Interfaith Food Pantry feeds residents in the Blacksburg community
Allysah Fox
April 14, 2017
The pantry isles are filled with donated items ranging from basic essentials to sweet-tasting pleasures.
Since 1987, volunteers from more than 25 local churches have opened the doors of the Interfaith Food Pantry to underserved families residing in Blacksburg and McCoy.
“I’ve been working here for 15 years, and not once have I regretted it,” said Fredda Cromer, executive director of the Interfaith Food Pantry. “It’s just a good feeling to help others in the community.”
Each weekday, the volunteers arrive at 8:30 a.m. to unload the food delivered from local businesses and grocery store chains in Blacksburg. The food is then divided into categories such as, produce, boxed items, diary, or protein, to name a few.
In addition, the churches have divided the food and other items so the pantry remains fully stocked. Each of the 25 churches will deliver their designated items on their assigned date once per month. “The pantry is unique,” Cromer said, “because it’s sponsored by the churches in Blacksburg.”
The pantry is arranged similar to a grocery store, complete with labeled isles. “It makes the people who come in here feel like bigger people,” said Elizabeth Sorenson, a volunteer of nine years. “They can make their own selections, and that’s important to them.”
The Interfaith Food Pantry serves more than 600 families per month in the Blacksburg and McCoy area. Of those families, approximately 200 are considered large families—five or more people in a household.
“As a volunteer here,” said Vern Simpson, a volunteer of 12 years, “one of the more positive things is to see people get more than they might get without our help.”
The Interfaith Food Pantry consists of more than 200 volunteers, all of whom are not paid. “I do it because I love it,” said Becky Batten, a volunteer of 10 years. “I like what they do. I like how they help people meet the basic need of eating.”
A single-person household can receive a cart full of groceries worth $200, and this total will escalate by the size of the household. “It’s hard to compare the feeling of seeing how happy and how grateful the people are that come in here,” Sorenson said. “It’s a simple ‘thank you’ that can make your whole day.”
The Interfaith Food Pantry has made a huge impact on the families who have been in need, as well as on the volunteers who have been there to help. This gift of humility is what made this program a growing success in the last 30 years—a quality that hasn't diminished.
“It’s the gratitude of the people we serve that I think is the highlight of the whole thing,” said Cromer. “You get to be friends with them, and they all have a story to tell. If you sit and listen, they all have a story to tell.”
Allysah Fox
April 14, 2017
The pantry isles are filled with donated items ranging from basic essentials to sweet-tasting pleasures.
Since 1987, volunteers from more than 25 local churches have opened the doors of the Interfaith Food Pantry to underserved families residing in Blacksburg and McCoy.
“I’ve been working here for 15 years, and not once have I regretted it,” said Fredda Cromer, executive director of the Interfaith Food Pantry. “It’s just a good feeling to help others in the community.”
Each weekday, the volunteers arrive at 8:30 a.m. to unload the food delivered from local businesses and grocery store chains in Blacksburg. The food is then divided into categories such as, produce, boxed items, diary, or protein, to name a few.
In addition, the churches have divided the food and other items so the pantry remains fully stocked. Each of the 25 churches will deliver their designated items on their assigned date once per month. “The pantry is unique,” Cromer said, “because it’s sponsored by the churches in Blacksburg.”
The pantry is arranged similar to a grocery store, complete with labeled isles. “It makes the people who come in here feel like bigger people,” said Elizabeth Sorenson, a volunteer of nine years. “They can make their own selections, and that’s important to them.”
The Interfaith Food Pantry serves more than 600 families per month in the Blacksburg and McCoy area. Of those families, approximately 200 are considered large families—five or more people in a household.
“As a volunteer here,” said Vern Simpson, a volunteer of 12 years, “one of the more positive things is to see people get more than they might get without our help.”
The Interfaith Food Pantry consists of more than 200 volunteers, all of whom are not paid. “I do it because I love it,” said Becky Batten, a volunteer of 10 years. “I like what they do. I like how they help people meet the basic need of eating.”
A single-person household can receive a cart full of groceries worth $200, and this total will escalate by the size of the household. “It’s hard to compare the feeling of seeing how happy and how grateful the people are that come in here,” Sorenson said. “It’s a simple ‘thank you’ that can make your whole day.”
The Interfaith Food Pantry has made a huge impact on the families who have been in need, as well as on the volunteers who have been there to help. This gift of humility is what made this program a growing success in the last 30 years—a quality that hasn't diminished.
“It’s the gratitude of the people we serve that I think is the highlight of the whole thing,” said Cromer. “You get to be friends with them, and they all have a story to tell. If you sit and listen, they all have a story to tell.”
Volunteers at the Interfaith Food Pantry are busy sorting through the morning delivery from Food Lion. The local grocery store donated fresh produce such as, tomatoes, beets, and green beans, as well as some canned foods.