Get Involved as 
a Pantry Partner

Imagine a future where everyone has enough to eat. Where disparities in access to nutritious food are addressed through a thriving, diverse network of community-based food assistance providers. Where every one of our neighbors has nourishing food and good health—every day.

Just imagine.

We can do it together. When you join our charitable food network of 200+ pantries, our collective impact grows. We increase access to nutritious food, improve health, and support broader household financial stability.

We invite your organization to join us in this mission.

When you become a partner in the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank network, you play an important role in making sure all our neighbors have enough to eat. The benefits of membership include:

Benefits of Partnership

• Access to free, diverse food resources—available through the Food Bank, USDA, and local grocery stores
• 25% discount on the cost of purchased food that we buy at lower costs, leveraging economies of scale
• Capacity support through our Partner Impact and Innovation Grants. We fund things like cold storage, equipment, language tools, vehicles, community gardens, and making spaces welcoming for guests
• Opportunity to join the Healthy Pantry Initiative— a statewide movement that promotes 20 healthy pantry practices to best serve the unique needs of guests
• Partner Town Halls to build connections, share best practices, troubleshoot challenges, and learn from pantry peers
• Other training and support to enhance partner capability to best serve their community

Partner Impact & Innovation Grants

Each year, we invest in our network through our Partner Impact and Innovation (PII) grants. These critical funds help our partners distribute more food, increase their distribution of fresh foods, welcome guests in a dignified and welcoming space, harness technology to work more efficiently, and more. Thanks to donor support, over the past eight years we’ve invested around $5 million to help our distribution network grow their local impact and innovate their services.
If you’d like to see the impact of these grants, see our latest Impact Report.

• Pantries must practice proper food safety and follow guidelines.
• Pantries are required to use Link2Feed software to maintain records of guest intake and service distribution.
• The Food Bank will visit the pantry at least once per year to review food safety/handling, guest eligibility, and discuss how the Food Bank can best support the organization.
• Pantries will agree to attend all mandatory trainings and meetings presented by the Food Bank, which typically occur once or twice a year (digital options available).
• Pantries must be exempt from taxation under Section 501(c) 3 of the IRS and demonstrate they serve guests in need who currently are or are at risk of becoming food insecure.

We are here to help

Do you have questions about becoming a pantry partner? Please reach out at partners@brafb.org and we’ll help you take the first steps in what we promise will be a fulfilling journey.