Crop Rapport: The Kraft Foods Mobile Pantry

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

According to the Feeding America report, “Map the Meal Gap 2011’s Preliminary Findings,” an estimated 912,790 Virginians (or 11.8% of the Commonwealth’s population) are currently facing food insecurity. As part of a solution to a critical problem, a new “farmer’s market on wheels” is coming to the aid of the more than 30,000  food insecure residents living in Planning District 16 (encompassing Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George and the City of Fredericksburg). The Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, in partnership with Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, launched its new Kraft Foods Mobile Pantry truck at a morning ceremony today; the mobile pantry then proceeded to its first distribution site at the Dahlgren Harbor Apartments in King George.

The Kraft Foods Mobile Pantry Program is currently in its third year; to date, it has delivered in excess of 33 million pounds of food to Americans in need. Food banks across the nation vied for the 10 trucks recently added to the Kraft fleet. Dayna Klein, Major Gift & Marketing Coordinator for the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, wrote the grant proposal on behalf of the food bank, one of seven serving Virginia. Fredericksburg was ultimately selected as a recipient along with food banks in Missouri, Florida, Indiana, Utah, California, Washington, and Ohio.

The Kraft mobile pantry will bring 130,000 pounds, or 104,000 meals, to the Planning District’s residents each year; Giant Food has already donated 20,000 pounds of food for the pantry’s launch. The beverage-style refrigerated trucks will start out providing fresh produce and non-perishable goods, but will eventually expand its offering to include a wide variety of both meats and dairy products. The mobile pantries previously serving Planning District 16 lacked refrigeration and therefore were limited in what they could provide to meet residents’ needs.

Klein explained that the mobile pantry is “not designed to provide individuals with long-term support,” but rather “to supplement income-qualified individuals during those last few days in the month” when it is hard to make financial ends meet. With today’s launch, there are currently eight designated mobile pantry sites in the Planning District, in addition to designated drop-off sites. The mobile pantry delivers at one or two designated sites throughout the Planning District each week–either on Wednesdays or Thursdays, depending on the location and the rotation schedule. Mishelle Krogstad, Agency & Programs Director, oversees the food bank’s mobile pantry program, which also relies on dedicated long-time food bank volunteers and staff to man and run each mobile pantry successfully.

For more information on the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank and its mobile pantry program, click here.

Fredericksburg Area Food Bank
3631 Lee Hill Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
(540) 371-7666
www.fredfood.org

-Johnisha M. Levi

Northern Virginia’s Farmers Markets and Hours

Annandale Farmers Market • 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Thu, 8-noon
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Ashburn Farmers Market • 44036 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn – Sat, 8-noon
Ballston Farmers Market • N. Stuart St. & N. Ninth St. – Thu, 3-7 p.m.
Brambleton Farmers Market • 22875 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Cascades Farmers Market • 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Clarendon Farmers Market• 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Community Farmers Market • West & Main Streets (Sat), North St. & Old Lee Highway (Sun), Fairfax – Sat: 8-1 p.m.; Sun: 10-2 p.m.
Crystal City Farmers Market • Crystal Square Arcade between S. 18th and 20th Streets – Tue, 3-7 p.m.
Culpeper Farmers Market • E. Davis & Commerce Streets – Sat, 7:30-noon
Dale City Farmers Market • Dale Blvd. & Minnieville Road, Dale City – Sun, 8-1 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Fairfax Farmers Market • 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax – Tue, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 8-noon
Fredericksburg Farmers Market• George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Frying Pan Farmers Market • 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon – Wed, 8-12:30 p.m.
Great Falls Farmers Market • 750 Walker Road, Great Falls – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Haymarket Farmers Market • 1500 Washington St., Haymarket – Sat, 8-2 p.m.
Herndon Farmers Market • Lynn and Station Streets, Herndon – Thu, 8-noon
Kingstowne Farmers Market • Kingstowne Center & Kingstowne Blvd., Franconia – Fri, 4-7 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon
Lorton Farmers Market • 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
McLean Farmers Market • 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean – Fri, 8-noon
Middleburg Farmers Market • 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg – Sat, 8-noon
Mount Vernon Farmers Market • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria – Tue, 8-noon
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Oakton Farmers Market • 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton – Wed, 8-noon
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market • 9201 Center St., Manassas – Thu, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7:30-2:30 p.m.
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Purcellville Farmers Market• 751 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 8-noon
Reston Farmers Market • 11400 Washington Plaza W., Reston – Sat, 8-noon
Smart Markets – Centreville • 5875 Trinity Parkway, Centreville – Fri, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Fairfax Corner • Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax – Tue, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Gainesville • 13297 Gateway Center Drive, Gainesville – Sun, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Herndon • 460 Elden St., Herndon – Thu, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Smart Markets – Reston • 11890 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston – Wed, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Upper King Street Farmers Market • 1806 King St., Alexandria – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Vienna Farmers Market • 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna – Sat, 8-noon
Wakefield Farmers Market • 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale – Wed, 2-6 p.m.
Warrenton Farmers Market • Branch Drive and Warrenton Village Center (Wed), S. Fifth & Lee Streets (Sat) – Wed, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7-noon
West End Farmers Market • 4800 Brenman Park Drive, Alexandria – Sun, 9-1 p.m.

Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets

Tags: Dahlgren Harbor Apartments, Dayna Klein, Feeding America, food bank volunteers, food insecurity, Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, Giant Food, Gut Check, hungry in Virginia, Johnisha M. Levi, Kraft Foods, Kraft Foods Foundation, Kraft mobile food pantry, Map the Meal Gap, Michele Krogstad, mobile pantry launch, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, Planning District 16