PETERSBURG, Va. - The city of Petersburg is on a mission to make sure those who live there don’t go without over Thanksgiving. So, they’ve decided to partner up with restaurants to provide meals to residents through an initiative called “Feed the Need with A Taste of Petersburg.”
“There are many entities that are actually providing meals on Thanksgiving. What about the rest of the week when folks are likely hungry? Which is how we chose two days before Thanksgiving, and two days after,” Darnetta Tyus, Petersburg Deputy City Manager of Community Affairs, said.
Eight restaurants will be participating over the four-day period to help prepare and deliver more than 7,400 meals.
“A lot of our people that come here are struggling and financially might not be able to have the meals for the break, so I think this is a super initiative and we’re so ecstatic to be a part of it,” Denise Campbell, the co-owner of Traditionz, said.
“Feed the Need” is also providing something one city official says the restaurants need: an economic boost.
More than $100,000 is going to fund the program through the Cares Act.
“We’ve been doing some creative things all over the city of Petersburg, but this right here is one of the ways in which we can at least keep the businesses open,” Darrin Hill, Ward 2 Petersburg City Councilman. said.
“It’s allowed me the ability to retain my staff. We’re very appreciative of the city of Petersburg, and the revenue it’s going to bring to our business,” Campbell added.
The prepackaged meals will be available at over 30 distribution sites throughout the city, including a drive-up at the Petersburg Sports Complex.
They will also provide door-to-door service for those who have already applied for meal delivery online.
“The goal was to take the meals to as many sites as we could to keep our residents from having to come out of their homes or go very far to receive these meals,” Tyus said.
She also said the distribution sites that were selected will be available each day for the residents so they can receive one free meal on each of the days the feed the need initiative is up and running.
“We are so excited about the opportunity to serve the community at this level with quality food. We’ve have been focused on the healthy portion of this and we’re going to feed our community,” Tyus said.
The meals will be delivered and distributed, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday to Petersburg families who may be experiencing food insecurity due to COVID-19.
For more information about the distribution sites you can contact the city at 804-324-4014 or 324-4015.
