Feeding Southwest Virginia hosted approximately 30 elected officials at its distribution center in Salem Sept. 18 as part of an effort to raise awareness of hunger and food insecurity during Hunger Action Month.
The annual event gives elected officials from across the region an opportunity to volunteer at the food bank and learn more about hunger while supporting anti-hunger efforts.
Feeding Southwest Virginia relies on multiple federally funded programs to provide food to an average of 129,000 people each month. One example is the Senior Box Kitting program, which sources food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
More than half of the food bank’s approximately 275 agency partners also depend on its inventory of USDA food to serve people in their communities.
The food bank also uses federal support for its Summer Food Service Program, which provides hundreds of thousands of meals to children each summer.
“Feeding people truly is a passion,” said Pamela Irvine, president and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia. “It requires engagement across every city and county we serve.”
“Whether you serve on city council, as a sheriff, on the General Assembly, or on the Senate, we are grateful to you for partnering alongside us,” Irvine said. “You’ve helped us stay open for 45 years and continue to feed over 129,000 neighbors every month.”
Among the elected officials attending were Congressman Ben Cline and Delegates Sam Rasoul and Lily Franklin. Elected officials from Salem, Roanoke, Roanoke County, Montgomery County and Henry County also attended.
The officials worked together to sort, inspect and bag potatoes for distribution to people across Southwest Virginia.
Feeding Southwest Virginia is a partner food bank of Feeding America.
-The Salem Times-Register
