Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce and Feeding Southwest Virginia hosted a drive-through food drive Friday at the Salem Civic Center, collecting more than 13,000 pounds of food and over $1,000 in cash donations. The contributions are expected to provide more than 10,000 meals for local families in need.
The event is part of the state’s “Virginia Cares” initiative, launched by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to help residents affected by a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. At the time the event was organized, Feeding Southwest Virginia said additional community support is critical to meet rising demand.
Amanda Livingston, president of the chamber, said the response exceeded expectations. “We had tremendous response and collected over 13,000 pounds of food, which equates to over 10,000 meals,” Livingston said. “A big thank you to the community responding to our call. We are so amazed by the generosity of our community—individuals and companies alike.”
Feeding Southwest Virginia reports that needs have increased by more than 30% across its network of 400 pantries. In the Roanoke area, one in seven residents faces hunger.
The Chamber and Feeding Southwest Virginia encouraged community members to help by volunteering, dropping off donations, sharing the event on social media, setting up collection boxes at workplaces, or offering monetary gifts. Items requested included canned meat, vegetables, fruit, rice, beans, peanut butter, pasta, soup, and 100% juice.
The Chamber noted that local businesses and volunteers played a key role in the drive’s success, and media coverage helped boost awareness.
Residents who missed Friday’s drive are still encouraged to support the effort by dropping off food or making donations to Feeding Southwest Virginia.
