Feeding Southwest Virginia was proud to host approximately 25 elected officials and guests at its Distribution Center in Abingdon.
September is Hunger Action Month, and one way the Food Bank raises awareness of food insecurity is by offering elected officials of the region an opportunity to volunteer and champion strong anti-hunger policies.
Of the 26 counties served by the Food Bank, six present the highest levels of food insecurity in the state.
The Food Bank relies on multiple federally funded programs to nourish an average of 129,000 neighbors every month. One such example is the Senior Box Kitting program, which sources food from the USDA.
In addition, more than half of Feeding Southwest Virginia’s approximate 275 agency partners depend on the Food Bank’s inventory of USDA food to nourish neighbors in their respective communities. The Food Bank also utilizes federal support for its Summer Food Service Program, which provides hundreds of thousands of meals for children every summer.
President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia, Pamela Irvine says, “Hunger is a bipartisan issue.”
Irvine continues, “We ask that our local, state, and national elected officials support policies, such as the Farm Bill, that keep our inventory stocked and our neighbors in need fed. We are grateful for the elected officials who joined us and made a difference today.”
The Food Bank was joined by such high-ranking officials as Congressman Morgan Griffith and Senator Traivs Hackworth. Elected officials from Washington County, Scott County, Smyth County, Abingdon, Damascus, and Bristol were in attendance.
The elected officials and guests worked together to sort, inspect, and bag potatoes for neighbors to enjoy in far Southwest Virginia. Their visit yielded 3,808 pounds of prepped potatoes in more than 380 family-sized bags.
