Alayna Jones

By: Alayna Jones | alayna3@vt.edu

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Blacksburg, Va. Dec. 11, 2017 – The holiday season is

about appreciating what you have and giving back to those

in need. For a lot of community members across the United

States, they like to give back in the form of food around this

time of year since so many families do not have access to

enough food. 

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The Interfaith Food Pantry (IFP) in Blacksburg is just one way that community members can help donate food around the area. The Interfaith Food Pantry runs a little different than other types of food donation services for various reasons. 

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The IFP collects their food mostly from donations around the community and in the local churches. They can rely heavily on donations alone since at their food drives, their flyers they hand to grocery store shoppers state exactly which foods they are looking for. The flyer names the brand of the food and even which aisle in the grocery store they can find it in. 

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Madison Gore is a student at Virgina Tech who has donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry this year. "I was going to Kroger one Saturday afternoon and I had some nice people hand me a flyer with very straightforward, specific instructions on what foods they need donated."

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Sine they are a partner with Feeding America Southwest Virginia, Vern Simpson, director of the Interfaith Food Pantry, says that they get the breads, sweets and produce every morning that Kroger and Food Lion want to get off the shelves, but are still fine to eat. 

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The IFP also collects stuffed animals and Christmas mugs for shoppers to take home to give as gifts which a lot of other food donation centers in the areas only focus on food. 

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At the food pantry, community members who qualify to come and get food at the pantry, are taken around by volunteers who are screened by New River Community Action. They help them get the items they need to live a healthy lifestyle. The cost of all the food they receive is around a $150 grocery shopping trip.

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Even though these families can only come once a month to the food pantry, it is a special time since they are greeted and welcomed by volunteers who love what they do and want to help out in every way they can. 

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