By Taylor Boyd
Donations to the Patrick County Community Food Bank have increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but donations still are needed.
“A lot of people just gave their stimulus checks to us,” said April Pendleton, a member of the agency’s board.
While the increased donations have allowed the food bank to better serve those in need by providing families with boxes containing more food and necessary items, the boxes still do not contain enough food to sustain a family.
Throughout Patrick County, the agency provides food boxes to anywhere between 180-230 families of various sizes each month, with 171 households served in July, she said.
A new distribution center in Meadows of Dan began earlier this year, according to Pendleton, who added that site has served between 20 and 30 local families each month.
Pendleton said that even with the pandemic, the number of those asking for help has not really increased. While there have been few new faces appear, the agency’s base has basically stayed the same.
She said she does not know if the nominal increase is because people in Patrick County have not been affected as badly by the virus as other parts of the county, or if other organizations also are providing food to those in need.
Volunteer rates at the food bank have also not been affected during the pandemic.
Pendleton said that while some volunteers, such as the elderly, have taken a step back because of their susceptibility to the virus, others have increased the number of volunteer hours to make sure the agency is able to meet the demand.
Deliveries, however, “have increased during COVID. Drivers are using their own vehicles and gas to take boxes to people who are not able to go out because of the virus to make sure they have something to eat,” Pendleton said.
The agency also is continuing to accept donations.
“Monetary donations are best, but toiletry items, feminine hygiene items, and other self-care items are also preferred,” Pendleton said.
Donations of food also are accepted, but Pendleton said the agency can do more with monetary donations through its partnership with Feeding America.
The partnership allows the agency to purchase food at a lower cost, and stretch monetary donations “pennies to dollars,” to buy more food than, for instance, a person buying perishable items at the local grocery store, Pendleton said.
Donations can be made to P.O. Box 1304, Stuart, Va., 24171. Make checks payable to the Patrick County Community Food Bank. For questions about donations or the volunteer process, call the (276) 694-6300 or contact the agency on social media at Facebook.com/PatrickCoFoodBank/.
