Blue Ridge Area Food Bank summer program doubles service numbers this year

Nearly double the number of guests were served this summer at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s Neighborhood Produce Market in Harrisonburg.

The number of guests this summer increased by 85.4 percent from 2022, with 4,952 visitors served, representing 1,101 households in Harrisonburg.

In summer 2022, 2,671 were served and 605 households were represented.

“Unfortunately, these days, increased numbers like this are not uncommon. There’s a quiet crisis happening in our communities where more and more people simply can’t afford the higher costs of gas, groceries, and housing. They are turning to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and our partners to supplement their food budget. We greatly appreciate our supporters who help us meet this need in our community,” said Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

A collaboration between the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and James Madison University’s Gus Bus, the market travels to Harrisonburg-area neighborhoods to provide fresh, free produce to community members who may face food insecurity. Neighborhood Produce Markets help families, children, and seniors facing food insecurity by offering wholesome foods all year.

The Food Bank visited 20 different neighborhoods in Harrisonburg this summer. Four stops were made each night, along with The Gus Bus, and each site was visited twice between June 21 and August 1, 2023.

Food distributed included seasonal Farm to Family and Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative mixed produce boxes as well as three or four bulk items, like cabbage, corn and cucumbers.

The Farm to Family program was created by t0he Federation of Virginia Food Banks to increase access to fresh produce for our neighbors facing hunger while supporting the hard-working and generous spirit of the Commonwealth’s growers.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative is a member-led regional produce cooperative of Feeding America Food Banks serving the Mid-Atlantic Region from Maine to Virginia.

The Food Bank, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Verona, serves an average of 109,500 per month in 25 counties and eight cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester and Verona.