The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore Kicks Off Hunger Heroes Amid Inflation Spike

Registration Now Open for Hunger Heroes Competition

Norfolk, VA — July 5, 2022 — The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore will host the fifth annual Hunger Heroes competition, an initiative established to galvanize businesses and organizations around efforts aimed at supporting families and individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Hunger Heroes is a food and fundraising competition open to local businesses, sports teams, social clubs, youth groups, and families that will kick off on July 6 and culminate on July 20. Participants will earn points for every pound of food donated or dollar raised, as well as other activities, such as volunteering, coordinating a food drive, posting to social media, and helping register other teams.

“The last few months have been especially challenging for families in our service area as inflation continues to drive up the cost of food and fuel – making it difficult for our organization to keep food on our shelves and trucks on the road,” said Christopher Tan, CEO of the Foodbank or Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. “This year’s Hunger Heroes provides us with a very much needed opportunity to garner additional support from the community during a time when donations have declined and the number of families experiencing food insecurity has increased.”

Participants can register for the competition in four categories based on the number of participants per organization — Small (1-9 participants), Medium (10-99), Large (100-999), and Enterprise (1,000+). The Foodbank will select the top three organizations per category and present additional awards for Best Overall, Volunteer Service, and Foodbank spotlights.

In addition, Hunger Heroes participants are encouraged to join the Justice League — a group of participants dedicated to making a significant, lasting difference in the lives of our neighbors facing food insecurity.

Organizations interested in participating in the competition can register at www.FoodbankOnline.org/HungerHeroes.

About the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore

For 40 years, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore has provided over 300 million meals to those in our community who face hunger. Through our programs, facilities, and large network of community partners, we “eliminate hunger” on a daily basis for many. However, we understand that our current work addresses hunger for individuals in the short term. It does not address the root causes which force individuals to return to a food pantry again and again. This understanding has led to the creation of a 3-year strategic plan aimed to move Hampton Roads closer to achieving the mission of eliminating hunger for those we serve—not only for the day, or for the week, but for a lifetime. For up-to-date information on the Foodbank, visit www.foodbankonline.org, Facebook, or Twitter.

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