Today the Rotary Club of Newport News conducted its second service project of the Rotary year. We volunteered at the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank to help those that need assistance with food. The Virginia Peninsula Foodbank was established in 1986 and has been the leading hunger relief organization across the greater Peninsula serving the 1 in 8 Virginians who experience the daily hardships of food and nutrition insecurity. Food banks provide healthy food to individuals, children, families, seniors, and veterans who otherwise might go without it.

You may not realize that the Foodbank plays an important active role in meeting community needs to help those whose food insecurity has been magnified and who are facing the fears and pains of hunger. Thousands of families have been impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has brought significant change and uncertainty in our lives, from where we work to how we buy our groceries and how children learn from home vs. in the classroom. The economic impact of the virus means long-term financial hardship for families across America. Getting back on their feet may take a while, and your gift will help families in Virginia who are facing unexpected hardships and can’t afford food.

Tom Carlson showing off a bag of 13 oranges.

We were assigned two pallets, or 64 cases of oranges, that had to be broken down into individual bags of 13 oranges so that they could be distributed as part of a larger offering later.  Our team of 21 volunteers took the challenge head-on, and in less than an hour, the mission was complete!

New for this Rotary year, our club cancels its last meeting of each month so we can conduct a service project or host a social somewhere across the community. In September, our club volunteered at the Children’s Fishing Clinic, and next month we will volunteer to assist with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. If your organization needs help with a service project, let us know!

Here’s the link if you or your organization is interested in volunteering at the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.

If you want to get more involved with Newport News and improve the community, you’re invited to join us for an upcoming lunch. We meet every Tuesday from 12:00 – 1:00 pm at the James River Country Club. Each week we feature a community leader as a speaker so you can learn more about the great area in which we live. We also mix in a lot of fun and community projects like this one along the way to make an excellent experience for everyone! Let us know if you’re planning to attend a meeting so we can welcome you properly.

To our amazing members… Thank you for making our club so much fun and making our community a better place to work, live and enjoy. We couldn’t do it without you!