Feeding Southwest Virginia and its network of community partners provided 476,862 meals and 9,791 snacks to children across the region during the summer, nourishing 6,535 children through a variety of summer feeding programs.
“The current need in Southwest Virginia is heartbreaking,” said Brandon Comer, director of children’s programs for Feeding Southwest Virginia. Recent data cited by the organization indicates that 55% of residents in Southwest Virginia face hunger, with that figure increasing to 70% among households with children.
“Our impact this summer was guided by many hands — staff, volunteers, community partners,” Comer said. “We all worked together to meet the immense need we see in this region. I am thankful for everyone who contributed this past summer to help reach kids who need help.”
Feeding Southwest Virginia used traditional meal programs as well as partnerships designed to reach children in rural and underserved communities.
Through a partnership with Amazon and No Kid Hungry, approximately 3,325 children received 138,313 meals in Craig, Floyd, Montgomery, Dickenson, Wise, Lee, Russell and Wythe counties.
The organization also distributed 28,302 meals through its Children’s Feeding Kitchens in Salem and Abingdon. Each meal included milk, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and protein.
Access to fresh produce was another focus of the summer programs. Feeding Southwest Virginia hosted 35 Kids Farmers Markets, providing 1,489 children with access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The markets distributed a total of 15,553 pounds of fresh produce.
Feeding Southwest Virginia will continue working with its network of community partners throughout the year to address childhood hunger.
Feeding Southwest Virginia is a partner food bank of Feeding America. For more than 40 years, the organization has worked to nourish neighbors, engage community partners and develop solutions to address food insecurity.
The food bank secures and distributes more than 20 million pounds of food annually through 275 agency partners operating more than 400 meal programs across its 26-county and nine-city service region.
-The Salem Times-Register
