Local food bank creates new ways to connect the hungry with nearest food pantries

Lynchburg Feeds website launched in December

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Vincell Frank comes to the Diamond Hill Community Center in Lynchburg often.

Every month she receives a box filled with food from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

“It helps me with having a little more money in my pocket. I don’t have to go to the grocery store for things I that I really can’t afford. But it’s been real beneficial to me,” Frank said.

On Thursday Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s CEO, Michael McKee told Frank and others of a new website they’ve launched called Lynchburg Feeds.

“A primary reason people aren’t seeking help is they don’t know where it is. The website is designed to solve that,” McKee said.

Lynchburg Feeds, is a new initiative to help people in need find the nearest food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter they may not know exists.

The website has a calendar view of which pantries are handing out free food that day.

“As much food as we’re distributing there’s still more to do especially in connecting people to the help they need. And that’s why Lynchburg Feeds is so important,” McKee said.

Lynchburg Feeds has only been live for a few months but organizers say 10 percent of their new clients visiting local pantries are coming because they found the website.

“They gave some good points and I know it will be able to help a lot of people once they go to the website and everything,” Frank said, “If anyone ask me I’m going to let them know.”