Feed More

Learn how we're working alongside our distribution partners to address the increased need for food assistance and help our neighbors impacted by the recent Boar's Head plant closure in Jarratt, VA. And if you, or someone you know, needs help with food, please call our Hunger Hotline (804-237-8617; Monday- Friday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.) or visit our online Agency Locator to get connected to the food and resources you need! https://lnkd.in/ejM-ACg7

Today is the 57th anniversary of our very first Meals on Wheels delivery! From our start back in 1967 delivering meals to just eight neighbors, to more than 10 million Meals on Wheels served in 2024, our mission has remained the same: providing our region’s senior and homebound neighbors with the nourishing meals they need to thrive and daily social interaction from our compassionate volunteers. Thank you to the generous supporters that have made this program a reality over the past five decades -- because of you, this program delivers so much more than just a meal for our neighbors in need! Learn more about our Meals on Wheels program and get involved today: https://lnkd.in/eMkiZydp

We’re proud to have Publix Super Markets Charities as a committed partner in the fight against hunger in Central Virginia! 💚 As part of its Day of Service, Publix Charities donated over 40,000 pounds of healthy produce, lean proteins, nonperishable goods and more to support our Mobile Pantry program. Additionally, local Publix associates volunteered to support our hunger-fighting mission, distributing food to neighbors in need at a local Mobile Pantry distribution, and preparing and packaging meals in Feed More’s Steve and Sara Bayard Community Kitchen. 🍽 Thank you Publix Super Markets Charities for your continued support! 👏

We’re proud to work alongside more than 400 distribution partners across Central Virginia to get healthy, seasonally available food like these delicious-looking apples into the hands of the neighbors we serve! Our distribution model works like this: food flows daily from our Distribution Center, out to our partner food pantries and nonprofits across 34 Central Virginia cities and counties, and then directly to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Because of this, we were able to distribute more than 35 million pounds of wholesome food, including 20 million pounds of fresh produce, to those we serve last year alone!

“Ultimately, it’s about the whole health and well-being of the neighbor.” Learn all about how we work with our hunger-fighting partners at Walnut Hill Pharmacy in Petersburg and UnitedHealthcare to help neighbors living with diet-related diseases through medically-tailored grocery deliveries in this recent Food Bank News article! Hunger and health are inextricably linked — and as our Health Initiatives Director Allison Hallberg explains, this collaboration helped patients to better manage their diseases, improve health outcomes, and make important lifestyle and diet changes: https://lnkd.in/eBHnQhzU

Neighbors helping neighbors is a part of our ethos here at Feed More. And as our Director of Product Sourcing Laura Gambrel shares, we were thrilled to be able to help our neighbors at the Richmond SPCA fill their Pet Pantry. Learn more about this donation and what it means to the SPCA and the pet guardians they help. "We strive to not only care for the pets, but also the people, and such a vital part of serving the community and those guardians is keeping the pets with the ones that love them." - Katie Henderson, Stewardship and Data Specialist with the SPCA

A heartfelt thank you to this fun crew for donating their time and talents to our mission! Want to be like this awesome group? Getting your company together to volunteer in our Bayard Community Kitchen is a fantastic opportunity to step out of the office, roll up your sleeves and make a meaningful impact for our Central Virginia neighbors in need! Learn more and explore what's possible --> FeedMore.org/volunteer #Volunteer #GiveBack #Community #FeedMore

“By 2030, Gen Z is projected to become the predominant demographic in all regions, with the highest documented rate of food insecurity compared to any generation in recent history… Educating students about SNAP is essential.” As Regina Harmon and Lucy Shanker explain in this recent Food Bank News op-ed, food insecurity is hitting many college students and young adults hard, with some feeling forced to make tough decisions between healthy groceries and other expenses. Food insecurity is everywhere in our community and affects everyone: young to old, rural to urban. That's why we work to make nutritious food easily accessible for everyone through our range of hunger-fighting programs, frontline partner agencies, SNAP application assistance and more. https://lnkd.in/eBXBbd5D

A heartfelt thank you to our friends at the John Randolph Foundation for hosting us last week! Part of our monthly Impact Session series, this event was aimed at Tri-Cities food pantries and health care organizations, and aimed to share tips about how we work to cultivate our robust volunteer program. As always, we love getting out into our community and sharing more about how folks can give and get help!

Oftentimes, our work brings us out into the communities we serve, and we are fortunate to meet some incredible people, like this neighbor! Janie, who visits the Project Care-For food pantry in Clarksville, tells us the assistance she receives was a big help for her and her husband when the cost of their rent and utilities increased dramatically. "It has been a blessing because for a while we were going through a financial crisis and I was really torn up. And when I first came over here and put the application in, I had to just cry and cry because they said, ‘Yeah, I can help you.’ I was on top of the world!”