Last month’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive brought in more than 91,000 pounds of food and $4,423 to help the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank keep pantry shelves stocked during the summer months.
The food drive, hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers on May 10, saw residents across the nonprofit food bank’s 25-county, eight-city service area leave donations in their mailboxes for letter carriers to collect. Volunteers stationed at post offices sorted and transported contributions to the food bank locations in Verona, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Winchester.
Lynchburg led the pack in donations, with 20,269 pounds. After that, came Winchester at 16,909 pounds, Waynesboro at 14,089 pounds, Staunton at 13,666 pounds, Harrisonburg at 12,449 pounds and Charlottesville at 8,452 pounds. An additional 6,875 pounds came from other sources.
“This food drive makes an incredible impact, arriving at a time when families need it the most,’’ said Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “The generosity of our community and the dedication of letter carriers and volunteers ensure that thousands of families have access to nourishing food throughout the summer.”
The summer is a difficult time for the hungry; school is not in session, placing a greater demand for food resources.
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
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