Car club collects food for Food Bank
The Shenandoah Valley British Car Club will collect donations of nonperishable food and monies for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank at its 29th annual British Car Show.
The car show is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro.
The event coincides with Apple Days weekend in Downtown Waynesboro and attracts approximately 150 British cars to Ridgeview Park.
The club collected more than $2,250 in money donations and hundreds of pounds of food at its show last year.
For more information on the effort, go online at www.svbcc.net.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Hunger Action Month
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is part of a national movement to raise awareness and take action to fight hunger in America. September is Hunger Action Month, and today marks the launch of hunger-fighting activities and hunger awareness initiatives in the community.
Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, including the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, is working to engage citizens to take action through the 30 Ways in 30 Days campaign. Individuals are asked to pledge their way to make a difference, and take part in the fight against hunger in America. In addition, throughout the month, there will be doable, daily “ways” to take action posted on the Hunger Action Month website thirty days, thirty featured ways along with many additional suggestions for getting involved.
Nationwide, more than 49 million Americans suffer from food insecurity. But hunger’s impact is felt by many more than the millions living with food insecurity: hunger impacts child development, health and wellness, education, workforce development – our general welfare as a nation. It is also an issue right here in our community, and at the local level, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank works to combat hunger and aid the 59,000 people seeking food assistance right here in the Central Shenandoah Valley.
Throughout September, there will be opportunities to get involved. These opportunities will range from social media initiatives to events, family activity suggestions, and ways to volunteer or support the work the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank does every day.
National sponsors of Hunger Action Month include Kraft Foods, Macy’s, The Cheesecake Factory and United Airlines.
Individuals who want to learn more, find a 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar, or take a My Way Pledge can visit the www.brafb.org.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Food Bank participates in summer food program
Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank will participate in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, sponsoring 25 feeding sites June through August for children at risk of going hungry in Augusta and Rockingham counties and the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro and Harrisonburg.
The Summer Food Service Program is designed to reach children who may not get nutritious meals at home over the summer, particularly students who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year. Read more
Food Bank: More demand on child-hunger programs
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
While area school districts have experienced a spike in enrollment in the free- and reduced-price lunch program, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank has seen an equally sharp rise in its own child-hunger programs. Read more
Focus | A hand up to local agencies
Augusta Health Foundation monies help agencies help those most in need
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Running a food pantry isn’t easy even when times are supposedly good. Try getting enough food in to help those who are in need when things aren’t so good.
“These organizations didn’t see a commensurate increase in donations to help them pay their bills,” said Michael McKee, the vice president of planning and development at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which with the aid of the Augusta Health Foundation set up a program to help food pantries and soup kitchens in the Greater Augusta area purchase needed foodstuffs. Read more
Boy Scouts using Halloween to collect for Food Bank
There’s a different sort of trick or treating going on this Halloween! The Boy Scouts in the Valley and Charlottesville will be “Scouting for Food” this Saturday. Scouts will drop by homes, collect food left by residents at their doorsteps and bring the donations to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
“Scouting for Food” begins early morning and ends late afternoon. Scouts will be dropping off food at our truck at Martin’s in Harrisonburg, in addition to our main Food Bank locations in Verona and Charlottesville. Read more
Help St. John’s help the hungry
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Waynesboro is using its annual Parish Fair scheduled for Saturday, June 13, to help the hungry.
Preceding the 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fair is an 8-11 a.m. event called Stop Hunger Now! where volunteers will pack 15,000 meals for hungry people around the globe. The church is asking for interested volunteers to come out and assist the effort. It is estimated that it will take 50 volunteers to make Stop Hunger Now! a success. Read more
