As need grows, River City Bread Basket plans expansion of Winchester Avenue pantry

LIFEworks Project has shared its plans for a revitalized River City Bread Basket that should help the Waynesboro food pantry better serve the community. With inflation on the rise, unemployment up and supplemental programs facing more restrictions and cutbacks, the need is greater than ever to fight food insecurity in the region.

When LIFEworks purchased the 505 N. Winchester Avenue property in August, the nonprofit said it hoped to double the size of the building to add community space for educational classes and to create a better flow for shoppers and deliveries.

This week, it shared a three-phase makeover designed to transform the building to meet those needs.

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ICYMI

• Waynesboro allocates $100K from vitality fund to address housing, food insecurity
• LIFEworks Project purchases property for its food pantry, eyes expansion
• Waynesboro: LIFEworks Project gets green light to purchase food pantry property

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The planned work includes:

• Enhancing the entrance and signage
• Expand the pantry and service area and improve storage
• Equip the space with amenities to meet the broader need of the community including a larger kitchen and improved delivery areas

To complete the makeover, the nonprofit has created a fundraising campaign it calls “Make Room at the Table.”

The goal and specific details of the campaign have not been shared, but the organization said it would release more information soon.

“We hope you’ll join us as we turn this building into what it’s always meant to be: a place where the whole community has a seat at the table,” the nonprofit shared in a newsletter.

LIFEworks odds and ends

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• A public hearing will be offered Monday night at the Waynesboro City Council meeting to receive comment on the LIFEworks Project’s application for a real estate and personal property tax exemption.
• The River City Bread Basket serves approximately 600 people per month through the pantry and mobile distribution to Staunton and Waynesboro.
• The LIFEworks Project was the recipient of $20,000 from the City of Waynesboro as part of the ONE Waynesboro initiative to boost housing and food insecurity supports in the city.
• The second annual Harvesting Hope Food Drive is currently under way with collection bins at businesses in the region.

In 2025, the River City Bread Basket has:

• Provided 217,728 pounds of food (including 117,729 pounds recovered from Feeding America retail partners)
• Delivered food valued at $380,488, equaling 181,440 meals for local families
• Served 2,497 unique individuals, including 656 children