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Community, local leaders rally together to fight food insecurity in region

Crystal Graham
shop to stop hunger event BRAFB food insecurity
Image courtesy Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

The community rallied behind five local leaders to collect food that will be distributed to families in need through the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

Tate Love, Tony Davenport, Christine Flory, Dr. Eric Irizarry and Pamela Snyder led the fundraising effort by encouraging friends and colleagues to sponsor them by donating food or funds.

The “Shop to Stop Hunger” event resulted in nearly 40,000 meals to help fight food insecurity in the region.

The fundraising event included a collection drive with bins in each participant’s name at the Kroger in Staunton. It concluded on Thursday with a 60-second sweep where each participant had 60 seconds to fill a cart with the most groceries.

Love took home the “Cart Away Hunger” trophy as the top fundraiser in the group.

In total, the event resulted in 38,234 meals.

“Events like this remind us of what’s possible when a community rallies around a shared mission,” said Kari Diener, CEO of BRAFB.

“The donations raised will provide immediate relief and a sense of hope for households living with hunger.”

Since 2013, Shop to Stop Hunger has provided more than 956,000 meals to people and families across the Blue Ridge region. With donations still coming in, the effort may officially reach the one million milestone in meals.


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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]