Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Salem Area Ministries has distributed nearly $25,000 in grant funding and community donations to support local feeding initiatives, including school food pantry programs serving students and families in the Salem and Glenvar areas.
The funding was provided through partnerships with the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, the Edgar A. Thurman Charitable Foundation for Children, Salem Moose Lodge Family Center 2573, the Presbytery of the Peaks through its Two Cents-A-Meal grant, the Salem Rotary Club and the The Louise R. Lester Foundation.
Grant funds will be used to purchase food and essential supplies for participating school food pantries, helping ensure that at-risk and economically disadvantaged students and their families have dependable access to nutritious meals. Funding allocations are based on each school’s enrollment and the percentage of students identified as economically disadvantaged.
“On behalf of the SAM Board of Directors and our many partner churches and community organizations, we are deeply grateful for the generosity that makes this work possible,” said Garry Lautenschlager, administrator of Salem Area Ministries. “Together, we are blessed to support local children and families experiencing food insecurity. Our most precious asset is our children, and this investment helps ensure they are nourished, supported, and able to thrive.”
