Federation of Virginia Food Banks
Facilitating statewide collaboration among Virginia’s food banks, partners, and neighbors to improve nutrition security and empower strong, healthy communities.
Find your food bank
The Federation comprises all seven regional Feeding America food banks serving Virginia and the greater DC region. Click here to find out which food bank serves your community and either find assistance or learn about how you can help.
Nutrition Security and Health in Virginia
Americans who are most likely to experience food insecurity are also those most at risk of diet-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. These existing health disparities are directly tied to decades of systematic inequities and structural racism. It is well established that the same historically marginalized minority groups, as well as people living in rural and low-income areas, are less likely to have access to large chain grocery stores, those that carry a wider variety of affordable, healthy foods. Instead, those stores are often replaced with heavily processed fast-food options.
Education and behavior change are not sufficient to reduce these health disparities and often shift the blame back to these already marginalized communities. We view nutrition security as partnering to increase access to culturally relevant, nutritious foods and altering the built environment to make the healthy choice the easy choice so that everyone has the right to achieve their full health potential.
Virginia Nutrition Security and Health Summit
The 2022 Virginia Nutrition Security and Health Summit will bring together public health stakeholders to share best practices, strengthen our networks, build support for policy solutions, and spark collaboration.
Thank you to those that had attended our virtual Virginia Nutrition Summit event on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. We have posted a recap of the event, with video and PDF resources for download.
Farms to Food Banks
Agriculture is the Commonwealth’s #1 private industry; yet more than one million Virginians will face food insecurity this year. Providing fresh produce is a key part to fighting hunger in Virginia.
“Farms to Food Banks” is the Federation’s new collaborative venture to increase the amount of food sourced from local growers and processors. Providing Virginia food for Virginia families improves the quality and diversity of our inventory while strengthening the regional food system.
Feed VA
FeedVA.org is Virginia’s one-stop shop for connecting with food access stakeholders, exploring interactive data maps, and finding resources to support the food system in your community.
Milk is one of the most requested yet least donated items to Virginia’s food banks. On average, the families coming to our food pantries receive less than 1 gallon of milk per year.
Beginning in 2019, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks has made more milk available than ever before through the Milk for Good program. Your contributions will go directly toward the purchase of fresh, locally processed, nutrient-rich milk. On average, a $5 donation will provide 24 servings, or three half-gallons, of milk.
Support Our Mission
The Federation of Virginia Food Banks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit state association of food banks affiliated with Feeding America and is the largest hunger-relief network in the state. The Federation supports the seven regional Virginia/Washington DC food banks in building partnerships, securing resources, sharing data, and raising awareness of food insecurity throughout the Commonwealth.
Our mission is to grow the collective capacity of Virginia’s food banks and engage partners to end hunger in the Commonwealth. Last year, the Federation’s network distributed almost 118 million pounds of food and grocery products through 1,560 member agencies that directly serve those in need. These agencies operate programs such as soup kitchens, afterschool programs, senior centers and elderly feeding programs, Head Start, transitional housing, mental health programs, homeless and domestic violence shelters, and individual household distribution.
If you are interested in exploring a partnership with the Federation, please contact us.
