WARRENTON, Va. — Food insecurity affects nearly 900,000 residents of Virginia. These people don't know where their next meal will come from on any given day. Fauquier FISH is a nonprofit that houses a food pantry in Fauquier County, Virginia. Unlike other food banks that offer miscellaneous canned goods, this one is focused on providing healthy meals.
"We decided to change things up in 2015 and focus on nutritional aspects," says Carol Schumacher, Executive Director of Fauquier FISH. "We decided to give our clients a full meal kit. Within that kit, they get all the ingredients; they get an easy recipe they can use to cook a wholesome meal."
The kits not only consist of non-perishable items the clients don't have readily available in their kitchen, but also contain fresh produce. In 2018 Fauquier FISH partnered with the Fauquier Education Farm fo fulfill this nutritional need.
Support from local farmers and charitable donations have allowed Fauquier FISH to help many Virginia residents. Dominion Energy recently awarded a generous grant to the nonprofit.
"People should not go hungry, but as individuals, we don't have the wherewithal to give nutritious food to those in need on a regular basis," says Peggy Fox of Dominion Energy. "That's why Dominion Energy partners with organizations like this. We want to give back to the community."
The donation greatly impacted Fauquier FISH.
"We were able to purchase half our food for our Christmas baskets this year and distribute them to over 240 clients," says Schumacher. Knowing that more people were able to celebrate the holiday was a great feeling for all the staff and volunteers of this exceptional organization.
This article is sponsored by Dominion Energy.
Additional information provided by Federation of Virginia Food Banks