Chew On This
Remember the days when a strong job market meant shorter lines at food pantries? Those days seem like a distant memory. Across western and central Virginia, we’re facing a strange paradox: historically low unemployment rates are colliding with record levels of food insecurity. Confused? You’re not alone.
The pandemic may be over, but its effects are still rippling through our region. Support programs like expanded Medicaid coverage and increased SNAP benefits, lifelines for many families, have vanished. Meanwhile, prices remain high for things like groceries, housing, and other everyday essentials. The result? More and more people are turning to food banks and food pantries for the first time, and many more are becoming increasingly reliant on our services to help make ends meet.
In the last three years, the Food Bank and its network have seen a sharp increase in the number of people visiting a pantry for the first time.
A perfect storm for our partner network
It’s not just families struggling. The Food Bank and our community partners are facing a perfect storm. With demand for food assistance at an all-time high, monetary resources are plateauing, and for many of our partners, significantly dropping. Community food donations are down, and federal and state funding that kept us afloat during the pandemic has dried up. To top it all off, many pantry volunteers, the beating heart of our collective operation, are feeling the strain of years of tireless service. Burnout is a real threat, especially among pantry leadership, jeopardizing the very network that makes access to nutritious food across our region possible.
Despite the challenges, we at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank refuse to give up. Why? Because we believe access to nutritious food isn’t a privilege, it’s a basic need and right for all. No child should ever have to go to bed hungry, and no older adult should be forced to choose between buying groceries and paying for their needed medications.
For a lot of people I know, it comes down to, am I going to pay rent, am I going to get medicine? So, the food is left out. And it’s sad. I thank everyone for having this, because there’s so many people in need, right now. It helps, it helps!
Building a path to stability
In partnership with a diverse network of nearly 400 community partners, we provide families with a lifeline – a diverse selection of healthy, nutritious food that allows them to stretch their limited budgets further. And now, with our expanded SNAP outreach program, we’re going a step further. We’re helping families navigate the application process and access long-term financial stability through these crucial government benefits. Together, these resources build the backbone of a strengthened social safety net.
This challenge is in our backyard. So too is the solution: Get involved today
Rising food insecurity isn’t some distant problem. It’s happening right here in your community – in the same neighborhoods we live, work, and play in. We need YOU to step up and in to be the solution. Donate your time, talents, and resources. Organize a food and fund drive with your colleagues, volunteer at a local food pantry, and align your skills to move our collective mission forward. Or, if you’re moved to do so, consider starting a food pantry to expand access to nutritious food in your community. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, can make a real and tangible difference.
Together, we can build a resilient community that can weather any storm. Together, we can ensure that our services are here for the long haul to eliminate disparities in access to nutritious foods, improve health, and support financial household stability. Thank you for being a part of our mission and for helping us realize our vision of nourishing food and good health –for everyone, every day.
To learn more about ways you can get involved today, click here
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