Virginia Peninsula Foodbank (VPF)

Hampton, Va. 

Since its founding in 1986, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank (VPF) has provided over 148 million meals to low income residents of the Tidewater region of southeastern Virginia. The primary programs include food distribution to community agencies, Food for Kids BackPack Program, culinary and life skills training, and the mobile food pantry. In addition to the 36 full and part time staff members, over 6,900 volunteers make sure that their neighbors who struggle with hunger have the needed support and comfort.

The $10,000 2018 grant awarded to VPF ensured that low-income seniors who rely on the mobile food pantry would have the same access to the kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables as those clients who have transportation to the pantry sites. However, because the mobile pantries are not available on a daily basis at the senior housing complexes, the fresh fruits and vegetables must be varieties that have a longer “shelf life” than most other produce.

Judy recently moved to an apartment complex for seniors in Hampton, Virginia. Due to medical conditions, including chronic pain when she moves, her physicians have encouraged her to eat more healthily to control her weight. She noticed that others in the complex seemed to have more fresh fruits and vegetables than she did – so she asked how they could afford that good food. Her neighbors told her about the VPF mobile food pantry, and she decided to try it. “Yes, the fruits and vegetables are great. They keep me out of trouble with my doctor and it is always fun to add a little green to your meals or grab a sweet orange or apple for snack.”

To learn more about Virginia Peninsula Foodbank visit: www.hrfoodbank.org.