Loaves and Fishes is a non-profit food pantry.
We are a distribution agency of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
In April and May we saw a real surge and it was very much tied to the government shut
down of work and so we saw about a 35 percent increase in need from brand new houses.
We are fortunately able to provide enough food for all the people who come here for
help.
Hunger is a need in the area and the virus can scare a lot of folks but that doesn’t
alleviate the need for people to put food on their tables and someone has to be here
to be able to serve in that way.
Our mission is to give food with kindness and compassion and that’s really important
for Loaves and Fishes is that people who need our help don’t feel like they’re any different
than we are.
That’s deep in our hearts and we want to make sure that everyone who volunteers or
works here is in the same space.
So much of life can easily just be focused on myself, but stepping out and serving others
is something that’s greater than themselves and once you start doing it, it builds on
itself and you start looking forward to it and you realize the benefits of being selfless
and prioritizing other people’s needs.
If you can find time for that I think it will be time well spent and I think you’ll find
yourself the better for it.
So anybody who’s interested in getting involved in Loaves and Fishes or any other charity
in the area, I encourage you to go to the UVA Volunteer Center website and sign up.
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