this really helps. Just keep these things going in the valley here. It’s very much needed, especially these days.”
Rain or shine, dedicated volunteers make this program possible
It’s not an understatement to say that the Mobile Food Pantry program is able to reach thousands of our neighbors thanks to the busy hands of dedicated volunteers. Without them, the wheels would literally stop turning.
“Without our volunteers, the Food Bank simply wouldn’t be able to provide food to more than 2,000 rural families each month,” said Berger.
“Mobile Food Pantry volunteers show up in the cold, rainy days of winter and the hot, humid days of summer. Their warmth and kindness welcome anyone who needs food, and they often make deliveries after a distribution to ensure that their homebound or working neighbors have access to the food they need,” Berger said. “The Mobile Food Pantry program is only successful because of these dedicated volunteers working to ensure that their neighbors have enough to eat.”
More than food
The MFP isn’t just about groceries, it’s about dignity, hope, and health. In the early days, the focus of the program was to deliver calories to those who were hungry. Now, there’s a strong focus on not just food, but healthy food. Fresh fruits and vegetables help neighbors manage chronic conditions and help them stay out of hospitals. In other words, food is medicine.
Berlin uses the healthy foods he receives, to help manage his diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. His doctor advises more fruits and vegetables for his diet, and the mobile food distribution he frequents offers just that: apples, pears, zucchini, sweet potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, green peppers, alongside milk and frozen turkey.
Looking ahead
From its first trip in 2010 to today’s 15-year milestone, the Mobile Food Pantry has delivered more than food; it has delivered connection and care. Our trucks will continue to travel the backroads of the Blue Ridge as long as we’re needed.
And with your continued support, we’ll keep the wheels turning for years to come.
Learn more about the Mobile Food Pantry: www.brafb.org/program/mobile-distributions/.
