Fredericksburg Area Food Bank Receives Wal-Mart Grant

The Fredericksburg Area Food Bank (FAFB) has received a $50,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation to purchase food items not provided through regular donations.

Fredericksburg Prepares for Two Turkey Trots

The official race has been moved this year to Central Park to accommodate the numbers, but some are protesting by hosting a run along the traditional downtown route.

Crowds for the city's annual YMCA Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk were so large last year, Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development and Tourism Director Karen Hedelt asked race organizer Terry McLaughlin to change the route.  So for the first time since the race began 19-years-ago, runners will not travel through historic Downtown Fredericksburg.  Unless they choose to run in the Downtown Turkey Trot 2012 - "Ruffle Some Feathers", advertised on Facebook by a jogger protesting the change. The official race will be held in Central Park, beginning at the Fredericksburg Expo Center. For the first 17 years, the race started at the Central Rappahannock Library on Caroline Street, but McLaughlin said it outgrew that route and …

• Photos (6)
• Documents (1)

Fredericksburg Mail Carriers To Stamp Out Hunger

On May 12, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America will deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes.

On May 12, letter carriers in Fredericksburg will not only delivery the mail, but they will also be picking up non-perishable food items for the 20th annual National Food Drive to "Stamp Out Hunger." This is the largest one-day food drive in the nation and letter carriers in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline and King George will be participating in the event. Residents can leave the donations at their mail boxes and in post offices for delivery to the Fredericksbrg Area Food Bank   Letter carriers will be passing out reminder cards and bags to customers from May 5 through May 8.

• Photos (1)

Mary Washington Hospital Nurses To Help Food Bank

Nurses from Mary Washington Hospital will have a food drive next week on Wednesday May 9 to benefit the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank.

Mary Washington Hospital nurses will have a food drive on Wednesday May 9 to benefit the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. People can drop off non-perishable food at Room 1 West B from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 9. The Mary Washington Hospital Nursing Research Council is sponsoring the event. For more information or directions to the room, call Wende Herlan at (540)-741-1451. Here is a list of the most-needed items for the food bank: Proteins: Breakfast Foods: Multi-Cultural Foods: Personal Needs Items: Paper Products: Fresh, Refrigerated, and Frozen items are gladly accepted at the Food Bank warehouse during regular operating hours. Items that cannot be accepted:

• Photos (1)

Food Lion Donates $5,000 to Fredericksburg Area Food Bank

The food bank will purchase more food with the grant.

The Food Lion Charitable Foundation donated $5,000 to the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. Oya Oliver, the food bank's executive director, said the money will be used to purchase more food for the Food for Life program. “Every day our seniors have to make tough decisions between paying for electricity or medicine and using their funds to buy food," she said. "We are very appreciative to Food Lion for easing this burden. Their gift will help supply 20,000 meals to the seniors and disabled through the Food for Life program." The food bank's Food for Life program provides a box of food and supplemental grocery items each month to those in need, the elderly and disabled. More than 3,000 people in the area qualify for the program, but only 1,600 …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Radio Station Gives Boost to Food Drive

They call it the "Stuff-a-Truck" food drive for a reason, and that's exactly what these DJ's did.

Local country music radio station WGRX-FM Thunder 104.5 collected enough food over the weekend to feed 10,000 meals to local residents in need. It was the culmination of a five week publicity campaign which urged listeners to donate to the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank's holiday Stuff a Truck food drive. Radio personalities Denny More, Penny Wack, Braden Smith Mike Neville and Cathy Lynn as well as other station staff joined members of the Christian Youth Theater to solicit donations from shoppers at Walmarts across the region. "“This is the first time, since I have been with Thunder 104.5, that we have undertaken a charity effort this big,” WGRX Programmer Braden Smith said in a press release issued by the radio station. "We never know …

• Photos (1)

Tunes for Turkeys

Music fans can help the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank feed the hungry.

To try and help the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank provide its clients with a dignified Thanksgiving meal, a trio of bands are holding a food drive concert tonight at Read All Over Books. To get in, all you need is a non-perishable food donation. Local musician Ryan Brosmer, who is playing the show, is upping the ante for those who give generously. He promises to write a song for whoever donates a turkey to the Food Bank. "Donate a turkey (take it to the Food Bank, not the show), show me some kind of proof (picture, receipt, whatever!) and I will write you a song about you and your turkey and its noble sacrifice," wrote Brosmer on Facebook. "Alternatively, bring $20 to the show, I will take care of buying/delivering the turkey and you still…

• Photos (1)

Food Bank Urgently Needs Holiday Donations

Rising demand and diminishing donations have Fredericksburg Area Food Bank officials worried for Thanksgiving.

Despite a donation of 750 turkeys from supermarket chain Giant Food yesterday, the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank says it still needs about 1,500 turkeys and other foodstuffs to meet expected Thanksgiving demand. "Our goal was 5,000 turkeys," said Oya Oliver, director of the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, in an interview. " We have purchased some and gotten some donations, but we are nowhere near the amount we need." In 2010, the food bank distributed more than 3 million pounds of food to clients. This year, Oliver says the food bank is projected to match or slightly outpace last year's output. But increasing demand is outstripping food donations. This year, the food bank has had to spend more money to purchase food to meet demand than at …

• Photos (1)

Food Bank Sets Turkey Goal: 5,000

Calling all turkeys! Fredericksburg Area Food Bank launches eighth annual Turkey Drive to provide hearty holidays for the hungry.

The Fredericksburg Area Food Bank is asking for donations of 5,000 turkeys and other items to meet demand this Thanksgiving. To help reach that goal, the food bank is hosting a number of events as part of its annual Turkey Drive. Former Redskins cornerback Pat Fischer will be the guest of honor at a Thanksgiving Turkey Drive By event on Saturday November 5 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the front entrance of the Spotsylvania Towne Centre. Attendees are asked to bring frozen turkeys, non perishable canned goods or money to donate. A donation enters you for a chance to win a jersey autographed by early 1980s Redskins running back Mike Nelms. If you don't mind bleeding for charity, Bloom grocery stores will be donating a free turkey to the …

• Photos (1)