Annual Report

A YEAR IN REVIEW

Volunteers prepare to distribute food as part of the YMCA at Virginia Tech’s Meals on Main program.

Promoting Summer Food Assistance Programs The pandemic has had a particularly devastating effect on food insecurity in the New River Valley, with virtually all food pantries and feeding programs reporting a substantial increase in clients in 2020. Fortunately, federal, state, and local government funding combined with charitable gifts allowed school systems and nonprofits to relax eligibility requirements and to respond quickly to the increased need. NRV Thrive, a network of dozens of food assistance organizations convened by the CFNRV, stepped up

its communication efforts to promote these summer feeding programs and to share resources among network members. It published the 2020 Summer Feeding for Children guide, which provided detailed information on food distribution times and locations from area school systems and nonprofit organizations. It also strengthened connections between food providers and created a simple listserv that allowed food pantries to share food and supplies with other partners. Finally, the network recently updated its NRV Food Assistance Directory to provide updated information on the eligibility requirements, items offered, and program details of the region’s more than fifty food assistance agencies.

Photo by YMCA at Virginia Tech

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2020 - 2021 ANNUAL REPORT