During a drive-by and drop-off donation event at Tuckahoe Village Shopping Center earlier this month, community members donated 5,000 pounds of non-perishable foods to support Goochland Cares, UP RVA, and Henrico County Family and Community Engagement.
Conducted in the shopping center parking lot in front of Holland Family Chiropractic at 11226 Patterson Avenue, the food drive followed all guidelines for safe physical distancing. More than thirty volunteers mobilized to keep cars moving through the line and donations organized.
Everyone who donated also received the new issue of Richmond Family Magazine.
The next food drive is scheduled for Friday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the same location.
One in eight Central Virginians is food insecure, meaning more than 193,000 of our neighbors are not receiving the necessary nutrition. Of that number, more than 47,000 children, or one in seven in Central Virginia do not know when or where they will receive their next meal. This was before the spread of COVID-19 and its economic impact on families.
Items needed: paper or plastic bags, canned meats (chicken, tuna, pork, and beef), soups and stews, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, canned milk, and beans. Flip-top cans are helpful, especially for younger clients.
Event organizer Nicole Holland and Nancy Lucy say every effort will be made to ensure physical distancing guidelines are followed and volunteers will wear face masks. Holland says she expects vehicles to flow through the parking lot in an organized fashion after dropping off donations and that there will be no close contact as volunteers unload donations.
The May issue of Richmond Family Magazine will be distributed to each vehicle.
Community members can support these organizations individually by volunteering or making a direct monetary donation at the links provided below:
GoochlandCares: GoochlandCares Terry Ebright
UP RVA: UP RVA Toby Desch
Henrico Co. Family & Community Engagement: Henrico County Schools. Van-Neisha V. Johnson
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If you would like more information on how to support this event or how to organize a safe food drive, please contact Nicole Holland 804-306-2728 or Nancy Lucy 804-306-3638.
If you would like to distribute RFM at any safe, organized event benefitting the Richmond community (like a food drive or other drop-off donation event), please request magazines at info@RFMonline.com.
Read more about the important work of one of the beneficiary organizations, GoochlandCares, in RFM on page 16 this month. Or go here.