GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. — A new poll from the non-profit No Kid Hungry revealed that 78 percent of Virginians surveyed said groceries have become harder to afford in the last year.
One answer to that problem is Virginia’s free and charitable clinic network.
March is National Nutrition Month, and CBS 6 stopped by Goochland Cares on River Road to visit its food pantry. The pantry is one of 12 different programs it offers to clients, including a clothes closet, medical clinic, and emergency housing.
Staff and volunteers have seen the need growing in the rural county firsthand. The pantry fed 200 families a week during the start of the pandemic.
Now, it serves 350 to 375 families weekly while providing clients with three days' worth of food. Each customer can return to the pantry each week.
“Those COVID benefits got reduced a couple of years ago, so that's driving more people here. Of course, inflation is a big, big factor in driving people here too,” said current volunteer and former food pantry manager Doug Chiles.
The team served at least 15 customers within 30 minutes of our visit on Friday morning.
Watch: How a Goochland non-profit is ensuring residents have access to fresh, healthy food
“The western part of the county is really considered a food desert. The Food Lion in downtown Goochland is the grocery store that is the furthest west until you get out to Zions Crossroads,” Chiles explained. “There's a great disparity in income between the eastern part of the county that’s next to Henrico versus the western part of the county.”
Chiles said they intentionally set their food pantry up in a self-shop style, like a typical grocery store.
“If you think about trauma-informed care, being food-deprived is a trauma in their lives. Giving them the ability to come in and make their own choices is a big deal,” Chiles explained.
They highlight healthier options with a green, yellow, and red symbol posted right on the shelf.
The nonprofit stocks its pantry with shipments from Feed More, and volunteers pick up donations from local grocery stores.
They announced a partnership in July 2024 with Silo Hill Farms, which dedicated farmland and labor exclusively to growing a range of fresh organic produce for the pantry.
A nurse in the on-site medical clinic also creates tailored and healthy meal plans for customers.
Goochland Cares is getting ready for its annual Community Wide Food Drive. They hope to collect at least 50,000 pounds of food from April 1 to Saturday, April 26, from neighboring communities, businesses, and organizations.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
