Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hundreds of area children receive nutritious food every week during summer break through USDA program.  

Verona, Va. (May 15, 2026) – The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is participating in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), sponsoring 23 locations starting in late May, helping ensure that children across the region have access to nutritious food to fuel their learning, play, and growth.

One in seven (1 in 7) children in Virginia is food insecure. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to reach children who may not have access to nutritious meals at home over the summer break. Students receiving free or reduced-price meals when school is in session are at particular risk.

The Food Bank provides wholesome breakfast items, vegetables, fruit, protein-rich dishes, and snacks to organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, summer school programs, churches, and recreation programs. This nutritious food is provided to all eligible children without charge, helping children thrive and stay on track for healthy development.

During this summer program, the Food Bank will serve approximately 550 children through SFSP, across its 25-county service area.

Below is a list of sites offering Summer Food Service Programs:

*Sites may require registration as they are daycare providers or camps. These sites are required by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to be listed.
**Meals To-Go, rural non-congregate meal sites. Meal kits will be distributed between 5/26/2026 and 8/8/2026 on a first-come, first-served basis, and will include five (5) breakfasts and five (5) suppers per meal kit.

For details about SFSP, visit the Food Bank’s website at http://www.brafb.org/sfsp.

Families who need food assistance can access the Food Bank’s “Food Finder” tool to locate local food pantries. Go to www.brafb.org/FoodFinder

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
   2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
   3.         email:
   program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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.

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