Highland Food Pantry 

Winchester, Va. 

Highland Food Pantry (HFP) started in 1990 as an outreach program of Highland Memorial Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia. When the program outgrew the capacity of Highland Memorial, the food pantry became a separate organization, and now serves over 20,000 individuals every year. Of the 20,000 individuals that receive food annually from Highland, approximately 1,200 are older adults.

HFP will use the grant of $3, 750 to support the Special Delivery program that serves older adults in the Northern Shenandoah Valley who are food insecure and are unable to travel to the Pantry to pick up food. The recipients will receive easy to prepare, high value protein food, which will be delivered to their homes on a monthly basis by HFP volunteers or the agency that provided the referral.

The 177 older adults, who receive the Special Delivery bags on a monthly basis, form a special bond with the volunteers who deliver the food. One volunteer shared some of the comments he hears while delivering food:

• “I was worried you weren’t going to come. I’m out of food. God Bless you.”
• “Thank you so much for coming. I’m on oxygen and don’t drive. I don’t know what I would do right now if you weren’t coming. Thank you.”
• “Since the Shop n’ Save closed, and I don’t drive, I’m having a hard time getting anything. Please thank everyone who has anything to do with this. Bless you.” 

In addition, The Highland Food Pantry offers the opportunity for other older adults to volunteer their time by preparing the Special Delivery bags. Volunteers from The Village at Orchard Ridge—A National Lutheran Community not only serve others but also have a wonderful time doing so.

To learn more about Highland Food Pantry contact highlandpantrywinc@gmail.com