Pamela Irvine, President and CEO of Feeding America Southwest Virginia was recently honored with the John van Hengel Fellowship award during Feeding America national’s annual conference.

Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, presented the 2018 Hunger’s Hope Awards, which included the John van Hengel Fellowship, at their annual conference last week in Tampa, Florida.

The award honors the ideals of the late John van Hengel, who developed the concept of food banking in the 1960s. It recognizes a CEO of a member food bank for his or her excellence in leadership, local impact and national influence, and commitment and entrepreneurial spirit in the area of hunger relief.

Irvine is the president and CEO of Feeding America Southwest Virginia and has served for 37 years.

“Pamela has demonstrated unwavering compassion, dedication and leadership in the anti-hunger movement,” said Matt Knott, President of Feeding America national. “She established and grew Southwest Virginia’s first food bank from a one-room operation to the largest provider of meals for struggling families in a 26-county region. Over the years, she has not only helped feed many people in her community, but also invested in the success of leaders and partnerships throughout the country, moving us closer to truly ending hunger in America.”

“I’m extraordinarily proud to receive this honor, especially since I knew John van Hengel,” said Irvine. “Feeding the hungry is my passion and to be recognized in the name of this foundational hunger-relief leader is truly humbling.”

-Submitted by Jenny Doud, Vice President of External Affairs