Devils Backbone Brewing Co. has partnered with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank on a new food-delivery van.
The Fresh Food Express ensures neighbors and families experiencing food insecurity across the Verona-based food bank’s 25-county, eight-city service area have access to healthy options. With the food bank on track to deliver more than 33 million pounds of food this fiscal year ending June 30, the Fresh Food Express plays a role in reaching underserved communities and smaller food pantries.
This collaboration reinforces the organization’s commitment to supporting local people with access to nutritious food, according to a statement from Devils Backbone, a Roseland-based craft brewery and distillery owned by multinational beverage company Anheuser-Busch InBev.
“Born and bred in the Blue Ridge Mountains, supporting our local communities is at the heart of what we do at Devils Backbone,” Megan Tuttle, Devils Backbone general manager, said in a statement. “We are honored to support our longtime partner with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in this important effort to ensure fresh, healthy food reaches our neighbors throughout the area.”
Large trucks aren’t practical for small, frequent deliveries, and to improve efficiency and ensure food safety, the food bank added the “nimble” refrigerated van to its fleet specifically to deliver fresh foods for distribution, the statement says.
“We are thrilled to introduce the Fresh Food Express van and extend our mission of providing fresh, healthy food to areas that need it most,” Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, is quoted in the statement. “Thanks to the generosity of Devils Backbone Brewing Company and another longtime donor The Perry Foundation, we can reach more families and provide them with essential nutrition.”
Devils Backbone was founded in 2008. Outside of its Roseland Basecamp Brewpub, it has locations in Lexington and Charlottesville.
The Verona-based Blue Ridge Area Food Bank has a service area that spans the counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna Frederick, Greene, Highland, Loudoun, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Page, Rappahannock, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren as well as the cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester. Each month, it supports an average of 148,200 guest visits through a network of nearly 400 community partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and program sites.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com