A Waynesboro church donated 30,000 pounds of frozen meat products to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank on Monday, an amount that should provide more than 90,000 individual meat servings.
Boss move here from the Waynesboro Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with grocery prices rising, and the cuts for hunger-relief programs in the Trump administration’s Big, Beautiful Bill, which, notably, took $186 billion from SNAP to offset tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
“Our contribution to the food bank is a tangible expression of our mission to ‘love one another;’ as the Savior commanded,” said Jason Papin, president of the Waynesboro Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “One way we love others is by working with wonderful organizations like the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to meet the immediate needs of our neighbors with compassion and action, as we strive to alleviate suffering and build a stronger, more caring community.”
The donated food was produced, packaged and distributed through the Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City — part of the Church’s global welfare and humanitarian system. This network includes farms, canneries, and distribution centers funded by member donations and operated largely by volunteers.
The donation includes pork, beef and ground beef, all packaged and stored according to USDA food‑safety standards.
The food will go to low‑income households, seniors, children and individuals experiencing economic hardship in the Food Bank’s service area in Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Lynchburg, and surrounding areas.
“A protein donation of this size makes an immediate and powerful difference in how we can help nourish the communities we serve,” said Greg Knight, Senior Director of Food Sourcing Programs at the Verona-based Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which supports an average of 171,200 monthly guest visits, partnering with more than 400 community organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and program sites.
“We are grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their generosity and for trusting us to help make sure these resources reach the neighbors who need them most,” Knight said.
For more information about the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank or to learn how to support hunger‑relief efforts, visit www.brafb.org.
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Chris Graham
