Food Programs
Warehouse Distribution Program
Except for USDA commodities, this program includes all food and grocery products from food drives, purchases, and donations from manufacturers and supermarkets. This is the heart of the Foodbank – where millions of pounds of food are sorted, boxed, and delivered to almost 400 Partner Agencies and Programs.
USDA Commodities
The Foodbank is a Commonwealth of Virginia contractor for the distribution of USDA commodities to designated agencies. This source of food includes quality meats, fish, canned and packaged fruits and vegetables, rice, beans, pasta, and peanut butter.
Food Rescue Program
This is an initiative to collect prepared and perishable food from 149 area grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, and discount retailers to distribute immediately to the hungry. Annually, the Foodbank collects nearly 5.6 million pounds through this program.
For more information, please contact Leonna Benson.
Mobile Pantry Program
This new system of distribution serves food to our neediest communities, while coordinating with our partner agencies and other social service organizations to determine delivery locations. This program is hugely successful in providing a means for individuals and families to receive food when they cannot travel to an agency, or their local agency is at-capacity. During fiscal year 2012, the program distributed over 902,544 pounds of food to individuals who either could not travel to an agency or their local agency was at capacity.
For more information, please contact Donna Graves.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
Formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, SNAP is the cornerstone of the Nation’s nutrition safety net and an investment in our future. The SNAP program offers the opportunity for improved nutrition and progress toward economic self-sufficiency for participants. We urge individuals and families to take advantage of this program. It has been created to offer supplemental support for those who are struggling; the working poor, the unemployed, single parents, and the disabled. With even small amounts of SNAP aid, individuals then require less help from the Foodbank, so we can then serve more people. Every dollar spent on food from SNAP creates $1.84 of economic activity, employing people in agriculture, manufacturing, and retail.
For more information about SNAP, or to invite our SNAP Coordinator to your agency, please contact: Cathy Davis.
Tasley Thrift Store
The Foodbank refers our neighbors in need to social services to receive new clothing. Our branch location on the Eastern Shore also operates a thrift store to meet the needs of the area’s struggling residents and to generate modest income for the Foodbank.
Plant-A-Row for the Hungry Program
Local gardeners are encouraged to plant an extra row of produce and contribute that part of their harvest to the Foodbank and its Partner Agencies to use in their feeding programs.
Community Garden
With assistance from corporate partners and supporters like, Bank of America, Onancock Building Supply, Bundick Well and Pump, Hill Sand and Gravel, Inc., Parksley Livestock Supply, and Thomas Gardens, it is to our excitement to announce the addition of a community garden located at our Eastern Shore Branch.
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia’s community garden,is an educational tool and a supplemental, healthy food source for the community. Here, Foodbank staff members and volunteers educate community garden visitors through teach-ins and workshop about health, food and hunger issues.
Child Nutrition
For information about our Child Nutrition programs, click here!