Northern Neck Food Bank (NNFB) recently announced it has received a $40,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program in support of its signature Agricultural Program.
Designed to improve the nutritional value of food distributed over the NNFB’s six-county service area, the Agricultural Program is a partnership with local farmers who provide access to their produce fields for gleaning and harvesting, reported director of development Cynthia L. Balderson. The program directly impacts over 60,000 individuals every year who receive food from NNFB directly and through extended distribution partnerships with Feed More, Inc. and Virginia Peninsula Food Bank.
After surveying 5,000 recipients in 2012, NNFB discovered that 32% of the households served have a member with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and 62% of the households have age or health related dietary needs.
Based on these findings their mission grew from simply assisting with logistics and storage of food to improving the nutritional value of the food provided to recipients. Since the program’s inception in 2012, the amount of fresh produce distributed has doubled from over 220,000 pounds to over 420,000 pounds in the current year. This is accomplished with the help of hundreds of volunteers locally and throughout Virginia who join the NNFB by investing in the communities for gleaning and harvesting activities from July through December.
The Agricultural Program is just one way the NNFB works to fulfill its mission of providing healthy nutritious foods for those in need in the communities they serve. To tour the NNFB facility, call 577-0246, or [email protected]. Visit nnfb.org.
