Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Community Members Race to Fill Shopping Carts for Hunger Relief
[Staunton, Va] — On Thursday, March 19, local community leaders, their supporters, and Kroger representatives joined forces at the “Shop to Stop Hunger” charity supermarket sweep to support their community through the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Held at Kroger in Staunton, the event raised enough food and funds to provide 38,234 meals. This event helps stock the Food Bank’s shelves and raise awareness about food insecurity in the Blue Ridge region.
During the exciting 60-second sweep, participants raced through the aisles, filling their carts to gather the most groceries. Tate Love took home the “Cart Away Hunger” trophy as the top fundraiser.
The event featured a great group of participants, including:
- Tony Davenport – Owner of DJ L3D and Board Member of the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge
- Christine Flory – Owner of Flory Fitness and Director of Wellness Initiatives at Mary Baldwin University
- Eric Irizarry – Superintendent, Staunton City Schools
- Tate Love – Attorney, Timberlake Smith
- Pamela Snyder – Central Feeding Ministry
“Events like this remind us of what’s possible when a community rallies around a shared mission,” said Kari Diener, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “The donations raised will provide immediate relief and a sense of hope for households living with hunger. We’re grateful to Kroger, every participant, and every donor who helped make this effort a success.”
Since it began in 2013, Shop to Stop Hunger has provided more than 956,000 meals to people and families across the Blue Ridge region. This year’s event will add at least 38,000 meals to that, and donations are still coming in.
Community members can keep supporting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s hunger relief efforts by donating online at https://www.brafb.org/event/stshstaunton2026/. Every dollar donated helps provide more than three meals.
Media Materials:
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Other media for your use (Please credit Blue Ridge Area Food Bank) – Media for STSH WR 2026
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About the 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 177,000 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.
About Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division
The Mid-Atlantic Division operates more than 100 stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic Division employs about 18,000 associates. Kroger is dedicated to eliminating hunger in the communities it serves through partnerships with nine Feeding America food banks and numerous local organizations. The grocer’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste efforts aim to end hunger in Kroger communities and eliminate waste in stores. Kroger also supports breast cancer research, the military, and their families, and more than 4,000 nonprofit organizations. Last year, Kroger Mid-Atlantic donated 16.5 million meals to charity and 3,606,296 pounds of food to food bank partners.
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Contact: Les Sinclair
434-962-5403
lsinclair@brafb.org
www.brafb.org
