Feeding Our Community: Highlights from the 2024 Annual Report
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore continues to tackle hunger head-on. This year’s Annual Report reveals record-breaking accomplishments and the ongoing power of community contributions in the fight to end food insecurity.
In this blog, we’ll get into the Foodbank’s achievements in 2024, from where donations originate, to how much food is processed, distributed, and delivered to families in need.
Where Does Our Food Come From?
The Foodbank sources food from a diverse network of contributors, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious options for families in need.
- Retail Rescue: With the help of our 142 partners, over 9.4 million pounds of food was rescued through our Retail Rescue program, salvaging surplus items that would otherwise go to waste.
- Community Contributions: Businesses and neighbors stepped up to donate nearly 3.5 million pounds of food through efforts like food drive contributions and individual donations.
- Farm Partnerships: Despite facing harsh harvests, local farms, including our own Farm-to-Foodbank program, including our own Farm-to-Foodbank program, Izzie’s Field, continue to play a critical role in ensuring access to fresh produce, which helps keep nutrition at the forefront of our mission.
- Donations and Purchases: To meet growing demand, the Foodbank purchases 19 percent of our inventory using monetary donations, and an additional 12 percent of food comes from government assistance.
These partnerships and contributions are the backbone of our operation, enabling swift, efficient action when demand spikes in our community.
Getting Food Out to Those Who Need It Most
Ensuring everyone has access to food is no small task, and the Foodbank plays a crucial role in fighting hunger by providing essential support to individuals and families in need. Every can, carton, and crate of food that enters the Foodbank is handled with care, thanks to the combined efforts of dedicated staff and volunteers.
How It Works
The Foodbank ensures families receive safe, high-quality food by sorting, inspecting, and packing donations into meal kits or shipments that are distributed to the community through programs such as our mobile pantry distribution. Volunteers are essential to this process, helping with everything from sorting to preparing deliveries.
How We Do It
Nearly 73 percent of our deliveries reach families through our trusted network of food bank partnerships, including pantries, churches, schools, and more. These partnerships are vital to extending our reach across the region.
Programs like the 757 Mobile Market bring healthy, fresh food directly to under-resourced neighborhoods, similar to a farmer’s market. This year, the mobile market provided 338,706 pounds of food and 282,255 meals.
Helping to Lead Healthier Lives
The Foodbank’s mission is simple: to ensure that no one in our region goes hungry. We also aim to go even further than hunger relief by prioritizing the distribution of high-quality, nutritious food.
We’re proud to say that 78 percent of distributed food is considered nutritious and healthy. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, high-protein staples, dairy, and more.
Over the past two years, we’ve achieved a 14 percent growth in produce distribution and delivered over 1.3 million pounds of protein, making a significant impact in food accessibility.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
This year, donations enabled the Foodbank to distribute 24,715,806 pounds of food, providing over 20 million meals to those in need.
What makes the Foodbank’s achievements this year truly remarkable is the collective effort of an engaged community. Whether you’re a donor, a volunteer, or part of our community, you play a vital role in the fight against hunger. Here’s how you can continue to support the Foodbank:
- Donate: Food, funds, or your time, every donation or food drive contribution counts.
- Volunteer: Explore volunteer opportunities and be the change you want to see.
- Spread the Word: Advocate. Share. Educate. Help us grow our network of support.
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore is closing the hunger gap, one meal at a time. Join us to help make nutritious food accessible to all.
For more stats, programs, and stories from 2024, view the full Annual Report.